Having Coffee with Emanuel Tov
So, Rachel and I ran over to Hebrew University yesterday to meet with Prof. Tov. He got us security clearence the night before, so he ushered us in and gave us a tour of the campus. Then he showed us his office, which includes the cot where he takes a nap (so much better than the floor of Pickett, I'm sure). And then the room next to his office, which is where the DJD, the series that publishes the Dead Sea Scrolls, was researched. So amazing. So then we went to the cafeteria and he got us coffee and we hung out and talked. He might come and have dinner on our campus soon. Prof. Tov remembered coming to Cornerstone, but he forgot Doug Mohrmann's name, so he referred to him as "the little man who smiled a lot". Which is about right.
So today I went down to around Mt. Zion and saw Oscar Schindler's grave, as well as the pictures of the horse that the gardenkeeper there had. Then Rachel and I had some time to kill before dinner, so went down to the Church of the Holy Sepluchere and poked around in some more corners. In the far reaches of the Church it's amazing how much graffiti, both sacred and profane, is there. Somebody really should clean it up.... We also found the benches in front of the Edicule of the Tomb that are 10 years after the end of their life. Somebody should replace them, but the Status Quo and money keeps them pretty much stuck there and disintigrating. But seeing as the Edicule itself is coming up on its 100th anniversary of being strapped together by British Iron beams, I don't think the benches is the biggest problem. Well, I'm off with everyone else here to hang out in the park with our Israeli friends and the nargeela.

ma'a salame