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 | Jerusalem Outside the City Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 12 |  |
 | |  |  | Outside the City: The names and nature of the main Chess pieces | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
"The names and nature of the main Chess pieces underwent changes, as did the game itself, in the long Journey from India to the West. THE KING was called the 'Shah' by the Persians and Arabs. The Europeans translated literally the word for KING, and so in Latin, the game is called 'the game of shah'. The term 'shah' in Persian and Arabic refers to the situation when the king is threatened, and the term 'shah mat', i.e., the king is dead, is when the king is unable to move, thus 'check' and 'checkmate' respectively. The king is represented by a throne. THE VIZIER [QUEEN] is the chess piece which in the 12th century changed its sex as well as its name and character. In Europe, the position of the VIZIER was unfamiliar, and thus the piece became the QUEEN. The QUEEN is represented by a smaller throne. THE HORSEMAN [KNIGHT] is represented by a horse. THE CHARIOT[ROOK] lost its identity with the game's introduction to the West. In Persia, the Sanskrit word for CHARIOT, 'RATHA', was twisted to become the word 'ROKH' , the name for powerful bird appearing in 'Tales of the Arabian Nights' as 'ROC', hence the English ROOK. THE ELEPHANT [BISHOP] is portrayed either with tusks or with two portrusions on top of the head. In English this piece is called the bishop because of its resemblance to a bishop's heeaddress. THE INFANTRY [PAWNS] defend the king, and they are the smallest and simplest pieces on the chess board. The early game was played on a board with 64 squares". Directions: Jerusalem, Museum for Islamic Art
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| | | | Outside the City: View of the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives | | | | | |
| | | | Outside the City: Lifta - the historic spring and wadi. | | | | | |
At the end of the Tel-Aviv highway, as you encounter the first major traffic light into Jerusalem, look left for Lifta- this is the way to find Lifta – a wadi centered around the ancient Mey Niftoach spring. North of the wadi lies the territory of the Benjamin tribe, to the south the territory of Judah. It is such an important location that in the book of Joshua it is mentioned as one of the reference points for the tribal boundaries. It is very easy to descend into the wadi, just start at the traffic light and go down the conspicuous spiraling walkway. The centerpiece of Lifta is a spring emerging from a cave and spilling into an ancient pool, and from there flowing as a brook into the valleys. To the both sides of the brook are the ruins of an Arab village abandoned in the early 50's after Israel has finally stopped Arabs attacking traffic on the Tel-Aviv highway. Arabs not only built on the ancient Hebrew names like Mey Niftoach, but also on ancient Hebrew ruins. You could see the mixture of Arab frescoed houses ruined and exposing a rich historical layer. You need at least several hours to explore the ruins and find millstones, winepresses, ancient columns. The wadi has a reward for anyone who goes down there in August-September-October - the multitude of fig trees bear a rich harvest of fruit. On hot august days the ancient pool is popular with men. Women rarely go to cool off in the water, being shy of the men to skinny dip. It is fun to explore the cave that is the actual spring. It would remind many of the walk through the the Siloan spring-cave south of the Old City, in the City of David. Walking in the water up to your ankles you will eventually get to the dead end from which issues the spring. You'll need a good flashlight to explore the cave. The climb back up and out of the wadi is the best aerobic exercise. Leave a Comment
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