Olive Oil in the Holyland

Olive Oil Experience -- Jerusalem

Olive Picking

We spent a few hours picking olives on the Center grounds. The picking was a challenge because the best olives were up high. We had some ladders and a few tall people, but not enough. We gathered a fair amount of olives for our olive oil making project, and purchased some additional olives.

If you can't reach the olives, it helps to get on the shoulders of another.

Making Olive Oil

Three components are used to make olive oil.

The Crushing Mill:

Our Crushing Mill


A Levers & Weights Press:

Our Levers and Weights Press

A Screw Press:

Our Screw Press
We began by placing olives into the Crushing Mill. Students or animals push a shaft that is attached to a crushing stone around. The stone crushes the olives into a mash. After the olives are mashed they are put into baskets and taken to the presses. Some mash was spilled.

The first oil released from the Screw press

The first oil released from the Levers and Weights Press
And thus we have participated in an age-old process of extracting oil from olives. It is still done this way in may parts of the world.

The City of David -- October 5, 2009

THE TUNNEL

We had to make a very circuitous trip to the City of David for our Field Trip this week. There were many blockades on the roads. Some of us ended up walking the entire distance because our Vans could not pass through. We’ve walked that far before as a group, but it was a warm day and the distance seemed longer.

Student excited to enter tunnel

The highlight of the City David is always a trip through Hezekiah’s Tunnel. The tunnel was dug underneath the Ophel in Jerusalem about 701 BC during the reign of Hezekiah. We have expert professors here who teach us all about it, but Wiki will give you a brief overview if you’d like to know more.

An expert teacher

Student preparing for tunnel entry

The signs say the walk through the tunnel is about 45 minutes long. We wear clothes that can get wet, and carry flashlights. The modern student has a light strapped to his/her head. I still carry a flashlight.

Student with the appropriate Headlamp.

Because it was a warm day, walking through the tunnel was refreshing. Most of the water is not deeper than mid-calf. But there are a few spots when it reaches mid-thigh. Most of the time one can walk upright, but there are stretches where one must stoop over. The sides of the tunnel are rather close to you, depending on how wide you are. I had about an inch on each side of me as I walked through.

The exit to the tunnel before the students arrive.

The exit to the tunnel after the students emerge.

There is a little shop when you exit the tunnel where you can purchase antiquities. I have enough antiquities already, so I’m not in the market. But evidently it is a good place for widow’s mites. We emerge from the tunnel with wet clothes, but they quickly dry out. Students like to frolic and play at the end of the tunnel and they get wetter than I do.

Students in recovery mode

Photo of area of Pool of Siloam

The tunnel ends in the Pool of Siloam. This is the Pool where Jesus healed the blind person. You can read about that in the NT.

A cat that tried to mooch food off of us.

St George Marathon - October 3, 2009

Congratulations Scott!

Division: 35-39

Chip Time: 3:40:02

Overall: 1432

Division Place: 194


Scott reported that the last six miles of the race were pleasant because they were down hill. He bested his last marathon in Utah County by 40 minutes. His feet are sore and bleeding.


Jill reported that Anna and Samuel were missing for a few minutes at the end of the race. They had followed Scott to the finish line and became lost in the crowd. She finally found them huddled together sobbing. There were 5617 racers so you can imagine the size of the group with runners and well-wishers.

October 1, 2009

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Brithday to you.

The Birthday Boy

This day honors SKB. He turned 69. That is getting rather elderly, but he still is able to ride his bike around the hills of Jerusalem. He has only fallen once and that was because a bus forced him into a curb. Who would have guessed that he would have spent 7 birthdays in the Middle East: 1 in Egypt and 6 in Jerusalem? He hopes to spend the next birthday closer to BYU football.

Resting up for his birthday

The day before his birthday we went to Jericho with students. I couldn’t help but hear the Veggie Tales songs about Joshua in my mind. It was a very warm day, probably in the 90’s. We hiked to the Quruntul Monastery.

The monastery

We also visited Jericho Tel, saw the Zacchaeus tree, the overlook to Herod’s Winter Palace and a cat.

The cat

I went shopping for his birthday. What to buy…..? He already has enough ties to last for his lifetime, and his son’s and sons-in-law. We’d already shopped for a new bike inner tube and couldn’t find one. He doesn’t really need anything, or if he does, he buys it himself. So I bought something that I liked.

I drove to a Palestinian town and purchased three large tins of Macintosh Candy. We always had this candy at Christmas when I was a child. You can no longer purchase it in Utah.

Unwrapping the nicely wrapped gift.

I bought enough candy so we could share it with the students when they sang Happy Birthday to him at dinner. Sign for the students

I couldn’t find a birthday card, so I made a nice one with my photo on it. I knew he’d want a picture of me on a camel for his birthday..

Nicely wrapped gift

At dinner the students surprised us with a very large ice cream birthday cake made by the kitchen staff. They sang to him and presented to him a giant card with their comments.

Birthday card from the students

I haven’t read the comments, but I’m sure they will give him a lift. When you are 69 you need a lift now and then.

Birthday cake

We didn't share this piece. I had 2 pieces, and SKB had 1 large piece.

JC Administration

SKB was surprised by gifts from several others including some candy from the Allens, some cookies from the Emmetts, a piece of knafe, and a surprise under his pillow from me. (A bag of Peanut M&M’s that I brought from the states).

Display of gifts

He called all of his children and gave them the chance to wish him a Happy Birthday. All in all it was a Happy day in Jerusalem! Next year in OREM.