I took this picture and lit a candle and placed my hand in the hole, just an amazing beautiful place with art and hard to comprehend the age, it had pillars in the church that Roman Legionnaires and Crusaders had scratched their names in with sword points.
" The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is considered sacred by Christians"
"The Grotto of the Nativity, an underground cave located beneath the basilica, enshrines the site where Jesus is said to have been born. The exact spot is marked beneath an altar by a 14-pointed silver star set into the marble floor and surrounded by silver lamps."
(http://i42.tinypic.com/9a08id.jpg)
I took this pic too and you can see flowers on the stone where these Jewish women were on the ground crying and wailing and throwing flowers on the stone:
"Just inside the entrance is The Stone of Anointing, also known as The Stone of Unction, which tradition claims to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea."
(http://i43.tinypic.com/16beoew.jpg)
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I also took this picture in Jerusalem of the Dome of the Rock:
The most famous Islamic site in Jerusalem is the Dome of the Rock. An impressive and beautiful edifice, the Dome of the Rock can be seen from all over Jerusalem. It is the crowning glory of the Temple Mount.
The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, but a Muslim shrine. it is built over a sacred stone. This stone is believed to be the place from which the Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven during his Night Journey to heaven.
(http://i42.tinypic.com/345268g.jpg)
Wow Nasty, you have seen a thing or two. Awesome pics! Love them!
Awesome pics ! Thanks for the pics and the story.
Looks like you've traveled to a kewl place or two. :wink:
I like to say Ive been from the arctic to the jungle and the desert too..not bad for a lad from Vermont :wink:..love to travel and see new things and different places.
I hear you. That's one aspect I miss from military life.
I grew up a military brat, and we traveled extensively. Especially when we were stationed in Germany. Seems every weekend we made a road trip.
Pretty cool ! :congrats: :congrats:
Pretty cool Nasty, would like to see that area someday. Fos, where were was your family stationed at in Germany, we were in Heidelberg.
John
I was stationed in Baumholder 78' - 81'. HHC 1/13th Inf.
John,
I spent almost 5 years (1980 - 1985) in Karlsruhe. My father split his time between Gerszewski Barracks (79th Engineer Btn.) and Grafenwoehr.
We went to Heidelberg for the Schlossbeleuchtung every summer. Good times in Deutschland! :biggrin:
Weedwalker,
My Dad was stationed in Baumholder from 1988 - 1991. He was an Engineer. Not sure what company he was assigned to. At that time, I was serving active duty at Ft. Sam Houston.
I was a 64C (truck driver) but got stuck in the infantry. We spent a lot of time at Graf training. But I also drove all over Germany. We spent 2 weeks at Bertches Gardens once for R&R. Had a blast up there. Hitler had his Eagles Nest there. I also took a lot of the cheap tours around Europe. We could go almost anywhere except Amsterdam. Drugs were legal there then so the military was banned.
(http://i43.tinypic.com/5zoze8.jpg)
(http://i42.tinypic.com/20sdagx.jpg)
(http://i40.tinypic.com/33p53j6.jpg)
"We could go almost anywhere except Amsterdam."
Ahhhhhhhhhhh Amsterdam, live sex window shows, legal hashish....thank God I never made it there.... :wink: :innocentwhistle: