History through Biblical Archaeology

My Family in Prehistoric Times

Israel is the holy land for many religions and cultures.  Before the monotheistic religions were established, Neanderthals and Homo sapiens coexisted in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa for approximately 30,000 years.  Agriculture was first developed here, and the Jordan Valley was the site of the first domesticated olive, wheat, peas, goats, sheep and cattle.  

Now, Israel is the most sacred place in the world for a plenitude of modern religions.  The Baha’i gardens in Haifa are the second most sacred spot for the Baha’i people.  The first most sacred site is a little farther up the Israeli coast in the city of Aco.  The Moslems believe that Mohamed rose to heaven in Jerusalem on the exact spot where the Second Jewish Temple once stood.  In 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik built the famous mosque “The Dome of the Rock” to mark and sanctify that spot.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem (a small town south of Jerusalem).  In the old city in Jerusalem, “the Stations of the Cross” mark and commemorate Jesus’s death for pilgrims to follow. 

The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall

According to the Bible, King Solomon, built the first Jewish temple in 957 BCE on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  This served as “the place” for Jewish sacrifice and religion.  The original ark holding Moses’ commandments was there.  At this point in history, there were no small synagogues, rabbis, or Torah scrolls.  There was just this temple and a lot of priests and regulations.  Unfortunately, the Babylonians destroyed this temple in 586 BCE. 

The Remains of the 40m High Walls

Many years later the temple was rebuilt.  There were revolts, sackings, and wars, but the temple managed (barely) to withstand everything.  In about 20 BCE Herod renovated the Second Temple.  He flattened the top of the mountain, added a commercial area, 40-meter high walls surrounding the flattened mountain peak, and a magnificent temple constructed out of white marble imported from Italy.  The stones were carved in a hyperbolic shape so that the temple appeared to shine and glow.  This temple was the center of the Jewish religion and the Jewish courts and government.  Luckily, Caesar funded the temple renovations, so the Jewish economy didn’t collapse after the construction of this marvellous edifice.  Then, in about 66 CE, the Jews revolted.  Perhaps predictably, the Roman legions squashed the revolt and destroyed the Temple. 

Meanwhile, a group of fanatically religious men called “The Essenes” disagreed with the Second Temple’s renovations and retreated into the desert.  They were convinced that the world was about to end and that if they abstained from worldly comforts, they would survive the collapse.  Then, when everyone else was destroyed, they could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temples according to their own specifications.  As you may have guessed, the world didn’t end, but the Essenes were killed by a Roman legion.  The Essenes had the presence of mind to bury their sacred scrolls in sandy caves, thus creating the “Dead Sea Scrolls”—the oldest surviving biblical documents in the world.  Thank you religious fanatics for preserving the treasured documents. 

Archeological Remains of a Roman Siege Camp

When the Roman legions were sweeping across Judea, Jewish refugees congregated on the flat top of Masada.  King Herod had built his summer palace there 80 years previously, but during the Jewish revolt Jews sought refuge in the ruins of Herod’s palace.  The Jews were surrounded and trapped on top of Masada and defeat was immanent.  Instead of becoming slaves or being killed, the 960 Jews decided to die.  They systematically killed themselves rather than face slavery.  However, there is no archaeological evidence for a mass suicide.  Archaeologists have only found the remains of 30 graves.  Nevertheless, Masada has become a symbol of modern Israel.  This legend of bravery and suicide is taken mainly from Flavius Josephus’ diary, but he was known to elaborate and embellish details.

The Walls of Masada Looking on the Dead Sea

My mother posed several unanswerable questions about the Jewish revolts of 66 CE that intrigued me too.  Did the majority of the Jewish population revolt?  Or were there some communities who were happy with the status quo?  Why did they revolt—the Jews had the freedom to worship how and when they wanted to.  Also, how was the uprising organized?  They couldn’t contact all their friends via Facebook…

Women Praying at the Wailing Wall

After the destruction of the temple, the Jews were scattered across the world in what is known as the Diaspora.  This is why my ancestors lived in Eastern Europe.  After the diaspora, the biblical stories were consolidated into the “Torah” (basically the Old Testament).  Judaism developed into its modern format: spiritual communities were led by rabbis, animal sacrifice was outlawed, and Jews began to pray in the direction of Western Wall of the Temple Mount.  The surviving western wall of the temple complex is now the holiest place on Earth for religious Jews and because it is the closest place to the exact location of the destroyed temples arcs.  This holiest of holy places for religious Jews is also site of “The Dome of the Rock”. 

An Abbreviated Paris Conclusion

Scarves for Sale

I am now in Israel.  Wow, it feels weird to write that.  Europe was completely different than Canada, and Israel is different yet again.  My mum and I have been very busy the last week, visiting and meeting with family and being tourists.  Since I have been processing and absorbing all the new sights and sounds, I have had no time to write.  I had big plans about how I was going to write about Paris, about how I was going to talk about all the friendly Parisians we met… But I won’t be able to.  Instead, I am going to post a list of my thoughts and observations about the city of lights.  Hopefully, I will also have time soon to start writing about Israel.

My Notes:

- Contrary to our expectation and the stereotype, all the Parisians we met were friendly and happy to talk to us. 

 

My Father's Birthday "Cake"

- The Museum of Art and History of Judaism in Paris showed us that the artistic flowering in the 30’s was created in part by many Jewish artists, like Chagall and Lipchitz.  The Nazis invasion destroyed this vibrant culture.  

- There are old Churches everywhere; many are called Notre Dame, so when asking for directions, be specific.  

- When the Prime Minister came to open a Christmas market, the security guards were Polynesian and Tongan.   

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore is worth seeing, it is as bookstores are meant to be: small, dusty, and full of crowded and crooked bookshelves.  It is not owned by a Multinational company.

A religious procession holding candles sang Ave Maria.  It wound its way through the dark street of Montmartre catching my eye and ears. 

- We went out for dinner for my father’s birthday at a gypsy jazz restaurant.  The violinist was purportedly the best in Paris, and his playing was amazing.  If you want to here jazz in Paris go here: Aux Petits Joueurs, their website is http://www.auxpetitsjoueurs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=65.  Daniel John Martin, the fiddler, plays there every Wednesday starting at nine.  Also, there is live music Tuesday evening at La Locandiera.  People can jam at both restaurants.   

Christmas markets every where sold handmade crafts and traditional cheeses and meats. 

Crepes are actually from Normandy and Bretagne, but are sold all over Paris probably because tourists expect crepes in France.

Paris is a huge city that seems to emanate age and knowledge

The Louvre at a Glance—If That is Possible

The View of the Louvre from a Window

The Louvre used to be the biggest palace in the world.  Francois I had visions of grandeur and so renovated the existing fortress in 1546 to create the most awesome “home” he could.  He also started the Louvre’s art collection: the Mona Lisa first hung in his bathroom. 

Even by modern standards, the Louvre is an enormous building, covering 60,600 m².  The palace occupies six city blocks and is four stories tall.  When we first walked into the Louvre’s courtyard (more like a park) the giant glass pyramids rose out of the flagstones and shimmered in the sunlight (or they would have if it hadn’t been grey and drizzly).  Through the glass, the wings of the palace stretched around the square and continued seemingly forever.  Given the Louvre’s palatial origins, the rooms are organized in no logical manner from a tourist’s perspective, which makes navigation fairly difficult.  

Chamber of Statues

It took us less than one minute to get lost.  We had a very loose plan of what we wanted to see, so we entered one of the five wings and started walking in the general direction of the Greek Antiquities.  We ran into our first dilemma when there was a staircase that was marked differently than on our map.  The stair signs said to go up, and the map said to go continue on the same floor.  We chose to ascend the stairs.  From that point on, we ignored the map and just followed the signs.  Amazingly, we saw each masterpiece on our “list” even with our haphazard explorations. 

Man by Michelangelo

First we found the Greek and Italian sculptures.  We saw the first carved nude woman, and the first carved unclothed man.  As my mum said “one artist clearly preferred women and the other men”.  Most of the statues we saw were reproductions of statues that were carved originally in 300 BCE.  Even so, the reproductions were about 2000 years old.  We were viewing 2000-year old fakes!  Apparently, there used to be a trade (2000 years ago) in reproductions of famous statues.  The originals would have been made in metal, so they were frequently melted down and recycled over the course of history.  The reproductions, made in stone, have survived.  Lucky us and archaeologists who study the statues to infer clues about ancient fashions and customs. 

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss

I love statues.  I love the way the artists carved cloth so that it appears to flow, the way each hair has minute details, and how the white marble seems to shine from the surrounding museum gloom.  The people portrayed are always beautiful (because they were usually gods) but often seem to have a vacant expression.  I don’t know if this is because gods are above human emotion or if this is because capturing the soul through facial expression is the hardest of all. 

This means that I look at the faces to determine the skill of the sculptor, whether renaissance or ancient.  Some are perfectly chiselled but austere and empty.  Other faces, like those carved by Michelangelo, are filled with emotion.  Character seems to burst from the lines of the cheek and mouth.  Pain, joy, sorrow, and character shine from their sculpted faces and bodies.

A Close-up of "The Intervention of the Sabine Women"

We of course saw the classics: the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, and many others.  However, I found it hard to connect to the most famous images when the paintings were protected by three inches of bulletproof glass and there was a barricade between the images and me.  I like being able to stand up close the paintings so that I can see and examine individual brush strokes.  If the paintings weren’t priceless I would also like to stroke them and feel their magic with my fingers.  Don’t worry, I haven’t ever done this.  My favourite moments at the Louvre were when I found a person who seemed captured in paint, or when the sun came through the clouds and illuminated the marble of “Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss”. 

Our Intro to Paris

I thought that Paris would feel like a dirty, sprawling metropolis.  However, Paris is not so much a sprawling, ancient city, as separate distinct cultural neighbourhoods that have spread into each other.  Because of this, each area feels unique and cozy.  The neighbourhoods, called arrondissements, are numbered according to their proximity to the city’s historical center.  However, the culture and vibrancy of the city center does not decrease intensity in the neighbourhoods farther from the center.  If anything, the Parisian culture increases away from the center because tourists do not dilute it. 

 

We had the privilege of staying in an apartment on the Ile de Cite, one of the islands in the Seine.  Even though we were staying in the center of touristic Paris, we enjoyed the close proximity to all the historic monuments that we “needed” to see.  It was great living 10 minutes away from the Louvre, a 15-minute walk to the medieval Jewish quarter, and just a short stroll to Notre Dame. 

We arrived in Paris on December 6^th after a delightful train ride from Sauzet.  After we had settled into our Paris home for our last week in France, we decided to start exploring the city immediately.  By the time we left the house, the sun was setting and the wind bit through all our protective layers.  I was astonished to see Parisians strolling on the streets wearing short skirts, leggings, and no warm clothes.  Perhaps their knowledge that they were completely fashionable kept them warm.  Or maybe they were just good actors.  

Hint: Click on the photos to enlarge!

Life According to a Three-Year Old

Kitten and a Curtain

We are back in Sauzet, comfortably reinstalled in our familiar gite.  Boulette, the dog, was ecstatic to see us; she recognized the car and ran to it whimpering before we had parked.  That evening she didn’t leave our side, clearly making sure that we weren’t leaving.  Gris Gris also gave us a warm welcome, for a cat, and immediately began begging for milk. 

Charlie and Me

Our arrival “home” had been kept as a surprise for Charlie.  When she came home from school, Isabelle said, “I wonder who that is in the house”.  Charlie looked at the car, then at the lights, and screamed, “they came back”!  She ran up the stairs, into the house, and bestowed upon us large, gleeful hugs.  Since then, we have been receiving special Charlie artwork and exuberant visitations. 

Lessons

My cooking lessons with Isabelle have also recommenced.  Macarons have now been added to my French food repertoire, at least in theory.  Macarons are definitely the most complicated and intricate recipe I have ever made, or helped to make.  They are a traditional French dessert composed of ganache, sandwiched between meringue cookies.  Ganache is a chocolate (dark or white) based cream.  We added pistachio oil, rose water, and violet essence.  My favourite was the violet ganache—ganache made with white chocolate, raspberry puree, and violet.  It tasted like a violet petal. 

Using the Pastry Decoration Bag to Apply Ganache

Macarons are fun because each flavour of filling and meringue can be a different colour; this also makes the recipe complicated.  For each colour of meringue, a new batter needs to be prepared.  Isabelle and I chose to make green and purple ones, one colour and batter for each of us.  Unfortunately, the green colorant reacted with the egg whites, so our green macrons didn’t rise. 

The meringue is placed in a pastry decoration bag (like those used to decorate cakes) and squeezed into perfect circles to be baked for 12 minutes.  My efforts with the pastry bag were disastrous, creating irregular, misshapen blobs.  After the meringues are baked, ganache is squeezed onto one, and another is placed carefully on top, thus creating the sandwich.  The finished results were delicious and looked like something Hansel and Gretel would eat. 

Adding the "Chapeau"

Cooking with Isabelle is so much fun.  I was dubbed her “sous-chef” and Charlie her “sous-sous-chef”.  While cooking, I learned some important distinctions.  One makes French meringue by adding sugar as the egg whites are beaten; French meringue is usually used to top pies or eaten as a cookie.  Italian meringue has the sugar added after the egg whites are whipped and is usually mixed into the batter to make it fluffy and light.  Also, although this has less to do with cooking, what we call French coffee presses are referred to as Italian coffee makers in France.  

Finished Macarons

This week, I also made my first quiche and madeleines.  I only attempted the quiche because my mother had caught a 24-hour virus, so I was designated to make dinner.  Quiche seemed relatively easy, and French, so I followed my mother’s semi step-by-step directions from the couch.  The leek-zucchini quiche turned out surprisingly tasty and gourmand.  I even think I could replicate the effect without directions, but we will see. 

My Marbled Madeleines

Since our time in France, I had yet to taste a madeleine, so I decided I needed to bake them myself.  To find a recipe, Isabelle lent me her book of about 50 madeleine recipes—both sweet and savoury.  I wavered between making the madeleines with a chocolate heart, the marbled madeleines, and the honey madeleines.  Ever lazy, I chose the simplest recipe: the marbled madeleines.  The recipe was fairly easy, even if it was in French.  The only problem was that we didn’t have any measuring cup, so I was converting grams to cups and then measuring the ingredients with a teacup with sloping sides.  The recipe was supposed to produce 16 perfectly marbled madeleines, but we got 26 madeleines instead.  I ran out of vanilla batter about halfway through, so we even got some pure chocolate cookies.  Those were my favourite.  Surprisingly, the madeleines tasted and looked exactly like they were supposed to—which is to say delicious. 

To celebrate our homecoming in Sauzet, we went to our local store and bought some Brie as a celebratory dessert.  There were two Brie’s for sale and so we asked our friend at the counter how they differ.  The one Brie, she said, was made with raw milk; it was very creamy, and good.  The other pasteurized Brie was “zero”.  I was expecting her to say zero fat, or zero flavour, but it was just zero and utterly worthless.  After tasting the good Brie, we decided that the only Brie for sale in Canada is “zero”. 

Δ Plans

From Barcelona, we were supposed to rent a car and drive to Andalusia.  Our plans were that we would spend the last several weeks of our trip exploring sunny southern Spain and then fly home out of Madrid.  However, as plans are wont to do when traveling, we are now heading the opposite direction.  Instead of staying in Spain and going south, we are returning to Sauzet.  We loved hanging out with Isabelle, Julien, Charlie and the menagerie so much we wanted to return.  Also, another week of living in one place will give us all a much-needed chance to catch up on our work. 

It was sad, three days ago we booked our flights out of the EU.  My father and brother will fly home on December 10^th and my mother and I will fly to Israel.  My personal plans have finally solidified too: I will spend the rest of December and probably most of January in Israel visiting with my extended family and volunteering on a kibbutz.  Or something.  I am super excited for the next stage, but also heartbroken to be leaving Europe so imminently.