Getting to know Matthew.

Over the last couple of days we have begun a series of lectures on the gospel of Matthew presented by an Italian priest Father Pino Di Luccio. We have looked at the early parts of the Gospel including the genealogy of Jesus, the birth story and the baptism of Jesus. We have learnt lots about the identity of Jesus and his relationship to John the Baptist, as well as the many ways He fulfills the prophesies of the Old Testament. While it is often heavy going, it is still really interesting.
Yesterday afternoon, a small group of us went to the Armenian Church - St. James Cathedral, for their vespers prayers with their seminarians. The Armenians have been in the Holy Land since the earliest years of Christianity and they were the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion. As early as 154CE, the bishops of Armenia were involved in discovering and confirming many of the Holy sites.
3pm Vespers is the only time non- Armenians are allowed into the Armenian Quarter. The church was very dark with lots of silver oil lamps and painted icons on the wall that were covered and dark from all the incense used in their liturgies. There was lovely singing, prayers and incense being burnt. In one of the side chapels is a shrine where the head of St . James the apostle is said to be entombed. St. James was also the first bishop of Jerusalem.
This afternoon we had a visiting lecturer tell us all about the Dead Sea and the Dead Sea Scrolls- we are heading there tomorrow for a float ( the Dead Sea is 35% salt!) and a look around - I am really looking forward to this next adventure!