A moment beyond time in Jerusalem
My name is Gabi Landau and I am an OAT Trip Leader in Israel. I was born in Israel, a young country striving for its existence as the only democracy in the Middle East, and I feel privileged to spend my life sharing the rich kaleidoscope of this unique country with people from all over the world.
I particularly enjoy working with OAT travelers. I meet people who have seen and experienced quite a few things in their lives—people who are able to understand the nuances of mankind in odd ways with a good sense of humor and wise understanding of life itself. For me, every group is a new journey. Different people, different perspectives, different opinions, and wonderful moments together. Yet Israel remains, for every person in the world, the Land of the Bible.
Often I tell my groups on the first day of the tour that there are two things which we will try to achieve on our trip together. One is to bring the Bible stories alive, and the other is to understand the real spirit of Israel. We usually manage to achieve those two goals—as well as some others along the way.
This one unique experience that I had on one of my tours demonstrates the special moments that OAT travelers are looking for. (In Israel we have plenty of these!)
I was sitting on the ancient southern steps of the Second Temple in Jerusalem—the same steps that led pilgrims into the temple 2,000 years ago. It was Thursday afternoon and the sun was about to set on Mount of Olives and the Judean Hills. Also on the steps were about 1,200 Evangelists who had come from the United States to visit the Land of the Bible. With their hands up in the air they stood on the steps singing and thanking God for that moment in their lives. “Glory, glory Hallelujah,” they sang, waving colorful flags in the dusky golden twilight of Jerusalem.
At the same time exactly, just a few yards away, there was another ceremony around the corner at the Western Wall of the Temple, the holiest place for the Jewish people.
Around 450 young Israeli paratroopers arrived there after a long hike in the desert for their important ceremony of vowing to loyalty to the Israeli state and its army. In 1967, during the Six-Day War, the paratroopers were the first ones to touch the 2,000 old stones of the Western Wall and since then it has been a tradition of the paratroopers’ brigade to hold this ceremony at the wall. Parents are invited to proudly watch their sons receiving their personal weapons and swearing on the Bible. The Bible and the weapon go together in the Israeli army. So there they were with their young strong voices shouting together, “I swear,” and the trumpets echoed.
At that very moment, from the top of the Temple Mount, the Muslim muezzin started his call for the evening prayer. The blend of sounds was unbelievable. The Christian Evangelicals on one corner, the young Israeli paratroopers on the other, and the Muslim Muezzin on top of the Temple Mount—this can happen only in Israel.
And there I was, sitting on the steps, thinking to myself how precious this moment was. A moment beyond time, a moment where the past and the future meet. A moment that stays with you forever.
Join OAT in the Land of the Bible on Israel: Natural Wonders & Timeless Cultures.