On our second day in Israel, we visited several local sites with our private tour guide Sami. He and our driver picked us up at the hotel after we had a bite to eat. Our views every morning for breakfast were fabulous since we were situated right on the Mediterranean.
We kicked off the day with a short stop at Saint Sabbas. It was brief because women aren't allowed inside. This is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited monasteries in the world. Overlooking the Kidron Valley, it's in a spot of stark beauty. As you look across from the monastery, you can see monk cells dug into the walls of the adjacent cliff.
Next we traveled to Herodium. Built by evil King Herod in the first century BC, it's a hilltop fortress with amazing views.
In several places it was possible to see surviving plaster and murals.
It was interesting to walk through the old cisterns that served the population of Herodium with precious water. And the rebuilt theater was a lovely place to sit and catch a breeze on this fortified artificial hill.
After lunch, we made stops at David's Wells (2 Samuel 23:14-17) and Shepherd's Fields near Bethlehem.
This was the first of several Barluzzi designed/constructed commemorative churches and buildings in the Holy Lands we toured. While we were walking through the church to see its murals, above, we were surprised when a group broke out in song with "O Little Town of Bethlehem". This little modern church is built atop the caves where the shepherds lived, those same shepherds who angels visited to announce the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 2:8-20). Known as the sheepfold, it's owned by the Franciscans. Excavations in the mid 1800s revealed the ruins of altars and inscriptions in mosaics which seemed to validate the sanctity of the site.
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