Nazareth, Israel, 24 October 2014 Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues, I’m supposed to be on my way to the airport, but I awoke at 6 am to find that my flight is delayed exactly 3 hours and 17 minutes. I’ll look for somewhere to lodge a complaint if it ends up being 3 hours and 19 minutes. When I do leave, I’ll be heading to NYC, where I’ll get to spend the better part of a day seeing my Joanna (my youngest sister), Jonathan (brother-in-law), my mother, and Leo, my newest nephew. Until now I’ve had to be satisfied with photos and videos, but soon I’ll get to hold him for myself. I’m looking forward to meeting him. It has been a fruitful trip. My father did arrive, and I got much done that I needed to do. I spent many days hiking Shikhin’s hills, and I was able to see archaeological features that others had told me about, and in some cases mis-identified. Now I can say with some confidence that of Shikhin’s three hills, the village, its
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First Sabbatical Post
Nazareth, Israel, 15 October 2014 Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues, I’m writing from my desk in room 407 of the Galilee Hotel in Nazareth, the same room they give me every summer. It’s meant for a couple or even a small family, since it’s outfitted with both a double (here a king size) bed and a twin. This level of grace and hospitality is typical for the hotel staff. Earlier I asked for an apple and returned to my room to find a plate with two apples, a banana, and a bunch of grapes, with a liter of water and a stemmed glass besides. I’ve already made myself a cappuccino in the hotel’s coffee bar, and had a nice chat with Subhe Hamed, our main contact here and a longtime family friend. I’ve seen lots of old friends and been hugged and kissed on both cheeks by many men. The women shook my hand, American style. The flight was notable only for the fact that I slept little, which is unlike me. The drive north was more eventful, for it ra