Part two of private field trip

Our second stop in Jericho was a place called Nabi Musa - Prophet Moses. It was a caravanserai as well as a mosque. The caravanserai is no longer in use, the mosque is. The mosque is built around the tomb of Moses. Kent loves these places and is so excited if he can convince the head guy to let him inside.

Which he obviously did:

 This is looking from inside the mosque out - at our security guy - Mahmud!

As you come out of the mosque you see this lovely little courtyard:

This is the main courtyard in the caravanserai. You can see a couple of wells, the big-sized niches for the animals and then up above are the rooms for the people. You can also see that it is raining really, really hard at this point!



This is looking down at the same courtyard from the second story 

 This is what one of the rooms looks like. There were bigger ones for a bigger traveling group and small ones for just a few people.

 Next to the caravanserai is a little cemetery.

Stop number three was a favorite with all of us - lunch! We ate at the Mount of Temptations' restaurant. Delish - and dry! :)

Having regained our strength we traveled on to St. George's Monastery. When we bring the students here we only take them to the look-out. The six of us actually walked [and walked and walked] down a very steep path to the monastery itself. This is the entry way at the top of the path:

  On our way down we saw this R.O.U.S. - a Hyrax.

There were several of these crosses along the way.

Passing through another gate:

 Looking down at the water system:

Kent on the way down

Catching up with the Ludlows

 Kent took a picture of me taking a picture of Jared and Margaret

What a setting! And you should have heard the birds! Birds and quiet - that's what you could "hear." 

 We are almost to the monastery!

Final arch before the door

At last - the entrance!

After you come through the door you enter this courtyard with tombs in it

 The first chapel we went into was in honor of Saint George himself

 This is called a Chancel Screen - it blocks the altar from the view of the worshippers.

 More views of this chapel:

This is St. George being honored by many at his death

 These are his bones:

This chapel was in honor of the monk who started the monastery - here are HIS bones - all of them:

The long brown box running under the paintings are monks' hearts. We aren't sure the exact story, but apparently there was at some point in the monastery's history, a massacre of many monks - whose hearts are preserved? I'm probably spreading false rumors here! Anyway, eewww.

 Another Chancel Screen:

 

Another chapel honoring Elijah - the mural shows him being fed by a raven:

 More Elijah chapel - this was actually like looking into a dark, dark cave. I didn't investigate how to enter.

 We wandered a bit more of the monastery:

 

 The 3 of us girls:



This is a hermit hut - complete with the straw basket to send up whatever he needs. =)

 

We were very lucky that the rain stopped while we were going to and from the monastery. The pavement is VERY slippery when it is wet and it is also very steep. That was our day and it was fun! That evening we ate dinner in the Oasis and then had our first Friday Night at the Movies. "The Ten Commandments". I didn't watch all of it - I went to bed! :)

I think a good time was had by all - all day!