Israel by Leiah

14/02/2017

Trash is always interesting. Combine these stops with other interesting sites in the Negev - historical, technological, natural beauty abound in the region.
https://israelbyleiah.com/2017/02/14/take-out-the-trash-please/

As much as anything else, the production of trash marks human lives. What we dump in the trash tells quite a lot about who we are and what our lives are like. Digging through trash from the past …

27/11/2016

Visiting graves of holy people is a meaningful experience for many. The Tomb of King David on Mt. Zion is an interesting stop in Jerusalem.
https://israelbyleiah.com/2016/11/27/king-davids-tomb/

25/11/2016

Fires in Jewish history are unfortunately nothing new.
https://israelbyleiah.com/2016/11/25/fire-fire/

22/11/2016

I am very excited about renewing my website! If you are looking for interesting things to see or do in Israel, please check-in!
https://israelbyleiah.com/2016/11/22/rockefeller-museum-a-quiet-corner/

Turning east from the hustle and bustle of Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, after a five minute walk, one comes to the entry gate of the Rockefeller Museum. There isn’t a lot of foot traffic here…

21/09/2016

TEXTS: Israel National Library has acquired some documents from a cave in Afghanistan which were sequestered there some thousand years ago. Among the documents is the oldest known Jewish religious text written in Persian. Few documents remain from the Jewish community which lived along the Silk route from the 11th/12th century because the communities and their libraries were destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. Not only does Israel absorb immigrant Jews from around the world, but it is a center of Jewish texts from around the world, and this collection is an important addition.

31/08/2016

FOOD: "You are what you eat." Researchers in the Qesem Cave, right outside of Rosh HaAyin examined the plaque on teeth of the residents of that cave from 400,000 years ago. They found evidence of pollution (yes, even back then) from indoor fires which were used for cooking meat. They also found some plant residues, suggesting the beginnings of a balanced diet. All of these activities (indoor fires, eating cooked meat, eating plants) happened in the Qesem Cave for the first time ever. The cave was discovered by road workers who were blasting to widen Route 5 to accommodate more cars. Seems modern man isn't the only one to suffer from pollution in the area.

30/08/2016

THE BEACH: Heading to the Mediterranean coast today so I will share some facts about the beach in Israel. First of all, Israel has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, so you definitely want to take advantage of that on your next trip.
The Levantine Sea (the part of the Mediterranean which is near Israel) is the saltiest section of the Mediterranean and only getting saltier. The blockage of the Nile effluent due to the construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960's means that much less fresh water is being deposited in the Mediterranean in our region. Saltier water means that you will be more buoyant on the Israeli coast than on the French coast. Check it out for yourself on your next trip to Tel Aviv!

29/08/2016

Today on the way home from rafting on the Jordan, I crowned the day officially Good Day when I saw the fighter jets flying over the Jezreel valley. They reminded me of a bird I saw from the raft. In Hebrew it is called a Si-Si (because of the noise it makes); in English it is a Swift. Swifts live all over the world and are very social. They also spend almost all of their lives flying - they even eat "on the fly". Even though they are always on the move, they like to be with other birds - kind of like people today.

28/08/2016

There is much discussion and controversy over the Temple Mount today. The Dome of the Rock which sits at the crest of the Temple Mount was built in the exact same spot as the First and Second Temples. We know about these structures from writing but little is known from archaeology. Today, the Moslem authorities (the Wakf) do not allow any scientific exploration beneath the massive platform built by Herod 2000 years ago to serve as a base for his renovation of the Second Temple. However, 150 years ago, one of the early Jerusalem archaeologists, Conrad Schick, was allowed access underneath certain areas of the platform. His model, which was shown at the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna, includes these discoveries. Today, the model sits in the Old City of Jerusalem in Christ's Church. Yet another reason to come to Jerusalem.

17/04/2016

EXPLOSIVE: Cleaning for Passover often uncovers interesting items. This year, I came across some notes. Pliny the Elder, noted Roman historian and philosopher, who gave us a description of Herod's Temple ("He who has not seen the Temple of Herod, has not seen a beautiful building in their life.") never saw Herod's Temple. He never visited Judea, but rather based his accounts on others, most notably Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

Pliny the Elder died when trying to rescue one of his friends from the volcanic eruption at Vesuvias. He docked in the town of Stabiae. When his ship could not leave due to the high winds, he was caught in the pumice, and he couldn't get out. His friend made it to the boat and a few days later when he came to look for Pliny 3 days, he was buried in ash with no apparent injuries.

31/01/2016

Most of us have walked through Jaffa Gate and past the Tower of David. But, as with many areas of Jerusalem, treasures have hidden there for hundreds of years beneath our feet. During this tour we will uncover the past through a visit to the Jaffa gate, the moat of the citadel and the recently uncovered foundations and water installations of Herod's palace as described by Josephus.

As we climb the heights and descend, you will have a unique view of Jerusalem from above and below. Come join me for a morning of heritage and history!

Date: Monday, February 8, 2016
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Cost: 80 NIS, includes entry to the Museum
Registration: message me :)

This tour will only run with a minimum of 15 people. Registration until Wednesday night, February 3!