Israel Journal: A Trappist Pilgrim in the Holy Land 8.25 x 6.5”; 36 pages. Letterpress from Emerson, American Uncial and Ratdolt types on Mohawk Superfine. Title page and cover illustration plus a map of the area. Six-hole Japanese-style binding in Curtis paper. A trappist monk's 1992 journal of a week in Israel spent visiting sacred sites of the Christian and Jewish faiths and other notable places. Sites include Gethsemani, the Mount of Olives, the Sheeps Gate, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Nativity and David's Tomb, as Hart travels in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Galilee, Nazareth, etc. The Israel Museum provides an opportunity to view a fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls, while a visit to the Knesset offers floor mosaics by Marc Chagall. Familiar place names fill the pages. Written some ten years ago, Hart's observations are those of a pilgrim, one of the faithful on the grounds from which his religion grew. Only brief mention is made of the festering troubles in the region. A visit to a small monastery in the mountains near Nazareth sparks this response: "What a wonderful oasis of peace is this mountaintop in the midst of such a troubled country." His further comment is particularly poignant now: "I pray that many more of these places are established so that a just and lasting peace will be established here in our lifetime." |
