Is there a more intriguing region in this world than Palestine? Although strong competition for this claim may come from many localities, I submit that Palestine is as intriguing and important as any other place on earth. Central to all three major monotheistic religions, Palestine has been the site of several millenia of deep-seeded religious, ethnic, and nationalistic strife between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael. Jerusalem, the "City of Peace", is revered as the location where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac at God's command; the location of Solomon's magnificent Temple, chosen by God as a dwelling place for His glory among His people Israel; the location where the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was crucified by sinful man and where He resurrected to life eternal at the right hand of His Father in heaven; the location where the prophet Muhammed supposedly ascended directly to heaven at the end of his life on Earth (yes, I am making my personal biases obvious!).

Key events in the Jewish history of the region are 1) the occupation of the land by the 12 tribes of Israel roughly 3500 years ago; 2) the scattering (or "diaspora") of the Jews following a failed revolt against Rome in AD 138; 3) the rise of Zionism in the nineteenth century advocating a Jewish homeland in Palestine as a solution to centuries of exile and persecution; 4) the Holocaust, which reinforced arguments for territorial independence; and 5) the proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948, leading to the (forced) emigration of many Palestinian Arabs. Since then there has been continual strife between the new Israeli state and its neighbors. The land of Israel - the only Jewish state in the world - is now home to roughly 5 million Jews, most of whom have been personally affected by the Holocaust and/or by the subsequent Arab-Israeli wars. The land is also home to roughly 4 million Palestinians (in Israel proper, Gaza, and the West Bank - additional millions of Palestinians live as refugees in neighboring countries), their homeland overtaken by Israel. There are truly no easy answers to this conflict.

And amidst this mess God granted me six enlightening months. As a sophomore, I studied at ORT Braude College in Northern Israel for a four-month semester. I remained in Israel for the summer to take part in an archaeological excavation sponsored by the University of Rochester. During the semester I had a three-day weekend and little homework, so I took advantage of the situation and travelled just about everywhere one can travel in Israel. Below are a few of the memories.....

A view of the Old City of Jerusalem. The gray dome to the left is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. The gold dome to the right is the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam, where Muhammed supposedly ascended to heaven. In between is one of the craziest places one could ever venture, a city of narrow pathways replete with Ultra-Orthodox Jews, devout Muslims, Christian pilgrims, tourists from all over the world, Jerusalem residents, and hundreds of annoying vendors. The Mount of Olives is in the distance to the far right.

The traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed by Judas into the hands of Jewish officials. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus prayed to God, "Yet not my will, but Yours be done," and so accepted His Father's will that Jesus be crucified without reason by sinful man, so that He may bear the punishment of the sins of all men who follow Him. "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24) Thank You, Jesus!

The view of the Dome of the Rock from inside a church on the Mount of Olives. "As He (Jesus) approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace...'" (Luke 19:41-42)

The Western Wall, an exposed stretch of the retaining wall King Herod constructed circa 20 BC to support the platform on which the Second Temple was built. Today, the Western Wall is all that remains of the Second Temple, which was thoroughly destroyed by the Romans in 72 AD. Many Orthodox Jews are intently waiting for their Messiah to come and rebuild the Temple.

Another view of the Western Wall, with the Dome of the Rock (Islam's third holiest site) immediately above it, occupying the former location of the First and Second Jewish Temples. At times in the past, when tensions between Jews and Palestinians have flared, Muslim worshippers have showered rocks down on Jewish worshippers praying at the Western Wall below.

Choice Jewish gravesites along the SW slope of the Mount of Olives. The tradition of Jewish burial here stems from the belief that this is very place where God will assemble the whole of humanity for judgment. I suppose the deceased here are the first in line.

An old Syrian tank, a relic from the 1967 Six-Day War, in the Golan Heights. Nice set of wheels.

Joe and I enjoyed a 3-day, 3-night trek in the Negev Desert of Southern Israel. This shot was taken right before descending into the crater. See that cliff in the far background, a little left of center? (Look closely....)

.	....well, by the end of our first day of hiking, we reached that precipice, where I am standing in this photo, after sweating for literally 20 miles in the 100-degree heat. It was the longest day hike I have ever done.

Joe and our packs, all slowly baking over a layer of black rocks underneath the desert sun. So, Joe, tell me, where the heck is the trail?

Elian Gonzalez? No, rather, a Palestinian boy in the streets of Gaza City

My friends in Gaza City. Gaza is one of the most densely populated and destitute regions in the world, with an enormous population of refugees that arrived during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. However, the people there were among the warmest, the most giving, and the most welcoming that I encountered in the Middle East. B'Haa, Raed, and Hashem: thank you so much for your hospitality!

Garden of Eden? No, I think it is still closed off to visitors. But this natural desert spring did provide Joe and I with water during a hike.

Myself and Yuval, an Israeli from a kibbutz near the Lebanon border

Myself 1,000 feet above the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth at 1,300 feet below sea level. In the background is the country of Jordan.

Joe and I, with our packs in the background. We are the tallest organic structures for miles. Joe, seriously, where the heck is the trail???

Jerusalem peace rally organized by Peace Now, a Jewish organization supporting Palestinian statehood.

Joe and Vanessa	In the Muslim Quarter of the Old City

The imposing bulk of Masada, a massive rock pinnacle surrounded by precipitous slopes on all sides. Masada was a fortress of refuge for King Herod the Great and a stronghold in which Jewish Zealots were able to hold out against the Romans for several years after the fall of Jerusalem. Masada is a symbol of Jewish pride, and new Israeli soldiers recite "Masada shall not fall again" as a part of their initiation into the army.

Palestinian East Jerusalem. One city, two capitals? Maybe so.