Stories from Jerusalem / Al Quds

I have not been able to record new episodes recently because I am so busy with the Israeli tour guide course. Many people have asked me how that is going so I decided to record an episode about my experience in the first four months of this course.

In the meantime I got my tour guide license by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and I have taken the first small group into the Church of Nativity as a licensed tour guide. That was an amazing moment, especially because it took me almost 4 years to get that license!

And now I am also taking the course in Jerusalem so that I can be a licensed guide in all of the country. It is very interesting, challenging at times, a different narrative and a very diverse group of people. In this episode you can hear more about that!

If you want to get access to unique video content that I am taking during the tours then you can become a Ko-fi member and support the podcast and in return you get access to short videos with explanation. Use this link to find the Ko-fi page AND to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media:

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In the previous episode you could learn more about the history of the Church of Nativity, built over the birth cave of Jesus. In this episode I am taking you on a tour inside the Church to explain you some of its most interesting features. You can use this audio guide when you visit the church in Bethlehem but you can also listen to it from the comfort of your home or while you are walking, cleaning or commuting.

If you want to visit the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem with a real tour guide then you can reach out to me, I am a licensed tour guide by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism.

You can also read the transcript of this podcast on the website:
https://storiesfrompalestine.info/2023/03/04/nativity-church-audio-tour/

For more information on the podcast and to connect on social media or if you want to do a donation to help me to continue producing new episodes you can use this link tree:

https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine

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Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

The most visited site in Bethlehem is the Church of Nativity on Manger Square. It is the oldest church in the world that is still in use by the local community and that is visited by over two million pilgrims every year.

The Church of Nativity is on the UNESCO world heritage list together with the pilgrimage route that passes through today's Star Street. This is the road that Mary and Joseph would have taken to reach Bethlehem where they had to go because of the Roman census organized by Quirinius. When they did not find a place to sleep in a 'kataluma' which is often translated as inn, but in Bethlehem it is interpreted as a guestroom, they were offered to stay in one of the many caves that are so common in the landscape.

Most people in the West grow up with the image of Jesus in a wooden manger in a wooden stable. But the Church of Nativity is built over the cave that has a very early tradition of veneration for being the birthplace of Jesus.

In this episode we explore the history of the church and the biblical account. In the following episode you can go on an audio tour inside the Church!

If you want to read along you can find the full transcript of this episode on the website.

Use the linktree to find the website, social media and to make a donation!

https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine

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Mohamad Saleh grew up as a city boy. He never worked in a garden or grew his own food until he had an opportunity to travel to Turkey to be close to his partner and live for some time in a WWOOF project where he learned all about Permaculture.

When he came back to Palestine he decided to start working on bringing the concepts of permaculture closer to the community and he established 'Mostadam'

He emphasizes the importance of healing of individuals in general in order to be able to feel more compassion towards each other and towards nature.  He talks about how he is trying to work within the context of the political reality in Palestine as well as the natural environment, in areas with little rainfall and in refugee camps with little soil.

If you want to follow Mohamad on Instagram click here

About Mohamed 's Wwoof experience:
https://wwoofturkey.org/

Tips to read:

Book: The One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka

https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/

Watch:
The Wanted 18
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3946020/

Follow Stories from Palestine podcast on social media, check out the YouTube channel, sign up for the mailinglist and do a very appreciated donation on the Ko-fi platform, all through this one link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine

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In this episode you can hear Bassam, the host of the podcast: "PreOccupation: A not so brief history of Palestine."

Bassam emphasizes the importance of telling the Palestinian story and the futility of trying to counter hasbara (a term in Hebrew that refers to the advocacy for Israel,  a form of propaganda).

He explains that we should distinguish between the shaping of the Palestinian identity, the collective consciousness, and the Palestinian national project. When and where did these emerge and who can be considered the first Palestinian?

We also talk about how the Palestinian identity, despite insurmountable obstacles, has been so successful in surviving.

If you want to listen to his podcast then you can visit this link:
https://linktr.ee/preoccupationpod

If you want to connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, if you want to visit the website, explore the YouTube channel, sign up for the newsletter or do a donation on the Ko-fi page then please use this link:
https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

In this episode I speak with Yousef Khoury, which translates to Joseph the priest, a Christian Palestinian originally from Gaza, who now lives in Bethlehem. He is the 43rd generation in his family of which 36 generations were priests in the Orthodox priesthood. He studied biblical studies at the Bethlehem Bible College, he has a masters of divinity in theology and mission from the US and is currently working on his doctorate at the University of Amsterdam.

We talk about the history of Christianity in Palestine and the decreasing number of Palestinians who still live in Palestine. We discuss their challenges living under Israeli military and colonial rule and their efforts to counter the Christian Zionist narrative.

As we are approaching Christmas and this episode was recorded in Bethlehem, we end the episode with a Christmas wish and message for everyone around the world.

If you want to learn more about Palestinian theology of liberation these are some sources to check out:

Books:

Munther Isaac, The Other Side of the Wall
Mitri Raheb, Faith in the Face of Empire

Websites:

https://www.kairospalestine.ps
https://www.cryforhope.org

https://christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/
https://youtube.com/@ChristatTheCheckpoint

https://www.palestineportal.org/resource-directory/by-medium/books-and-films/books-about-by-palestinian-christians/

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Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

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Where did the name Palestine come from and for how long has it been in use?
After reading the book "Palestine a four thousand year history" by Nur Masalha, a Palestinian historian and academic, it became clear that the name Palestine has been used since the 13th century BC until today. Only in the last decades did the use of the name Palestine become estranged, with the establishment of the State of Israel and the vilification of the Palestinian people. Many people doubt whether they can speak about Palestine and Palestinians. Using the name Palestine feels uncomfortable to many people.

In his book, Nur Masalha shows with proof of many documents and quotes that the name Palestine has been the most common name that was used to describe the region between Egypt and today's Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, since it replaced the names Djahi, Retenu and Canaan.

The first mention of the people living in the southern part of the Levant, the Peleset, gives the root letters for the name Philistia and Palaistine, that is used by the Assyrians and later the Greeks and Romans.

The Arabic name Falastin derives directly from the name Palaistine, but in Arabic there is no letter P in the alphabet so they replaced it with the letter F.

If you are interested to learn more you can click here to GET THE BOOK ON AMAZON (also available as audio book)

Please support the podcast with a donation on Ko-fi and connect on social media:
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During this episode I will take you on an audio tour to the Sea of Galilee where we will visit Bethsaida, Chorazin, Capernaum, Tabgha and the Mount of Beatitudes. These are pilgrimage locations related to places where according to tradition Jesus lived, spoke to his followers, visited synagogues and did miracles.

Disclaimer: I am a trained tour guide at the Bethlehem Bible College, I am not a theologian and I do not belong to any religion. I am telling the stories the way they were told and explained to me by Palestinian Christians who still live in the land where Jesus lived 2000 years ago.

If you want to read the transcript of this episode you can click on the transcript button on the buzzsprout website or visit :
 https://storiesfrompalestine.info/2022/11/12/sea-of-galilee-pilgrimage/

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media, sign up for the mailinglist, check out the website and the travel programs and make a donation to the podcast, all via this one link: https://linktr.ee/storiesfrompalestine

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Apo Sahagian is a singer and works in different artistic related projects in Jerusalem. He is also the host of the podcast 'Apo and the city'. He grew up in the old city of Jerusalem in the Armenian quarter. His family came to Jerusalem in the 1920s when many Armenians fled from the genocide committed by the Ottoman empire.

In this episode Apo gives us more insight into the Armenian community in Palestine. The Armenians came in three waves. As the first Christian nation in the world, King Tiridates III adopted Christianity as state religion in 301 AD, they have a long history of connection to Jerusalem. The first Crusaders married Armenian princesses and there are several Crusader Queens of Jerusalem that were of Armenian descent, such as the famous queen Melisande. So the first wave dates back from that time, the 12th century AD. These Armenians have integrated into the Palestinians society and even though they cherish their heritage they are much more assimilated than the second wave.

The second wave is the result of displacement during the Ottoman time and these Armenians are still much more connected to the homeland and as diaspora Armenians they are trying to preserve their culture and heritage and they have stronger connections to Armenia.

The third wave consists of Armenians who came to Israel in the time that many Russians were accepted as Jews to the live in Israel. Some of these Armenians are not even really Jewish but they took the opportunity to try have a better economic life. They have been given Israeli citizenship and they are trying to stay out of politics and just live their life.

Apo talks about the Armenian quarter with its convent and the Armenian churches and about what Armenians brought to Palestine in general and Jerusalem in particular.

If you want to listen to Apo's podcast 'Apo and the City' find him here:
 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1934802

If you want to listen to his music you can search for Apo & the Apostles

Connect to Stories from Palestine on social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter) visit the website, find out about the Visit Palestine program and sign up for the bi-weekly e-mail, all with this one link: https://linktr.ee/Storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine

Send us Fan Mail

Find me on Instagram @StoriesfromJerusalem

Support the podcast with a donation: https://ko-fi.com/storiesfrompalestine