Book Published - 10/10

Friday night I happened to check my publisher's web site – like I've been doing every day for the past several weeks – to see if my book was available. And there it was . I'm very excited to finally have this book come out. In some ways this book is the product of the last 15 years of research on Hebrews, which started with my doctoral dissertation. It was only Nov. 2007 when I was able to present my thesis about comparison (synkrisis) in Hebrews during the Society of Biblical Literature conference. Several years ago I began studying Hebrews again and preached messages each Sunday at Salem Friends Church in Liberty, Indiana. During the week I spent many hours researching and studying the Greek text of Hebrews and compiling an exegetical outline. Then on Friday and Saturday I would set the scholarly research aside, so to speak, and work through the same text, seeking a way to communicate its message to my congregation. After six months of writing and preaching, I came to the realization that what I had written out in outline format might be of interest to a wider audience. I converted my format to paragraphs and began the process of editing. ESR writing students assisted me, but only with proofing for grammatical and punctuation errors. First Roni Lynn worked with me and then Carrie Drees read through the whole manuscript. Wipf & Stock Publishers accepted my book proposal and I submitted the manuscript. Wipf & Stock did the typesetting and had their artist design the cover (I had no say about the cover). It's especially meaningful for the book to come out while I'm teaching the book of Hebrews here at Bethlehem Bible College. I'll be teaching Hebrews at Earlham School of Religion during the spring semester. I hope people will read the book. I hope church groups will read the book together and use it to encourage them to form strong communities of faith.

The book is available directly from Wipf & Stock . Amazon.com has the information but it might be a week or so before all of the information is included there. It was unfortunate that the book appeared there with two copies, and now it shows as being out of print. Wipf & Stock is a print-on-demand publishing company. More copies are in production now.

Sunday – 10/12

I was determined to find my way to a local church this morning. I had asked about churches and at least knew that south on Hebron Rd. there was a Presbyterian church. Once again, however, I realized that I hadn't asked what time the church service was. I did manage to find a listing on a web page of Arabic Christian churches. I also had seen a sign along the road for Baraka Bible Presbyterian Church. So I set off walking at about 10 am. I couldn't remember if I had seen the sign while walking or when riding in a car. If it had been while walking, then I knew it wasn't too far away. If it was by car, then I had no idea how far away the church was. I walked until I came to the farthest point I had walked before, where I have been getting groceries. I hoped I hadn't missed the sign or I might be walking a long time before I decide to turn around. To my delight the sign for the church was just a little further than the grocery store. I saw a van going down the drive, so it was a good assumption the church was just down the hill.

When I found the entrance to the church, I began meeting people that I knew. The assistant pastor, Danny Awad, greeted me. I saw several students from Bethlehem Bible College (BBC). I met a young man from New York state who is volunteering with a school nearby. The church has Arabic/English song books. I hope to buy a copy soon and learn some of their songs. They provide non-Arabic speaking people with headsets to hear an English translation. Very nice. The music was different than churches sing in the States, but otherwise the worship format is very similar. As a Quaker, I'm not accustomed anymore to participating in communion services. It just so happened this was communion Sunday. Following communion the church recited the Apostle's Creed and sang the doxology. The sermon focused on religious practice within people's homes and the witness they have to others in their neighborhood.

On the walk home I stopped at a restaurant called Fawannees. I had a hummus appetizer (three pita bread, plate of hummus with seasonings and olive oil, and a small relish plate), a mixed grill of tasty meats, and a diet coke. I was trying to get their attention so I could order a coffee and baklava. I think there are two restaurants connected, one a pastry shop and the other a restaurant. I couldn't get anyone to come to the table, so I just got up and paid at the counter. Better for me to stay away from the baklava as much as possible.

After a stop at the grocery store to restock my empty pantry, I made my way back to the apartment. I was checking my email and responding to someone on Facebook, when one of the BBC students began chatting with me in Facebook. We exchanged pleasantries, and then he told me he was from Gaza. He had left there because it was dangerous for Christians. He told me he has friends living in Gaza who want to convert to Christianity but they are afraid of the Islamic militants who would punish them for leaving Islam. We agreed that not all Muslims are bad and not all Christians are good. But it's more than many of us can imagine that our decision of where to worship could get us killed.

Arabic Class – 10/6

I worked all day Monday on Arabic. Our teacher focuses on learning conversation patterns and on verb formation. We use English letters, sometimes called "romanized" text, so that we learn to pronounce words with the right vowels sounds. I find it difficult to be a language class with a group of people. I experience anxiety in those situations in any sort of meeting. Even speaking English in a small group makes my brain not work well. It's doubly difficult to speak in Arabic to the class. Although I study and know the words, I can't get my brain to work fast enough to process the information. I find it funny the way the teacher seems disappointed if I don't do well. But if I do respond correctly, he looks surprised.

I stopped on the way back at a restaurant near Bethlehem University called Bonjour. I had a very good vegetarian pizza. It was close to the kind of pizzas I had while in Italy this summer.

Trip to Herodion (Herodium) – 10/7

This afternoon Rami asked me if I would like to take a quick trip to visit Herodion. It's not very far from Bethlehem. Fortunately for me you drive halfway up the hillside and park. There were hardly any people there. You get to the top by walking through ancient tunnels dug either for the purpose of hiding or for accessing cisterns. It was quite a climb for me walking up stone steps and then the metal stairway. We took a little breather half way, since Rami didn't want to have to carry me back down.

At the top was the palatial fortress of Herod. On one side was a colonnade, a rectangular series of columns, where there would have been a garden in the center and a peristyle around the outside for taking a stroll. What I found interesting is that Roman practice seemed to be to have a water attraction, a fountain, in the center. Here there was a mikveh off to the side. The room that looked like a dining room has now been labeled by the Israelis as a synagogue. There was a bath area for a steam bath, a cold room for cooling off.

The views from the top of Herodion were spectacular. You could look to the west and see Bethlehem and Beit Jalla. Looking to the northwest you see Jerusalem. On the other side of Herodion you can look to the southeast and see one of the many examples of Jewish settlements (illegal Jewish settlements). The most spectacular vista is looking east and seeing the Dead Sea with the mountains of Jordan looming on the horizon.

I kept telling myself, you're really here. It's so real to be walking in the dirt and stones, but in a few months it will only be a memory.

Upcoming Plans

I'm planning to travel to Ramallah on Sunday and worship with Friends at the Friends Meeting House. I've asked numerous times about how to get there. Everyone gives me the same three or four optoins but never something definite. Next week I'm going to attend a conference held at Bethlehem University on The Influence of Media and Education on Christian-Muslim Relations . Then in mid-November I'll be participating in Sabeel's 7th International Conference , this one called "A Time To Remember, A Time For Truth:  The Nakba, Memory, Reality, And Beyond."

My book is now available from Wipf & Stock Publishers:

The Second Chance for God's People: Messages from Hebrews

Endorsements

Honoring the attention the author of Hebrews gives to hearing and responding to the word of God speaking through prophets, a Son, and still through the Spirit, Timothy Seid offers an exposition of this early Christian sermon in perhaps the most appropriate form -- a series of sermons inviting contemporary hearers to attend to what the Spirit is saying.  Combining the fruits of his doctoral work on the rhetorical comparisons in Hebrews and years of preaching experience, Seid offers a a collection that will inspire pastors in their own proclamation and disciples in their appropriation of this rich and challenging text.

David A. deSilva, Trustees' Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary. deSilva is author of Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle "To the Hebrews" (Eerdmans, 2000) and An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation (InterVarsity Press, 2004).

Timothy Seid has combined the scholar's insights with the pastor's concern to demonstrate that the Epistle to the Hebrews  continues to speak to contemporary believers. The result is a book that will be a valuable resource for lay readers and church study groups. By consistently clarifying his exegetical insights with illustrations from movies, literature, and his own experience, he shows that Hebrews is a word that is "living and active."

James W. Thompson is Associate Dean and Professor of New Testament at the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University. His books on Hebrews includes the commentary Hebrews (Baker Academic, 2008) and the ground-breaking monograph Beginnings of Christian Philosophy: The Epistle to the Hebrews (The Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1982). He is also the author of Pastoral Ministry according to Paul: A Biblical Vision (Baker Academic, 2006) and Preaching Like Paul: Homiletical Wisdom for Today (Westminster John Knox Press, 2000).

Having done important academic work on Hebrews in recent years, Timothy Seid here uses his considerable study of the book to address fellow believers in Christ.  The commentary combines explanation of the book’s details with a winsome style and generous use of rich illustrations. The modern church is in great need of Hebrews’ relevant messages, and Seid’s readable commentary should make those messages both accessible and clearly applicable.  I warmly recommend it.

George H. Guthrie, Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible and chair of the School of Christian Studies at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Guthrie is the author of The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic Analysis (Brill Academic Publishers, 1997) and NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews (Zondervan, 1998).

In The Second Chance for God’s People,Tim Seid moves from the academy through the pulpit to the pew. He has worked his way through the book of Hebrews and the book of Hebrews has worked its way through him. He weaves together insights from biblical scholarship, Christian heritage, ministry and his personal story. He’s accessible and engaging as well as intelligent and devotional. He offers the fruit of critical analysis and commentary in terms that are easily understood together with illustrations from popular culture and everyday life as well as practical applications.

Cynthia Long Westfall, Assist. Prof. of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College, author of Discourse Analysis of the Letter to the Hebrews: The Relationship Between Form And Meaning (T. & T. Clark Publishers, 2006).

Weekend

The weekend was very uneventful. I went shopping on Friday afternoon. I went to the supermarket down the street and bought essentials. Then went to the fruit & vegetable store. And I still had to go to the next door shop to pick up a few other things. What I need to figure out is where you get fresh meat and where the bakery is. I joke with people here about missing Wal-Mart where you can do all of your shopping in one place.

I had planned to go with someone to their church Sunday morning. I made the mistake of not finding out what time and where to meet him. I expected him to knock on my door when he was ready to go. Later I realized that all was quiet in the dorm and I had been left behind. I will try not to make that mistake again.

Arabic Class 9/29

Arabic class went okay. There are times when the teacher gives us a few minutes to memorize a conversation in pairs. I did okay with mine. Then there was an exercise we were supposed to do and I just didn't understand. We were suppose to take a conversation and then change it to make it about ourselves and someone else in the class. I felt like an idiot, but I couldn't do it because I don't know anyone well enough in the class. He helped me through it, but I still felt stupid. I did okay when he called on me to recite a noun with pronoun endings.

At the end of class we worked on numbers. I had studied them in the afternoon, so I did okay. He gave each of us a CD that apparently has him reading the text of the book. I'm glad to have that. I would like to buy the second book and CD at the end of the term so I can keep studying.

It turns out that Ramadan is ending and Muslims are out shopping. Where my Arabic class is held is a suq with many shops. The street was very busy. I was sort of laughing to myself. I came here to see Palestinians and I'm getting an eye full. Apart from the merchants shouting out to people to buy their goods, the people are quiet, friendly, and courteous. The street may have some clutter and be streaked with the result of years of traffic, but people are clean and dressed nicely. Friends greet each other with a hand shake or maybe even a kiss on each cheek, men and women both. Even in the midst of a shopping spree, Bethlehem is a very hospitable place.

Daily Life

My daily life is structured by the morning tea time at 10:30 am and the lunch at 1:00 pm. Since many people leave home early in the morning in order to commute to Bethlehem, there are, what we would call, sub sandwiches for sale. Many people buy a sandwich and put it in the sandwich press to heat it up.

The lunch is usually rice with some kind of topping and pita bread. On the table will be bowls of "salad" to add to your plate and what we would call a "relish" tray of pickles and olives. I don't have any indication that anyone is paying for the lunch. I sat with the Dean of Administration during a lunch and it sounded like he tries to get people to pay something for lunch – but no one does. That's my kind of common meal.

It gets dark here in Bethlehem by 6pm. It's now 5pm and the sun is beginning to set behind the mountain west of us. This usually brings with it a period of strong breeze. There have been some nights that the wind is blowing so hard my curtains are sailing up in the air. Beautiful sleeping weather. But in the morning the air is usually very still.

I get that sense that Palestinian Christians here get annoyed with hearing the meuzin call Muslims to prayer. I can hear the chanting of the Qur'an, but to me it's like listening to Gregorian chant. One person said he can sit in his living room and hear well enough to listen to the Friday sermon. I suppose, if you could understand Arabic, that might be distracting. During the past six months I listened to Muslim chanting of the Qur'an as a meditative or spiritual practice. So it doesn't bother me the way it does the Christian residents here. I recorded a minute of sound from my window (mp3).

Trip to Jerusalem – 10/2

Rami arrived this morning at about 9 am to take me on a half-day tour of Jerusalem. Rami has majored in Bible geography and archaeology and is a trained tour guide. Besides being a knowledgeable guide, he's also a wonderful person to be with and to talk with.

Rami took the back roads into Jerusalem that avoid the main highways with their checkpoints. Rami is a Jerusalem citizen, so he is able to move around quite freely. Just looking at the scenery is spectacular, but I often was so engrossed in our conversation that I didn't notice much of what was around us.

Rami pulled over to the side of the road so I could get a good view of the old city of Jerusalem, the site of the Jerusalem temple, and the al-Aqsa mosque with its gleaming gold dome. He explained that the Mt. of Olives is a chain of mountains along this ridge.

As we descended toward the Christian sites on the Mt. of Olives we stopped to take a picture. Here was an opportunity to have a camel ride. I just couldn't see taking a camel ride around a parking lot. If I'm going to ride a camel, I want it to be in the desert not on a city street with a man leading the camel around.

We traveled on down the road, which is a very narrow path between stone walls. One could easily imagine this to be an ancient path people would have traveled in the first century.

We stopped at the site of the Garden of Gethsemane. Rami showed me around and talked about the ancient olive trees, some of which might be as much as 1,000 years old. I went into the church where Rami said was the stone on which Jesus was thought to have prayed and wept. The inside of the church is kept dark to symbolize the darkness of the night of Christ's suffering. It's too bad actually, because the byzantine artwork was quite beautiful. There was a Latin mass going on as people came walking through. I couldn't find the rock anywhere. There was a rock in one corner, so I wondered if that was "the" rock. Rami didn't go inside with me; in fact he said he would go back to the van because it wouldn't be good for him to hang around in front of the building. He told me later that the rock was in the center where the group of people were gathered around in worship.

I didn't spend much time in the church. I stopped for a minute and paid two shekels to relieve myself. There's just something funny about paying shekels to use the bathroom. There's no sign posted. There's just an Arab guy telling people it costs two shekels once they get there. You think you could haggle over the price, especially if you weren't going to spend much time in there, if you know what I mean.

We must have stopped again where I took some more pictures of the eastern side of the temple mount. It is a spectacular view. I had hoped to get a closer view today, but our timing was off and the mosques were not open. I hope to make another trip and be able to visit the Mosque of Omar and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

We parked the van near the southwest of the temple mount and walked along an old wall. You could see at the bottom the ancient wall, then stones in the wall that were reused Herodian stones, and what remains above are the later building work from the Ottoman period. What was also interesting were the ancient ritual baths (mikvaoth) that lined the walkway. I was surprised to see how many tombs were also there. I hadn't realized tombs were so close to where people walked.

We decided not to go through the archaeological park, but to walk alongside toward the western wall, known by Jews as the Wailing Wall. An odd thing happened here. There was a young Muslim couple walking in front of us. A woman was coming from the other direction and bumped into the Muslim woman. It was more like a shoulder block by a football player. The older woman didn't seem to care one bit what she had done. It even looked intentional, but there was no way of knowing. I was shocked. The Muslim woman turned and looked at the woman but then turned back around and kept walking. This will stick in my mind. Even if it was an accident, it was inhuman to bump into someone like that without any apology.

The southwestern corner of the temple mount shows some of the original stone from the temple wall. Here is the area where archaeologists discovered a stone with an inscription leading to the conclusion that it might have been the top corner stone, the so-called "pinnacle" of the temple. To the right is the southern wall where steps lead up to the Huldah Gates. We walked around to the left toward the western wall.

We went through a metal detector to enter the courtyard. The small section of the western wall, the Wailing Wall, is a bustle of activity. To the right is a women's section and on the left is the men's section. There are many plastic tables and chairs giving the area the feel of a piazza. On the men's side was a group celebrating a boy's bar mitzvah. Standing at the wall were various people in prayer, some chanting prayers and bowing. There were of course Israeli police around everywhere.

Rami brought me to a place where we could walk around in the old city. We wanted to have lunch, so Rami took me to a wonderful Arab diner. He knew the people, some of them having connections to where he goes to church. I ordered another falafel sandwich. The problem is ordering a falafel sandwich is like going to Subway. You're supposed to tell them what you want inside the pita bread along with the falafel. I was about to get up to look at the display case so I could point to things, but the guy waiting on me asked if he should make it like he likes it. I gave him the thumbs up, the universal sign that in Arabic means tayyib. I asked Rami if we could have our picture taken in front of the restaurant. The man whom he met outside was actually a well-to-do businessman or political official. It was actually amazing how many people Rami knew, which shouldn't be so surprising since he grew up in this part of Jerusalem. What was even more surprising was our running into his mother-in-law.

We went walking through the buildings. Rami tried to explain to me about the various sections of the city: the Jewish quarter, the Christian quarter, the Armenian quarter, and the Muslim quarter. If I'm remembering correctly, the area he showed me was a section that had been a place where Christian Palestinians lived, but Jews drove them out and rebuilt the homes for themselves. It was a beautiful walk through the narrow street, an urban canyon with women walking with children or pushing strollers with infants.

We came out on an area where you could see first century ruins. The main street, the cardo, with the Roman columns running down the center and shops lining either side were visible below the current street level. We saw further remnants of the cardo. At another place there were open excavations of an ancient wall thought to have been built during the time of Hezekiah.

We then spent some time looking through a museum built around the remains of a first-century aristocrat's house. The lower levels were built further down the slope of a hill, while the upper-level living spaces were further up. The lower levels contained much of the water for the house, a cistern, baths, and the ritual mikvaoth. The floors contained mosaic tile floors with simple but elegant geometrical shapes. Some of the walls of the rooms showed remnants of the fresco wall-paintings. In many ways the rooms of the house resembled those I saw in Italy a few months ago. The architectural had similarities but the artistic subject was different. There were no images of people. The wall-painting seemed to imitate the type of stonework with inlaid edges. Unfortunately the museum had a "no photography" sign posted, so I didn't take any pictures.

When we left this part of the city, we traveled to south-western Jerusalem to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Park. I was most interested in the areas in which the park commemorated the "righteous gentiles" who sacrificed themselves on behalf of Jewish people during the Holocaust. It was particularly meaningful for me to take a picture beside the memorial. To me it was also significant to be there with a Palestinian. The current Middle East conflict is directly related to the mass murder of Jews in Europe and their desire to live in peace and security. But in many ways the Palestinians now experience what the Jews did in Europe, even to the extent of all of Gaza being a concentration camp in which people are being slowly strangled to death. What Rami and I have in common is being a follower of a Jew who gave his life for others. One of the highest callings of our faith is to be willing to lay our lives down for others.

Our ride back to Bethlehem was uneventful. We only spent about six hours in Jerusalem but it felt like a lifetime, millennia of history packed into a few short hours.

Class Day & a Quick Trip

I think I'm getting better at making it through the class time. Whenever I mention something that is a difficult theological issue, there are some students who want to discuss or debate the issue. These are important theological topics, but they are the typical ones Christians have argued about for two thousand years. Most of the students have not yet had systematic theology, so they are very eager to figure out what they believe. On the one hand, they are deeply influenced by what Muslims teach about Islamic doctrine and what Muslims teach against Christianity. They also have learned about Christian doctrine from the various catholic traditions. At the end of class some people were debating the nature of Mary and the sinlessness of Christ. I wasn't going to try to explain that one.

At lunch some people wanted to know more about my views on the book of Hebrews. So I tried to give them the basics of my approach to Hebrews. They seemed genuinely interested and wanted to have a time when I could give a public presentation of my work on Hebrews. A couple of days ago, by the way, my editor emailed me saying that my book has been printed, he had a copy sitting on his desk, and he said it looked great. Now I have to wait a few days before I get to see what it looks like on the Wipf and Stock web site and hopefully Amazon.com.

A visitor here for a few days is from New Zealand. He works with Tearfund , a Christian aid agency, and is on his way to a conference in Europe somewhere. I joined him on a quick trip around Bethlehem. It turned out to be about the same tour as Rami gave me a week ago, when we looked at Solomon's Pools. Our guide this time was Atallah, the Dean of Administration at Bethlehem Bible College (BBC). He drove south on Hebron Rd. and pointed out the refugee camps. I knew there was a camp across the street from BBC, but didn't realize that the buildings we saw on the other side of a vacant lot is actually the sort of apartment building complexes that have grown up around this refugee camp. I suppose we might refer to it as a "ghetto." There's a very narrow street that runs through the middle of it. People who live there are still waiting to be able to return to their homes that were either taken over by Israeli's or to the land where their homes once stood.

We also passed by a vacant lot that at one time had been the Palestinian Police station. Israeli bombers blew it up. There's a stark contradiction when Palestinians are blamed for not being able to provide security but Israeli's destroy the police infrastructure.

We went further down Hebron Rd. to the place where the Israeli's have a gate. Whenever they choose they can close the gate and prevent Palestinians from leaving. Nearby you can see the new highway the Israeli's built for the settlers to get quickly to Jerusalem.

Saturday, 9/20

Saturday morning was a time for shopping. First, I walked down, what I now know is, Hebron Rd., back to the same grocery store. After unloading my bags of groceries, I set off again. I went down Hebron Rd. again, but went left at the first street. That leads to what I think is Manger Street. On that intersection is Cafe Sima's. I happened to meet one of the staff members of the English Administration of Bethlehem Bible College (BBC). We talked for at least a half hour. There are so many questions I have, and everyone is so patient and willing to explain things and tell me where things are.

Cafe Sima's is a very nice place, but it does provide a more European atmosphere. I was amused at the irony of just having been in Rome, come all the way to the Middle East, and then end up having to order European coffee -- I had a Cafe Americano. I also had a sandwich, something that seemed a little bit Middle eastern but not really.

I met a young woman there who is Aramaic/Syrian Christian. She told me she was planning to attend Liberty University. I tried to tell her that people at Liberty would be Christian Zionists. We had a very nice conversation. I suggest some other colleges she might think about, including Earlham College.

I decided, as long as I was on Manger Street, I would try to walk to the Church of the Nativity. What a trek that was. I came by a sculpture in the middle of the road. I didn't think it could be Manger Square. I went to the left and ended up by a sports center on King David St. I went back and asked, and people directed me on down what is more of a single lane side street. It wound around and came by an Arab market. I must have looked lost and certainly looked like a tourist. A man "hustled" me into his shop, brought me tea, had me sit on a stool, and talked about how much he needed me to buy something from him. I finally bought some nice things, a few cups I liked, a genuine Palestinian scarf, and maybe that was it. He then proceeded to show me his jewelry shop and then his wood carving shop. He finally let me go and showed me where Manger Square was. He explained that there were guides who would show me around.

Sure enough, I didn't get very close before a man approached me. He had a badge as an official guide. We didn't linger very long. He offered to take pictures of me. One was by the Greek Orthodox church and then one where he had me kneel down and touch the star that's on the floor marking the traditional place of Jesus' birth. I suppose people believe they'll receive a miracle by touching the star or kissing it. My miracle was just getting up from my knees. He showed me the ancient mosaic floor beneath the current floor, the contemporary Roman Catholic Church, and the bell tower. While he was showing me around outside the church and trying to bring me near souvenir shops so I would spend some more money, a young boy was trying to get me to give him some money. I said no several times and finally the guide shooed him away. Before I knew it we were done. He told me how to get back to Manger Street.

In Manger Square there is a large building called the Bethlehem Peace Center . I went inside and looked around for a minute.

I don't think I went the way I was supposed to. I think I took the long way around to get back to the intersection where Cafe Sima's is. I didn't get very far before a man came after me with necklaces. I felt bad for the man. He looked tearful as he begged me to buy some necklaces from him. The necklaces were ugly. I tried to say no and get rid of him, but he kept following, kept offering me a better deal. I stopped and tried to reason with him, but nothing I said made any difference. He then began accusing me of being the kind of tourist who only buys from the Jews and doesn't care about the Palestinians. I don't blame him, but it was extremely frustrating. I had a mile or so more to walk. My feet were hurting, I was thirsty, and I was beginning to feel the effects of the heat. As I struggled to keep walking and try to find my way back, I struggled with the thoughts of not wanting to walk anywhere again, of wanting to take a taxi next time and avoid having to deal with people on the street. There's no way I can buy stuff from people every time I want to walk somewhere. I finally came around a bend to stores I recognized. Just a little further and I would be back where I started.

I still needed to walk further down the street and find the fruit and vegetable store.  It took me a few attempts to find it, but just a little further on I could see all the bustle of activity in front of a store. I bought some potatoes, some carrots, and some bananas. When I was checking out, I noticed an American looking woman. I heard her say thank you. So I said Hello to her. We made our way outside and kept talking. She had on a vest that said World Council of Churches. She is from Chicago and is here working as an "Ecumenical Accompanier." The organization is Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. She mentioned how they are a sort of "watchdog" group at Israeli checkpoints. I described the experience I had just had. She was of course sympathetic of my experience but also helpful in reiterating what I had already heard several times: the tourist groups are brought in to visit sites from Jerusalem and then whisked back off again. The people who live here have no opportunity to sell to tourists. The olive wood figurines are practically given away by Palestinians in Bethlehem, but sold to tourists for three or four times the amount in Jerusalem. She did have some helpful advice. She said to try to tell people that I'm not a tourist, that I live here. I'll give that a try next time.

I had one more stop. There was a little sweet shop, so I stopped in a bought some baklava; well, it was probably a lot of little squares of baklava. Very yummy. The thought of enjoying some of my morning's purchases urged me on the final few blocks to get back to my apartment.

Sunday, 9/21

I found that I was not the only one from here going to the East Jerusalem Baptist Church. There have been four guys from Presbyterian churches in Seattle working at BBC this past week on laying the groundwork for developing a degree program in computer science. We loaded up the van and set off for Jerusalem. There are apparently two ways to get to Jerusalem. Brenda, the wife of Alex Awad, chose to go the way that goes through tunnels. Apparently this was a way designed for Jewish settlers in the West Bank to enter Jerusalem quickly. We breezed through the Israeli checkpoint, since all the guards did was "profile" the vehicle and see that we were all very Western-looking.

I noticed as we drove into Jerusalem that it seemed like I saw as many Arab/Muslim people as I did Jewish (those wearing clothing styles that indicate their religious/ethnic identity). It also seemed like signs everywhere were written in Hebrew and in Arabic.

The East Jerusalem Baptist Church sits on a beautiful plot of ground, perhaps a half a block in size. The landscaping around the church gives one the sense of being in the Garden of Gethsemane. The church building is nice. There were about 30 people there. They were mainly Westerners who work in Jerusalem in one capacity or another. We had a typical, protestant, contemporary-style service. We sang some choruses with words shown on a screen while several guitarists and a percussionist led us. We sang a few standard hymns from a Untied Methodist hymnal. We had some time of welcoming and prayer. Rev. Alex Awad gave a message focused on overcoming fear in the modern world by responding to others with faith, hope, and love. We had a fellowship time afterward. I talked with one man who is a missionary with the Assemblies of God. He works with a school in Gaza. He hasn't been allowed to re-enter Gaza for awhile now. I spoke with a woman who works with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. The young man who played guitar also works with Sabeel. Another woman I talked to teaches kindergarten.

I talked briefly with Alex and happened to mention my experience walking to the Church of the Nativity. He felt sorry I had experienced the shopkeeper pressuring me to buy from him. When I told him about the man who hassled me about buying some necklaces from him, Alex was a little more perturbed. He said if he knew who that man was he would report him to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The man would be disciplined for his treatment of a tourist. They recognize that people who act like that are only hurting themselves and others. And in reality they are not even the poorest people in Bethlehem who need the most help.

Monday 9/22

Today I made sure I had directions and a map to find the International Center of Bethlehem, where the Dar An-nadwa Center is located. I even knew how to take a little bit of a shortcut. I walked past Bethlehem University. The houses and buildings along the street looked nice. Then the rode began to get narrower and began to wind around a little bit. All of a sudden I came out on the busy Paul IV Street. The street was lined with shops, people were walking everywhere, and cars were trying to make their way through. After walking a few blocks, I began to wonder if I was lost. So I got my map out and asked someone. After we figured out where I was trying to go and where I was, it turned out I was almost there. Sure enough a little further down I came to the V in the road and then just ahead on my right was the place.

I guess I was early, maybe two minutes. People came trickling in. I finally asked someone who came by and he invited me to go upstairs to the room they were using for the Arabic class. Many of the people seemed European, some German, some Dutch, and a smattering of others including a few Americans. Dr. Moin Halloun (http://www.bethlehem.edu/images/archive/2005/2005_030.jpg) arrived finally and he started off full tilt. The class textbook is one he wrote himself and published. He drilled us frequently and had us work with another person too. Most of the time the students are doing the speaking. He left me alone for awhile, but near the end he came around to me. We were reciting nouns with pronoun endings: beti, betak, betik, etc. (my house, your house, etc.). My word was "wife," mara. I did fine until I got to maratik, "her wife." So he made jokes about Holland and Norway where you could say "her wife," but not in Palestine. He is a very good natured man, very funny, but high energy and loud.

At the break I went up and paid my money. He started to have me write my name, but then remembered I was already on his list. Unfortunately he didn't bring a copy of the textbook; he did have a copy of the dictionary (now my third or fourth Arabic dictionary)  We just arranged for me to come to Bethlehem University tomorrow, find his office, and pick up a copy of the book. It will be interesting to see the university.

On the walk back I didn't notice where the shortcut street was. So I walked down to the main intersection of Hebron Rd. My walk there reminded me of the frequent trips I made in Rome up and down the steps of Trastavere. Now I'm going to get to walk up and down the hill of Paul IV Street. I'll have to come up with a better name.

Tuesday, 9/23

Today I decided to walk down the street to where I had seen the Israeli wall. It's a very eerie feeling to see this huge prison wall looming up in the middle of a neighborhood. The corner of the wall has a guard tower. Just around the corner on Manger St. there's a painting someone has done on the side of a building in full view of the Israeli guard tower. The painting depicts a dove of peace wearing a flak jacket. In the center it shows the dove of peace is in the target sites of the enemy's weapon.

From here I walked on up the street to Bethlehem University. It's quite a little trek up the hill. Bethlehem University has a beautiful campus, very modern buildings, and friendly people willing to help an American find his way. I took a few wrong turns but managed to find Dr. Halloun and get my Arabic book.

Wednesday, 9/24

One of the events of the day was to have a quick tour through the new building Bethlehem Bible College is constructing. There is still need for more funding, but they are well on their way to providing the community with a great place for education and various forms of ministry. Everyone at BBC works very hard and is committed to encouraging not only Palestinian Christians and their churches but the quality of life for all Palestinians.

In the afternoon I worked very hard at Arabic, trying to catch up, since I missed the first few classes. I think I'm doing okay. I find it very difficult to try to speak in Arabic when put on the spot in front of the class. Our teacher knows that we have to be forced to speak in Arabic in order to learn how to converse with people. He also knows we have to learn to speak quickly, which is very hard.

On the way home from class, I ended up walking with a girl from Norway until we got to Hebron Rd. She is volunteering at the YMCA in Beit Jala. She told me her story of entering Israel at the airport. The Israeli authorities questioned her about what she was doing going there. She told them exactly what she was doing and where. They finally stamped her passport, even though she asked them not to (because with an Israeli stamped passport you can't enter countries like Lebanon). Then the person wrote a one over where it says three for length of visa. So now she has been calling and calling trying to get someone to help her renew her visa for longer. Sometimes they yell at her, tell her it's not their problem, or just hang up. Once the woman said, "Why do you keep calling me?" Instead of transferring her to the right place, she transferred her call back to the beginning place. What a nightmare for her.

Thursday, 9/25

I finally decided I had to do laundry. The laundry room is actually on the roof the building. I go outside on to the roof and then enter a little laundry room. Fortunately the machines have English instructions, so it wasn't too difficult to figure out how to use the two washing machines. I did use the dryer for my "whites," but hung all the rest on the clothes line. I meant to take a picture of my clothes flying over Bethlehem. It was a windy day, but none of my clothes actually flew away.

You may have heard about this incident in Jerusalem. A young man swerved his car into a median where Israeli police were and hit a bunch of people before crashing the car into a wall. After he was already stopped someone shot and killed him. There's no evidence he had any desire  to become a martyr. The family says he wasn't a good driver and didn't even have a license. They claim it was a traffic accident and the police had no reason to shoot the boy, especially after he was already crashed into a wall. The Israelis have a law that says a Palestinian who commits a terrorist act will have his home demolished. In the last two cases, a court has overturned that from what I understand. Ehud Barak is calling for a swifter execution of the demolition orders in order to prevent further "terrorist" attacks.

Thursday is chapel day. I'm really enjoying hearing them sing Christian songs in Arabic. Someone told me that many of the Arabic Christian songs come from Egypt, where there is a larger population of Christians. I sat near the front, so that's probably why no one offered to translate for me. Next time I'll be sure to sit in the back. One of the instructors preached a message from the Revelation concerning John on the island of Patmos. You can be guaranteed he didn't present the topic according to a dispensationalist, Zionistic approach.

I spent a greater part of the afternoon preparing for class on Friday. I tried to outline my lectures and shorten the material more. By the time I finished it had gotten dark out, which happens about 5 or 5:30 in Bethlehem. I shut the light off in my office and then discovered there were no lights on anywhere. I had to feel my way down the corridor, turn left, walk a little further, and then turn left again. I could make out the door to the outside. The thing is the doors lock and unlock with a key both from the inside and the outside. Fortunately, I had been given a key. It took me a couple of tries, but I made it out. Next time I'll carry my flashlight with me, or just go home when everyone else does.

Friday, 9/26

My class went a little bit better than last Friday. The students seem to get hung up on very fine theological points. Because the book of Hebrews begins with comparing Christ, as the "son of God," with the angels, who are called in the Bible, "sons of God." It may be that Palestinian Christians are influenced by Muslim beliefs about angels. I showed them the texts in the Hebrew Bible (and the translations in Greek, English, and Arabic) where angels are called "sons of God." It took a long time before I was able to move on.

Then we got stuck on the issue of God's will in the world. Do bad things happen because God is punishing people for sin? I happened to use the example of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina to illustrate a different point. Apparently the students had been told by someone else that Katrina was a judgment because of some naked parade or something. Not something I had heard about.

Point is, doing cross cultural exegesis is a very difficult task. I'm learning that the hard way. Somehow I've got to get the point across that we can't discuss (and solve) every theological and moral issue, if we expect to finish going through the book of Hebrews.

Speaking of Hebrews, my book, which was supposed to have been printed last week, is now supposed to be printed and available next week. At this point, I'll believe it when I see it.

This afternoon I went with Rami, my interpreter for my class and my personal guide to the Holy Land, to take in a quick visit to Solomon's Pools. We first stopped for a bite to eat at a local diner. I had my first authentic falafel sandwich. It was good and I had fun experiencing their culture. The restaurant is actually run by a Palestinian Christian, and it is on my way to Arabic class. I'll have to make it a regular stop after Arabic class.

We drove south through several towns, one of which is named after St. George, who lived for sometime in the area.

We stopped first at the highest and largest of the pools. It's thought that this is the pool of Solomon, because in the Song of Songs 4:12 the woman is addressed as "A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed." The nearby springs would fill the pool and the other pools lower down the hill. Herod used the water via aqueducts to supply Herodion and even Jerusalem.

As we drove further down, we looked at the convent built in the valley. A town grew up around the convent. It's quite a spectacular site to see the rugged mountains and valleys.

The rest of Friday was spent doing my shopping. I ran myself completely out of food on Thursday. Now I'm well-stocked and eager to enjoy my locally grown fruits and vegetables along with tea sweetened with local honey.

Monday (9/15) I left home for the next three months. My flight began in Dayton, OH with a quick trip to Atlanta, GA. I was relieved on that flight when some people got bumped up to first class and the guy sitting next to me (or should I say crammed in next to me) ran for an empty seat. He was in such a hurry he left his bag behind. After a few minutes he came back and got his bag but didn't ever make eye contact with me. So I had a comfortable ride to Atlanta.

At the Atlanta airport I made my way to the international flights area. I don't actually know whether that area serves other international flights or just flights to Tel Aviv. The waiting area seemed to have two main kinds of people, typical Jewish-looking people (men with yarmulke's, tassels, or even more orthodox style) and a group of white, mid-western looking church-goers (Wal-Mart style clothes and tour IDs around their neck). I was among the latter group, though without an ID. I couldn't tell whether any Arabs were present or not. Even though we all had already gone through airport security, we went through another security check before boarding the plane. There was one other difference on the flight. Apparently Israel has a law that people cannot move around on a plane within 30 minutes of landing. Everyone was warned to get their potty breaks done before the 30 minute mark.

This Delta flight was one of my best experiences. This was the first time I've been on a plane where each person his/her own TV monitor in the back of the seat in front of them. They had a touch screen, so it was very easy to navigate. There were episodes from major TV shows as well as documentaries. It wasn't until half way there that I discovered there were movies also. I had wanted to watch the Indiana Jones movie before leaving and just didn't find the time. I got to watch it in flight as well as The Iron Man and most of Kung Fu Panda.

I was a bit nervous going through the Israeli passport check. The woman wanted to know how long I was staying and wanted to see my return ticket. I tried to explain that it is an electronic ticket. I did have my itinerary printed out, so I showed her that. She also wanted to know where I was staying. Then she asked me what religion I was. I wanted to say, as any American would, "what business is it of yours?" But I said I was a Christian, then I added that I was a Quaker. She didn't seem very impressed, but I guess any answer was acceptable as long as I didn't say Muslim. Last of all, she wanted to know my father's name and my paternal grandfather's name. I felt rather stupid, because I always get confused about my grandfather's name. I always called him Grandpa. I gave her the name Edgar. I think that's right. I wouldn't want to lie ... twice.

I had arranged with Bethlehem Bible College (BBC) to have a driver pick me up at the airport. We hadn't really had much time to make the arrangements. After getting my baggage, walking through customs, and passing the passport checkpoint, I entered the front area of the airport where people were waiting to greet their loved one. I started looking around at people with signs to see if I could find my driver. I looked for about 45 minutes. Then I tried to call someone at BBC. I couldn't get the phone number to work. A security guard even let me try her cell phone. I finally went back to the front of the airport. Within a minute I saw a person I hadn't seen before with a sign. As I walked closer I finally made out that it said in large capital letters TIM. He had been walking around trying to find me. After loading up his car, we sped off -- and I mean that literally -- into the evening. Because of traffic he said we would go around Jerusalem. The ride probably took an hour at least. It was dark by the time we arrived in Bethlehem. We passed one police barrier, but it wasn't a checkpoint. I guess we avoided any checkpoint. The police officer just looked into the car. The driver told me people think he looks Russian and he agreed that I look Jewish. We were just waved on.

A young man was sitting on the steps to BBC and he helped me get to the right door. We finally got the guesthouse and the woman there, Esther, came down and showed me to my apartment. I suppose it's about what I expected. It's quite small with a sitting room, kitchenette, bathroom(ette), and bedroom. There's a small kitchen table across from the couch. The kitchen has a large sink and counter area, a tiny gas stove (looks new), medium sized frig, and microwave. Someone provided me with a box of milk, a baggie of cereal, a couple of eggs, and some coffee and tea packets. The bathroom has a tub with a spray hose. It's not intended to be a shower -- no shower curtain. Here's the kicker, no toilet paper down the toilet. Another way that my Honduras visit has prepared me for international travel. The bedroom has a large wardrobe. The bed is nice and comfortable. The room has a medium sized floor-stand fan. It has made sleeping quite comfortable.

The night was very quiet. In the evening I heard the Muslim call to prayer and I heard it again early in the morning. From my bedroom window I look out at Bethlehem stretching up the hillside.

Wed. morning I woke up every few hours. I would make myself go back to bed. Then when it got to be 7 or 8 in the morning, I didn't want to get up. I finally got up, took a shower(ette) and got dressed. I ate a bowl of the cereal and had a cup of coffee while doing some reading. At 1:30 a guy named Al knocked on my door and invited me to lunch. The school provides a free lunch to staff, teachers, and students. There I met Rami, my translator, for a brief second and later met Alex Awad, the Dean of Students, full-time instructor, and senior pastor of the East Jerusalem Baptist Church. I sat with several people who are not locals and they answered my many questions.

Wed. afternoon I walked down the street that runs in front of BBC to find the grocery store. Maybe it was a mile, probably less. Actually, I only crossed one street and one busy intersection. I felt okay walking down the sidewalk. For the most part people ignored me. I tried to smile and nod my head at people I passed.  I bought some food and supplies. The store clerk seemed very happy for my business. He kept saying, "God bless you." He did well communicating in English.

My contact at BBC has been Munther Isaac. He came to my room Thursday morning. We went to chapel, which I'm assuming is every Thursday at 11am. There were about 40 - 50 students in the room. The songs were in Arabic, of course. I could sort of follow along on the screen which words they were singing. I did sing a little when they repeated a line that went something like Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, his name is Jesus. When Alex Awad began to give a chapel message, a woman came and sat next to me and translated. She did a terrific job. Apparently the students knew I was coming and have been asking about me. Several people have been calling me Dr. Tim, which I find very flattering and endearing. Everyone is very kind and gracious. After chapel Munther gave me a little tour. He is leaving soon for a month and a half in England, where he is beginning a research doctorate at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

Friday morning I made my way over to the main office at 8:30 am to make sure I knew where my classroom would be. Because I would have not only third year students but also second year students, the number would be 18. They are a wonderful group of mainly young people. They responded in a way students do in the States when you begin the class by questioning common assumptions. For instance, they were perplexed by my assertion that we didn't know who wrote Hebrews or to whom it was written. It turns out the Arabic Bible commonly used, called the Van Dyke translation, makes use of the Greek manuscripts which include a subscription at the end of Hebrews. I have not given that much thought over the years. I'm aware of its existence, but it is no longer an issue for modern English translations of the New Testament. It was described to me that young people are regularly taught by Muslims two things: Christians are infidels and the Bible is corrupt. This means I will need to spend some time talking about the text of the New Testament.

I'm not surprised I didn't get very far with my written lectures. I will need to do better with summarizing what I've written. That will mean spending some more time thinking about Hebrews and how best to communicate the central message to these students. I was very impressed with their inquisitiveness and the quality of their questions. I hope they all stick with me and not drop after a difficult and challenging first class.

After class Rami and I went to a nearby restaurant. The meal was largely the appetizers—pita bread and dishes of stuff like hummus, babaganoush, and a half dozen other dishes I didn't recognize. We also ordered a single order of lamb kabob. We couldn't finish everything. We had a cup of Arabic coffee, which came with small slices of baklava. In my blogs from Rome I complained about the size of the Italian espresso. If you can believe it, it seems like Arab coffee cups are half the size of Italian espressos.

I hope that everyone who reads this blog will check out the Gift Shop online at BBC . I met the man who coordinates the gift shop. One of the best ways you can support personally what I'm doing here, support BBC, and help local Palestinian Christians is to buy Christmas presents from this gift shop. I've been impressed by the quality of the work and its beauty. Order soon, order often. Imagine, Christmas presents from Bethlehem.

I now have an ethernet connection for internet in my apartment. I also figured out how to call my wife. She was trying to call me but the number we were told to use would get rejected. So I went ahead and called her from the phone in my apartment. We hadn't really talked to each other since Monday. Everything has been worked out now so we can stay connected. I also have an office to use. I've been a little uncomfortable working at the kitchen table and sitting in a straight back kitchen chair.

On Saturday I'll do some shopping, walk around Bethlehem on my own, and probably do some reading. I'm planning to catch a ride to the East Jerusalem Baptist Church this Sunday. Eventually I'll work out how to get to Ramallah for worship at the Friends meetinghouse.

I feel especially blessed to have met Rami. Besides the fact that he's one of the nicest people I've ever met, he is an experienced and professional tour guide and a trained archaeologist. We are making plans for him to give me weekly private tours around Israel/Palestine. We've already had conversations about what it might mean for Earlham School of Religion to bring students here for a two-week intensive. He loves the idea that we would want to combine visiting archaeological sites with time spent meeting Palestinians and learning about Arab culture. Great things are on the way and we're just starting.

In my previous blog I was ready to return to home to Indiana from Rome. I was then reminded of song lyrics like "Homeward Bound" and "Indiana Wants Me." What popped into my head now is "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane." I will be leaving on Monday, Sept. 15th to live in Bethlehem for three months (but my bags are not packed and I'm not quite ready to go).

I've had to adjust my plans somewhat due to the increased cost of everything. I had planned to stay at the Tantur Ecumenical Study Centre in Bethlehem. To do that would have taken all of the rest of my sabbatical funds plus hundreds of dollars of my own money, which we can't afford. I wouldn't have had any money to do much of anything else. I even tried to sell my exercise bike just to get some extra cash to have on hand, in case I wanted to buy a falafel or something. We've had a very tense week trying to figure out how I was going to do this. Then a few days ago Bethlehem Bible College (BBC) offered me a small apartment to live in for free. That's just an incredible blessing. I feel bad for not being able to follow through on my plans with Tantur.  But this other opportunity will allow me to experience much more of the local culture, while still being able to do research and writing. Plus my apartment will have internet access. I've been scanning books for several days to make sure I have with me the most important resources I need and which are the most unlikely to find in libraries there -- not to mention the heaviest ones I don't want to bring with me.

 Munther Isaac at BBC (the college, not the UK media giant) has been extremely helpful. He works with the BBC choir, which has toured the US several times recently. I know who my interpreter is going to be for my class and am looking forward to working with him. I've found video clips and images of BBC students on the internet. They look like a great group of people, many of whom are doing incredible things while living under great duress.

I haven't made a great deal of advances in Arabic lately it seems. I've been listening to Pimsleur recordings for Eastern Arabic. What I've found most frustrating is trying to figure out what to learn. Trying to learn Modern Standard Arabic, classical Arabic, and colloquial Arabic at the same time is very confusing. Not only is the vocabulary and grammar different, books on colloquial Arabic always seem to be written in transliteration. I've spent a great deal of time learning to read Arabic script, so I hate having to read transliteration. I keep trying to figure out what the Arabic letters are. So not only am I trying to translate the Arabic into English -- so to speak -- I'm also first translating the transliteration into Arabic script. Fortunately there is a Jerusalem dialect Arabic class starting now and running for the next 15 weeks. A professor at Bethlehem University, Dr. Moin Halloun, has written a series of books on the Jerusalem dialect for foreign speakers. I've signed up for the class and will start on the 22nd. I really hope I know enough to be able to be in the intermediate level. I don't want to start from scratch, although it's always best to have a firm basis for starting a language. I'm also trying to arrange for someone to tutor me and maybe that person can help me more with reading classical and Modern Standard Arabic.

Soon I will have my bags packed and will be leaving on a jet plane. I do know when I'll be back, however, Dec. 15th. I'll be home in time to bring with me Christmas cheer from Bethlehem.

Monday, July 28, homeward bound. I'm always reminded of that Simon & Garfunkel song when I'm coming home from a trip. I also think of another song related to where i live, "Indiana Wants Me." But the lyrics, "Indiana wants me, Lord I can't go back there," don't fit with my sentiments.

For some reason my alarm clock didn't go off this morning. Good thing I was already awake waiting for it go off. I took my shower, finished packing everything up, and made my way downstairs to meet a friend with whom I would be sharing a taxi. I ran out of time cleaning up my room. We were supposed to take our recyclables to the bins that line nearly every street. I meant to leave time to do that but ended up leaving the bag. I left a few euro as a tip hoping that housekeeping wouldn't be too upset with me.

Our taxi came promptly and we were off to the airport. It cost us 50 euro to get to the airport; that's why one needs to share a cab. At the Rome airport it only took me a few minutes to figure out where I needed to go to get my boarding pass and check luggage. There wasn't even a line, though I did need to wait for people who were being waited on to finish. I noticed two young, attractive women in line ahead of me. I remember thinking, "Maybe I'll get to sit by them." Everything went smoothly. I made my way to the gate and began the usual routine one goes through at the airport: find something to eat, stop by the restroom, look through the gift shop. The cafe was a typical Italian kind where you order and pay at the cashier, get your receipt, and then get your order at the bar. Fortunately one of the participants happened to be there and she helped me know what the pastry was called I wanted so I was able to place my order. I watched all the Americans trying to figure out how to get what they wanted without knowing what it's called. It's not like you can point to it, which is usually how I was able to survive in Rome -- the power of pointing.

When the time came to board, I made my way down to the far aisle of the large Alitalia plane. I had to laugh when I saw who I would be sitting next to. It was the two girls from the check-in (which had been more like a "check out" for me). I'm only saying this because it turned out to be one of those situations where you should be careful what you wish for. These girls were cute but not as cute as they thought they were. They pretty much ignored me the whole flight. About ten hours sitting next to the princess twins. When we had to fill out the customs card, I asked the girl next to me if I could use her pen when I was done. She stared at me blankly for a second, ant then proceeded to ignore me. During the last half hour of flight, they took out bags filled with various kinds of makeup. Here's another irony. The movie being shown on the screen was a documentary about some tribe of African or Asian natives. After the girls started applying their makeup, I looked up at the video screen to see the native men putting on their makeup for some kind of festival. It was worth a good laugh to myself. It got a little stranger as the girl next to me even reached up her t-shirt to put on some fresh deoderant. Too bad personality and character doesn't come in a bottle.

It was actually a painful flight for me. I was squeezed between the two armrests the whole time. I had good leg room, but my legs were pinched against the sides of the armrests the whole time. I can't really describe the effects of sitting like that for ten hours. The result was very painful welts on my inner thighs when I stood up. It hurt for a while just to walk. I spent the time on the flight listening to my mp3 player, some podcasts, some old time radio programs, and a part of an old Abbott & Costello movie I had experieented with. For some reason only the first 10 minutes or so of the movie was avaialable. I don't know why. But it was such a relief to have that flight over with, and I was glad to be in Chicago.

It wasn't too much trouble getting through customs. I had to get my baggage, go through the line to show my passport and answer questions, then hand over my luggage to go on to my destination, and finally to find where I had to go to get my boarding pass. I had to get on the little train to go to my terminal and then had to walk to the end of concourse C for my gate. Before heading down the long hallway, I stopped at Starbucks to get my first regular-sized cup of coffee since leaving the States. I kept watching the time, but somehow I ended up not hearing my flight. I happened to stroll over to the gate and realized they had been boarding my flight. This time I got to sit next a ncie woman with whom I had very nice conversation. It was a short flight from Chicago to Dayton. We were there before i a chance to even think about how long the flight would be.

When I arrived past security in the airport, there was no sign of any of my family. So I made my way over to baggage claim. I couldn't see from the monitors what carousel my luggage would be at. Then I saw my family. They were just a few minutes late. It was too bad too, since they had created a nice sign welcoming me back home from Rome. It was so good to see them. And my wife looked beautiful. It was indeed great to be home. And my daughter who lives in West Virginia surprised me by flying home a few days before to visit with us for a week. It will be great fun to have her at home while I'm settling back into life in Indiana. I won't settle back too much, since I will be leaving Sept. 15th for a three-month stay at Tantur Ecumenical Study Centre in Bethlehem.

Sunday, my last full day in Rome. The big event for the day was going to lunch with a couple of people. They decided the best place to go would be down to Trastevere. I thought this was one last opportunity to go the same flight of stairs. Instead, one of the people took us down a different flight of stairs. I didn't realize there were multiple ways of going up and down the Janiculum Hill to Trastevere. We walked through narrow streets which in themselves were a taste of Rome, until we found an open restaurant. We were a bit hot from our walk, so we chose to sit inside the air conditioned restaurante. Figuring it would be my last opportunity, I again chose pizza -- pizza ortolono. It was delicious; it seemed a little underdone. Usually the ovens tend to make the crust crispy with little burnt spots. For some reason this pizza was a tad doughy. Still very good. It had some zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. i've been surprised that the pizzas tended not to have onions. i don't recall eating much onion durng the past month.

After our lunch, my friends went with me to a little jewelry shop to get something for my wife. I didn't have much money available, but we found a nice necklace with matching earrings. For me the irony was that our was buying jewelry as a souvenir of my Rome trip but from an artist named Ibrahim, which for me pointed forward to my next trip in the fall to Israel/Palestine.

On our way back up the hill, we returned by even another pair of stairs. It was first a long incline on the road up and then a set of long stairs. We came up near the Fountain of Paul, which was one of the first places I visited when I arrived in Rome. 

I spent the afternoon cleaning up my room and packing my suitcases. Some people were going to get together in the evening to watch Trastevere's Festa de' Noantri (Procession of the Madonna del Carmine). it would no doubt be a sight to behold. Some people in our group talked about the way it would be a fitting conclusion to our seminar, since we had talked about various kinds of processions through the streets from imperial processions to local processions honring the dead or various gods and goddesses. It would have been an interesting reenactment of pagan processinos to watch the parade of Catholic religious and dignataries as the statue of Mary is processed through the streets to a church. But i decided to hang out at "home," get a little something to eat later, and have a relaxing evening watching the last two episdoes of season two of Torchwood.

When I went to find some food in the evening, I discovered that most shops were closed up.  i had remembered there was another pizzeria further down Via Carini. Sure enough the other place was open but very busy and tiny. I squeezed myself into the shop and tried to wait my turn. Eventually I was able to place my order for which and how much of the different pizzas already available. I wanted something to drink, but I couldn't get to the coller to get something, not without a better command of italian phrases for "excuse me," "coming through," sorry for pressing my body against yours." The pizza wasn't quite as good as I had been getting from Simone, but it was still good. I managed to turn in early so I could get up early for my big day returning home.

On my second to the last day in Rome, I decided to give the library another try. In the past the library has been so warm that just trying to locate a book has left me dripping sweat on the pages. I also had found that the old wooden chairs with arms were too small for me. Several times when i went to the library to read something we would be discussing in seminar, I went in the early morning or late evening, and sat on a step stool in front of an open window.This morning when I went it felt stuffy and warm in the reserve room where the books were I wanted to consult. So I selected the books I needed and went in search of a good place to sit. On a lower level I found the row of reserved desks. I knew we were allowed to sit at them if they were not in use. One of our directors, Eleanor Leach, was at her reserve desk. I went to the end of the row and found an empty space. I was delighted to discover I actually could fit in the chair. After 10 minutes or so I began to feel comfortable and was able to read and take notes for the next four or five hours. 

My group had planned to have a going away party at 6:30pm out on the terrace off the top floor the Academy. I hadn't been there before and thought this was an important event to attend. Since it's customary to bring something to a party, I set off to my usual hunting ground near Via Carini. I was surprised to find most shops closed up. After walking around for a few minutes, I noticed an open shop. It turned out to be a wine shop. I had met someone along the way who said I might just want to buy a bottle of cheap wine. I found a bottle they were practically giving away, so I got that. I figured it couldn't have too much alcohol in it. How much can grape juice ferment in only a year?

We had a great time at our party. Various people brought things to eat. The terrace has a beautiful view of Rome. For instance, I could see the Colosseum.  The night wore on, and we had a time of giving out named awards to each person in the group. We laughed together, we gave hugs to those who were leaving the next day, and made plans to do things together on Sunday, which for many of us would be our last day in Rome -- at least for this trip.

This morning a few of us set off to see the Catacombs of Priscilla . It took two buses to reach the edge of the city. We were disappointed at first when we learned they had no record of the American Academy arranging for our visit. They wanted to make us wait for 20 minutes and join a tour of 27 other people. There were three people discussing the issue with us. Someone went to get the person in charge, one of the nuns of the Benedictine order who oversee the site. Then another woman came out, who was an American, a researcher in residence. The two of them took the three of us on a guided tour of the catacombs there.

It certainly is an incredible experience to go below ground and walk through the tunnels dug by people seeking to entomb their dead in a holy place. In various places someone plastered the walls and painted frescoes.  There were scenes of Jesus as the Good shepherd, Jonah and the sea monster, Lazarus, Daniel and his buddies in the fiery furnace, and some other biblical images of rescue and resurrection. There were many images of woman, such as Mary, the mother of Jesus, Susanna, Mary & Martha, and other female figures. It's difficult to interpret some of the images.All in all it was an incredible experience.

On the bus ride back some transportation officers -- whatever they call them -- got on the bus and asked to see tickets. Two young girls didn't have tickets and didn't have any extra money to pay.

The big thing today was paying my bill. There were many unexpected expenses on this trip, not the least of which was the double-booking during the time we were in Campania. We paid for our rooms at the Academy plus the hotel rooms. No one knew that it was going to be expected. The stipend we received from the National Endowment for the Humanities paid for most of the trip, but I needed to dip into my sabbatical funds to pay the rest.

I've also managed to arrange for my trip to the airport on Monday morning. A colleague needs to leave at the same time, so we will share a taxi. Perhaps we're even on the same flight to Chicago.

This evening I was able to have dinner with David Balch, who is living in Rome during his sabbatical. He has just published a book on Roman Domestic Art and Early House Churches. He had a copy with him. I had a great time talking with him about Roman houses, publishing, teaching, family, church, retirement, and many other interesting topics. We had dinner in a piazza behind a 12 century church with other church architecture all around us. What an interesting place to dine. David first took me inside the church. For a minute I thought he was going to make me sit and meditate for awhile before dinner. This was in Trastavere so guess what I got to do? Walk back up the "Stairs of Trastevere." It might be the last time, so I took the stairs with Roman gusto.