Jerusalem

I visited the Temple Mount (Haram Al-Sharif) yesterday morning. In many ways, it was the highlight of my trip: the Temple Mount is identified with the biblical Mt. Moriah, where God began His creation of the universe, where Abraham almost sacrificied Isaac, where Solomon built the Temple, and where Muhammad ascended to Heaven. In other ways, it was a significant let down: both the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are closed to non-Muslims because of the current "situation," and all I could do was walk around the outside of these buildings I've dreamt of visiting for years. There was much wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of clothes. Now I need to find a good dentist and a good tailor.

In the afternoon I went down to Ben Yehuda Street in the New City where they were celebrating Purim (read: Israeli Halloween). For several days there have been children running around dressed like fairy-princesses, ninja-warriors, wicked-witches, and swashbuckling-pirates. My favorite costume was the vampire-ninja-pirate, who very much reminded me of Studentor the Masterbrarian (real name: Vladar) who is, in fact, a vampire-Japanese-sailor-pirate. Small world.

Anyhow, back on Ben Yehuda Street, the block party had three bandstands for live music and performances. Dozens of clowns and jugglers and larger-than-life puppets were milling about in a very drunk crowd. One of the ritual requirements of Purim is that one attain a sufficient level of drunkeness to be unable to distinguish between the phrases "curse Haman" and "bless Mordechai." Most of the teenagers at the event seemed to have fulfilled this requirement. It was fun to watch for a while, but I was still nursing a nasty headcold, and the retaliation threats of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine kept running through my mind, so I left before nightfall. Not that it was unsafe -- there were dozens of teenage soldiers running around with grenade launchers and machine guns wearing Mickey Mouse ears and fairy wings. If only they had been drunk, the security situation would have been completely under control...

For now, things seem to have quieted down here. The Friday sermon at the Al-Aqsa Mosque often sets the tone for Palestinian Muslims, so we will see what tomorrow's sermon brings.

I just overheard a guide explaining that this internet cafe is the Eighth Station of the Cross. Who knew?

(Photo by Eric: The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem)