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Heather's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 8/20/00 -------------------- 8/19/00 8/18/00 8/17/00 8/15/00 8/14/00 8/12/00 8/11/00 8/11/00 8/10/00 8/10/00 8/10/00 8/9/00 8/7/00 8/6/00 8/5/00 -------------------- Heather's Introduction

August 11, 2000

August 11, 2000
Part II

On our way back to the car, Dad asked me if I wanted to go see St. Peter en Gallecantu. I told him that I had never been and would love to. St Peter's is a large church that is built on top of the place that was the High Priest Caiaphus' house. He was the one who held Jesus overnight before the trial took place with Pilate. Outside the church, there is a statue of the Roman Soldiers, Peter, and the woman who asked him if he knew Jesus. Below the statue, it says "Non Novi Illum" in Latin, which means, "I don't know him." It was really amazing to me as I realized that I was standing very close to the spot where this all took place.

We went downstairs into the area where the prisoners were held and it was very interesting. Because everything was made of stone and rock, this is all very well preserved. Outside, to the right, they have excavated houses that have been dated back to the 1st century. It was here, that I picked up some pieces of broken pottery as gifts for family and friends back home. My dad said that they were also 1st century, and were used probably for water, mostly. It was so cool!

We decided to visit a family that my dad has made friends with, who are Moslem Palestinians. My dad knows them because they were hired by the organization that he works with to do some landscaping.

There are two brothers left in the house, and they live in an area called "Abu Dees" in Jerusalem. Abu Dees is supposedly the place where the new Palestinian Capitol will be set up when they declare statehood. We arrived at their house around 6:30 p.m. without invitation. This was not a problem, though, because they know my dad so well. They seemed very happy to see us and invited us in right away. Their mother, a very sweet woman who did not speak a word of English, or Hebrew, made us Turkish coffee. Not being a coffee drinker, I was hoping that it would taste good enough for me to drink it, as I really didn't want to offend her, or refuse her offer. It turned out to be wonderful, and I loved it!

We visited with the brothers for a while and talked about the younger one's studies. He has been studying at the University in Jerusalem, in English, and now wants to attend a University for Graduate studies in Switzerland, in French. He would have to learn French fairly quickly for the coming year! I also found out the his older brother spent nine years studying in Russia and speaks Russian fluently, as well as Arabic and English! He just married his Russian girlfriend, and they have an apartment just below his parent's house.

After his mother served us tea, he took us downstairs to see the apartment. They have a lovely garden just outside of it with olive trees and grapevines, as well as a herd of goats and a brand new donkey that belongs to his father! My dad told me that his mother makes the best goat cheese and will often bring some to my family! (I am so jealous!) We ended up having a lot of fun.