Day 46-52: Days off in Nazareth, Nablus and Jordan
Days 46-52, April 14-20: Off in Nazareth/Nablus/Jordan. Samaritan sacrifice, ruins in Amman, uploaded pix, internet time.
During this time, I saw the Old Testament being acted out in real life in the form of the Samaritan Passover ceremony. I also made my tri-monthly visa renewal run to Jordan - you get a three-month stamp allowing you into Israel when you arrive, then you have to cross a border to get another. Every time I went to Jordan I was scared the Israelis randomly would decide not to let me back in, but it went smoothly every time. I always felt I was tapping into some supply of good luck that would one day run dry and abandon me to three days of interrogations and cavity searches.
If you're interested in the Samaritans, this might be a good place to start. Personally, I thought their little 700-strong remnant of ancient Israelite religion was the single most fascinating thing I saw in all my travels abroad.