The Biblical Zoo

You are the Lord, you alone;

You have made heaven, 

The heaven of heavens, with all their host, 

The earth and all that is on it,

The seas and all that is in them.  

To all of them you give life, 

And the host of heaven worships you.

Nehemiah 9:5-6

Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem

Let it be said that going to the zoo was not on my bucket list of things to do here in Israel/Palestine. I didn't even know there was one here. Since my sabbatical is all about unexpected discoveries, I responded enthusiastically when the Ralstons invited me to join them for a day at the Biblical Zoo on the outskirts of Jerusalem.  

The drive was easy. The zoo is only a few miles from where I live and involves a single checkpoint. Living on the Bethlehem side of the wall I forgot how different life is in Jerusalem. The streets are wider, the vegetation greener, and the signage is atrocious! I'm quite proud of myself for finding my way.  

The zoo is quite interesting. There is replica of the Noah's Ark, scripture references next to all the animal descriptions, and, of course, no pigs! Unclean animals are a no, no at a Jewish zoo! The setting is quite lovely, one of the few green spaces I've seen here. It was a visual relief from the stoney, scubby hills that surround Bethlehem.

Hamat Gadar in Galilee

Seeing the zoo from the perspective of a 2 year old is always inspiring. There is wonder and delight in recognizing and naming each animal one sees. Adele loves them all but professes a focused fondness for the crocodiles. I recommended the alligator park in Galilee - Hamat Gadar - where there are hundreds of these prehistoric beasts. I went there 4 years ago and to this day I can't quite figure out the Israeli fascination with this particular reptile. They certainly don't appeal to me.

Spider Monkey

We ended up at the children's zoo along with a handful of other international relief workers. On Friday afternoon, the zoo was fairly empty because many Israelis were getting ready for Shabbat. While Joshua and Adele engaged the animals at the petting zoo, Sarah and I got to talking about the formative role zoos play in child development. Adele's vocabulary and intellectual growth is stimulated by such field trips even though she may never remember this zoo years from now. We noted with sadness that many of the children in the West Bank don't have access to experiences like these. Many of Sarah's co-workers in Ramallah have never been to a zoo, the ocean, or to Jerusalem for that matter. Israeli law makes it impossible for them to get there. 

There is one small Palestinian zoo in the north-western part of the Palestinian Territorie in Qalqilya. Here the animals have thrived and suffered depending upon the political situation in the West Bank. As unintended victims of the Israeli suppression of the Palestinian Infatadas, some animals died from shell shock, bullets, and tear gas. Fortunately, the zoo is now seeing better days and the animals are thriving. Unfortunately, the trip from Bethlehem to Qalqilya is well over 3 hours each way for a Palestinian and involves multiple check points, a few that are not always open. For someone like me, who can navigate freely in Israel, it would take less than an hour to reach this particular zoo.   

Persian Leopard

So it got me wondering, had Iyad's children ever been to a zoo? The trip to Qalqilya is arduous and I assumed that the kids would not have had access to the Israeli zoo, When I asked Iyad about it, he told me that in the past year, the Israelis had loosened their grip (just a bit) on mobility restrictions for Palestinians during their high holy days. For Palestinians, entrance into Israel requires a special permit. For the first time in a long time, the government was generous in granting these precious passes. So last Easter, the family made their pilgrimage to the Biblical Zoo. Just like Adele, his kids enjoyed all the animals and celebrated the wonder of God's good creation.  

For me this symbolizes a resurrection of sorts, unexpected life where freedom was presumed dead. Were these uncharacteristic permits a reflection of the increased stability in the region? A slight change in Israel's approach to the Palestinians? A simple gesture? Whatever the complex set of motivations might be, I choose to see them as hospitable graces from God. Yes, I readily acknowledge that this is a small liberty in light of the ongoing constriction of occupation but this is still a gracious gift nonetheless. It reminded me that in the end, nothing can silence creation's chorus when praise is composed with wonder and awe. Nothing and no one. Not governments, not checkpoints, not hate, not conflict. As Nehemiah reminds us, we all will join this celestial celebration, praising God for all of what God has made. . . .  by whatever means is available. Baraka!

Noah's ark!