When we leave the church with its mosaic and jugs, Sol glowers at us in the rearview mirror. "You see the place of a miracle, but most miracles is not miracles. As I tell you, Galilee is not a Sea, the Dead Sea is not dead, and the Red Sea is not red. It should not be translated 'Red' at all but 'Reed.' Because of the rushes that grow there. When Moses is crossing the sea, he is
parting the reeds, not the water. Then the rains come, and the reeds turn into a swamp, and the soldiers of the Pharaoh is getting stuck in the mud and drowned."
parting the reeds, not the water. Then the rains come, and the reeds turn into a swamp, and the soldiers of the Pharaoh is getting stuck in the mud and drowned."
He passes a Lexus without glancing at it. "People is always getting things wrong."
"What about manna?" Elizabeth prompts over her guidebook. "Isn't that a true miracle?"
"Naw," Sol repeats with disgust. "Manna is from nature. In the desert where Moses is leading the people, there is a certain tree that has leafs to attract caterpillars. The caterpillars come to eat, and as they chew, their saliva drips on the plant. It dries to a white powder that can be collected and used for the meal to make the bread. But as soon as the sun comes out, the white powder evaporates. Each morning, it comes with the caterpillars, each sun-up it is gone, just like the Bible story says."
"So manna is really just caterpillar spit."
"What people want to be the miracle is no miracles at all. Here is the Mount of the Beatitudes. It is where Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount." He pulls into the parking lot with his usual alacrity and waves us from the van. "The church is built eight-sided."
"Octagonal," James supplies.
Sol doesn't look at him. "Eight-sided for the eight Beatitudes. The ninth Beatitude is etched on the ceiling." He gazes beyond us a second before he quotes, "'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.' I am telling you, this is where Christianity is going wrong. No one is getting
anything by waiting for the hand-out. That is where the Muslims is like the ancient Christians. Wanting something for nothing."
anything by waiting for the hand-out. That is where the Muslims is like the ancient Christians. Wanting something for nothing."
A mass is being conducted in the shade of the olive trees on the path to the octagonal church, and a nun in a black habit frowns at Sol and puts her finger over her lips.
Sol merely looks at her coldly and continues in his loud, accented English. "The Germans have the charge of the church before World War I, but when they lose that war, the Italians take over. They are here ever since, and Mussolini gives the money to build the church that you see."
We dutifully look where he points.
"The Italian fathers who run the church don't want the tourists to know about Mussolini. They deny that the funds comes from the fascist dictator, but I am telling you. It is the fact. The money for this fme church to celebrate the meek and the peacemakers don't come from nobody but Mussolini."
