Egypt Trip... my final adventure!

On Saturday my roommate Laura and I woke up to the sound of our alarms at 4:45 AM and looked over at the empty bed of our third roommate who had already made her way to the states. We scuffled out of bed brushed out teeth and headed down the path to the bus stop to catch our ride to the Egyptian border. We were so exhausted! We drove several hours from Jerusalem to the border along the Dead Sea and failed in our many attempted to recapture some sleep. After going through the entertaining ordeal of crossing the Egyptian/Israeli border we stopped along the Red Sea to go swimming! It was so much fun! Then we hopped back in our Egyptian bus to drive through the Sinai where Laura and I read the Exodus story of Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. I was amazing to read it and see where it took place! It never ceases to amaze me. When we arrived in Cairo it was dinner time. We were all so hungry and were excited to find out that dinner was on a boat on the Nile! Incredible! Then we went to the Pharaoh's Hotel to rest our heads... but sleep again did not last long. It was pyramid day! We got up and went to the red pyramid where we climbed in! We climbed up the side then down into the pyramid. In the middle there was very little oxygen and it smelled like death! It was a blast... lol... Then we explored some other pyramids and statues, then finally we ended the day with the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. It was pretty rad! I was bummed that it was so late when we got there because I was hoping to ride a horse in the desert and run... but hey, I got to climb inside a pyramid! It was awesome! Then on Monday we went to another tel, the Egypt museum and then drove around Memphis then hopped on the orient express sleeper train to Aswon. The Egypt museum had lots of cool archaeological finds and a room specifically filled with mummies of Pharaohs! It was awesome! On Tuesday in Aswon we took a boat ride on the Nile, rode Camels in the Sahara, and went to a village to play with children! It was a blast! The hotel that night was amazing!!! And the next morning was my birthday! I turned 21 in Egypt! It was so exciting! That was temple day! We drove up to Luxor and went to the Horus Temple, the temple on the lake, Karak Temple, and several others. on Thursday we went to more temples of Ramses and Hatshepsut. We also went to the valley of the kings where many famous pharaohs are buried. There we got to see King Tut in his tomb. Pretty cool! That night we went to the market which was fun too! Then on Friday night we stayed in the orient express again and ended back up in cairo. We drove out to the SInai again and hopped on some jeeps and drove through the desert, had lunch with a bedouin family and then hiked up a hill to see the temple to Hathor. It was a blast! We drove that night to the base of Mt. Sinai. We only slept for about 3 hrs and woke up at 2:30 AM to climb Mt. Sinai! I climbed a mountain! It was probably the hardest thing I had ever done but I am so proud of myself! The sunrise was incredible! The hike is rough and high but it was worth it! After climbing we went on our way back to school where I am now! And tomorrow night I am going back home to california! Ere go, this is my very last entry regarding trips. I might try to close it with another entry but for now, this is it. Blessings and smiles on you and I hope to see you all soon! :)

Done with classes!

I just got out of my last final. It was probably the most difficult final I have ever taken in my life. I have studied over the last three weeks for a total of about 35 hours. It pushed me to the limit but also let me know exactly what I was capable of. Now, all I have left is to go to Egypt and come home! I will write one last time before I head home. :)

Archaeology and the Temple Mount

Today I went to Dr. Barkay's sifting project. It is a project that is going through the Temple Mount remains trying to find things from the temple. My roommate Megan and I found a couple of really interesting things! Right off the bat Megan found a coin, then later on I found a couple bones from sacrifices done on the mount. It was really cool! I will post pictures very soon!

Random fact of the day...

It has been 4 1/2 months since I first wrote in this blog. I can't believe it has been that long. I feel like a completely different person.

I will.... only 2 more weeks from today!

I'll be home for Christmas

You can count on me

Please have snow (or lots of rain) and mistletoe

And presents under the tree

Christmas eve will find me

where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

Christmas eve will find me

where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

Everything I know about archeology... and would ever care to know.

The process of growth that humans go through from the Chalcolithic times to the Iron Age is astounding. This paper is an attempt to summarize the transitions through archaeological studies of finds including art, pottery, settlements, burials, and weapons. I will begin with the Calcholithic period and work through the other periods until the Iron Age. The Chalcolithic time period is from 5000-3100 BC. There were several finds that included art of the Chalcolithic time. Many of the finds during this time period were influenced by their values. The Chalcolithic people valued life and fertility which were depicted by large noses and accentuated breasts. First is Telleilat Ghassul on the Coast of the Red Sea. There, in the 1920’s while some Jesuit monks were digging they found several paintings including one of a red, black, and yellow 8 pointed star, and another of a blue bird. . In 1950 at Beer Sheva there was a great discovery of what was later named the Beer Sheva Venus. It is a sculpture of a woman with a large nose and breasts. In 1960’s there was a huge rush to the area of Qumran because of the remarkable findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Through the wadi systems helicopters ventured to look inside caves on the sides of the wadis. In one of these caves they found some pottery of the Chalcolithic time period. Tools of the Calcholithic time period were made up of flint. At Nahal Mishmar there were over 400 flint tools found including some spear heads. This was a very important find because until that point not many tools and weapons were found from Chalcolithic time. In Nahal Qama there are several natural caves which were used as living spaces during the Chalcolithic time. In one of these caves there were several copper rings discovered. The rings, being unfitting for any type of jewelry, were concluded to be means of exchange. In Gilat there was found a figurine of a woman holding a butter churn. The woman’s breasts and nose were both accentuated. They also found cultic objects inside a temple there. The objects were violin shaped with a nose and breasts supposedly depicting some kind of fertility God. Cultic objects and temples were also very big during this time. In the 1960’s at a dig in En Gedi a temple was found. It was a square temple with three offset rooms. In the middle of the temple was found a circular structure thought to maybe hold a tree of idol. In the room opposite of the entrance was an alter. In the 1970’s in the Golan Heights Epstein and later Kathleen Kenyon found alters with human faces carved into them they also found many ossuaries. More ossuaries were also found in the Judean Wilderness. Other burials that were found include Nawamis which had Sinai burials, Shalahim were they found round burial structures as well as in Piqmim by Thomas Levy. In Thomas Levy’s article entitled Chalcolithic he describes these burial structures as all facing one direction. They were made of stones and built up from the ground. They can be seen now through areal photography. They also found depictions of humans with animal masks. Later on in Hadera in 1936 some homeowners were digging for the foundations of their homes and came across some remarkable finds. There they discovered some box ossuaries the length of the human femur. They looked like long barns with a hold in the front just large enough to put a skull through and a nose protruding from the top of the hole. Many of these ossuaries found in this time period were studied by J. Perrot. The living areas of the Chalcolithic time were very distinguishable as well. In the Golan Heights in the 1970’s Claire Epstein and later on Kathleen Kenyon did a dig in which broad houses were discovered. These houses were rectangular and joined to another on the shorter side to form a train. The doors of the homes were on the long side as the maintain circulation within the room. Earlier in 1909 Parker dug at the City of David where he found cave dwellings like those near Qumran and Nahal Qama. He was able to identify the time period by the potter in the caves.
The next time period to be studied is the Early Bronze Age I which spans 3100-2950. This time period can be distinguished by the pottery. The pottery of the time was of both a gray and shiney red varnish. There were several instances in which pottery could be dated because of inscriptions. In both Arad, where Ruth Amiran dug, and Tel Erami, which was studied in the 1960’s by Albright, there were finds of potter with the name Nar Mer, an Eqyptian ruler during the time of the EBI. Some of the pottery, as described by Miss Amiran, had a “painted rim” and on the larger bowls there were “stripes along the side of the lower center”. During this point in history there was not much concern for art like there had been before in the Chalcolithic time period. People did however concern themselves with urbanization. This was a luxury they were able to obtain because of the invention of the plow. The plow allowed for organized agriculture which allowed for more stable living. The cities like the one discovered in Bab-ed-Dra in 1924 by Albright were very well built. Lapp also dug at Bab-ed-Dra in the 1960’s where he found some interesting sideways “u” shaped burials with pottery in strata 0. The houses of the EBI are called apsidal houses. They are shaped much like a Chalcolithic butter churn in that they are flat on one side and rounded on the other. These houses were identified several times at Megiddo. In 1838 by Robinson in 1902-1905 they were studied by Shoemacher, and finally in 1925 by the University of Chicago. Tombs of this time period were mass burials which included pottery. At Beth Yerah, Albright was able to identify several of these types of tombs. Now, because of a school and other buildings the tombs are no longer visible. The weapons of the time were revolutionary. The epsilon axe was introduced. The epsilon axe was shaped like and epsilon with a wooden handle and stop to ensure cutting of the limbs with easy retrieval. They also used spearheads. Finds of these weapons were found in Jericho as Tel el Hesi by Bliss.
The third time period to be studied is the Early Bronze Age II which spans 2950-2650. The EBII was very much a continuation of EBI where there were great cities being built and fortified. During this time circular bastions were constructed to better protect these growing cities. Circular bastions serve as great protection because they allow the defenders to maintain sight and access to fight off their offenders. These bastions can be seen at Arad. At Eim Besor there was another dig done in the 1930’s by Krause-Marqait. There they found great mudbrick fortifications on top of stone foundations. At Tel Yarmuth Miroshegi, a French archaeologist dug and found walls 50 meters thick. They also found several important buildings within the city which spoke to the combined efforts of the community there. There was a palace, temples, and even an auditorium. Another building that was quite important to this period was the Arad house which was shaped as a square. The inside had benches all around and in the middle a circular pillar like structure. Connected to the side of the rectangle house was a kitchenette. These houses were not only found in Arad but also in Area E of Jerusalem.
Early Bronze Age III, which spans 2650-2350, continues this growing city phenomenon. At Beth Yerah there were several pottery shapes found by Albright including a horseshoe shape, a barrel, and even lids with perforations. The lids were quite revolutionary. The artwork of this time included ivory carvings which were also found a Beth Yerah, and jewelry like those found at Kinneret in the 1930’s. These golden jewelry items were found in the tombs of the area. Some important buildings of the time include the palace in Ebla which was discovered in 1970’s by Matie of the University of Rome. In this palace was one of the most extraordinary finds ever. Over 15,000 tablets were discovered that contained information regarding economic and administrative situations. Also at Beth Yerah Albright discovered a grainery. It was shaped much like the windmill across the Hinnem Valley.
The last of the Early Bronze Age stages was the EB IV (2350-2200) which consisted of the degeneration of the cities. This is why there is not much information regarding this time period. There is no real knowledge of why these cities degenerated. It could have been for a number of reasons including battles with Egypt which were described in Egypt Hieroglyphs, ecological problems, or internal problems such as poverty.
The Middle Bronze Age I is a time of reorganization of the urban lifestyle including culture and buildings. We can see this with several of the archaeological finds of the time including the fortifications and the homes. Several homes were found at Hazor in the 19th century by Porter, in 1928 by Garstang, and lastly in 1955 by Yadin. Megiddo was also dug in search of homes in 1925. The fortifications of this time period include glacis and ramparts. Glacis are earthen fortifications, many of which helped to shape the looks of the tell. In 1955 Yadin’s search at Hazor lead him to find Area C where there were remains of inner ramparts. Later on in the 1960’s he found more foundations for ramparts which were made up of both dirt and stone foundations. At Tel Batash, there were finds of square ramparts by Claremont Ganneau in the 19th century. Earthen fortifications were also found at Tel Bourga, Tel Massos, Lachish and Yavnah Yam.
The Middle Bronze Age IIa continued this cultural boom. This can be seen with the new gates being established, temples, palaces, inscriptions, and burials. The gates of this time were the Syrian gate. At Megiddo on level 12 of the dig was found a gate. Also at Dan which was dug by Biram in the 1980’s they found a Syrian gate with three tiers. At Ashkelon they also found a gate with three tiers. The inscriptions from this time are many. The Egyptian execration texts which are formed on pottery and figurines offer much insight to the MBIIa. Also, at Mari there were wall paintings and a king’s archive which led to even further information. At Hazor there were also clay tablets found. Some interesting stories come from the findings of the clay tablets in Hazor. For example, within the past few years there have been several school groups that have gone up to Hazor to study and while they were there a student actually found one just by dragging their feet around. Serabit el Khadem, dug in 1905 by Petrie and in 1915 by Gardner yielded some other interesting finds including a temple to Hathor with acrophonic writing. This spoke to the great amount of knowledge that was spreading at this time. In addition to texts, some oil lamps had been found at Naharia in the 1940’s by Ben Tor. These oil lamps look like covered bowls with holes on top for lights. Some cultic objects found at Tel Beth Mirsim by Albright in the 1920’s include an idol of a serpent goddess. Other cultic objects found include whole temples. At Hazor, there was a basalt temple found by Epstein in the 1950’s. At Tel Haror there were finds of mud bricks and sacrificial burial pits. At Megiddo on level X there was a temple found with a circular alter with steps. In addition to temples, some palaces were also found that lead back to this time including the Harrenhaus palace of Tel Beth Mirsim by Albright in the 1920’s, and a large residence in Ta’anakh found in the 1960’s by Lapp. The burials of the MBIIa period are mostly shaft graves. Two of these finds were discovered by Kenyon. In the late 1950’s she discovered the graves of Jericho and later in the 1960’s she discovered the graves near Silwon village of Jerusalem. During this time horses were also domesticated and buried with people. This can be seen at Shiqmona, Tel ed-Daba, Tel Haror, and Tel el-Ajjul.
After the MBIIa period came the MBIIbc period. This was distinguished by the delicate pottery found at many of the sites which calls to the significance of the pottery wheel. This distinct potter type was easily recognized by Beck at Aphek. Petrie also found some of this pottery at Tel Yahudiya. The pottery he found there was a combination of gray, black and brown. Later on Garstang dug there and made a remarkable discovery of some pottery with faces molded into their bodies. The faces had large chins, eyes, and ears. Clay moldings were also popular at this time including pottery like a clay fish found at Tel Poleg. The weapons of this period also spoke to the refinement of the times. They were beginning to evolve the previously mentioned epsilon ax into what would now be called the duck bill ax which can be found at both Mari and Tel el-Daba. There were also palaces of this time which can be seen at Aphek.

Some exciting news...

1) Last night Teresa's uncle took us out to dinner at this amazing restaurant!

2) I just finished my first final exam of the semester 3 more to go!

3)I come home in 17 days!

4)Last night I made centerpieces for our tables for Thanksgiving dinner tonight!

5) I have been making about 5 charts a day writing everything I have learned about Archeology from the Chalcolithic Period to the Middle Bronze Age (I, IIa, IIbc). My brain hurts terribly but I am determined to conquer the Archeology exam of death! There is a guy here who basically told me I wouldn't do well so I am determined to prove him wrong. He is not a nice guy.

6) My birthday is in 13 days!

7) I go to Egypt in 9 Days!

8) I carry around these stupid study note cards for Archeology everywhere. I even sleep with them nearby.

9) I have translated the first chapter of the book of Ruth from Hebrew to English.

10) I am going to be done with 3/4 of my finals by Tuesday!

11) I am going to know more than most archaeologists by the time I am done with my final.

12) I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving back home!

More links to more pictures... just copy and paste.. and then enjoy! :)

Galilee:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014891&l=e35c3&id=176801233

Jordan:

Days 1 &2

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015272&l=9defd&id=176801233

Days 3&4

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015274&l=86056&id=176801233

This morning..

I have been making a real effort to get out on my own to feel a little more independent and free. This morning I woke up around seven, had breakfast, and walked to the Dormition Abbey. When I got there I went down into the crypt, which has incredible acoustics, and sang for a little bit. Then I made my way to the coffee shop and ordered a hot cocoa and sat down in the outdoor seating area and did some homework. Afterward I got up and went back into the sanctuary to read the book of 1 Kings. It was amazing to be able to read the book and visualize everything that was happening because of the places I had seen. It was absolutely incredible! I loved it!

I am so excited to come home in 3 1/2 weeks to Christmas music, family, and familiarity. It will be nice to be able to hop in my car and go for a drive. It will be glorious!

Jordan Day Dalet

The last day of our field study I woke up sick as a dog. Third world country disease if you know what I mean. I mustered up enough energy through medicine to go to our first stop at Karak. Karak castly from the Crusader period was built right on top of the ancient site of Kir. Kir was directly across the Dead Sea from Masada. It was a very strategic in location because it was high up and had several hidden routes in order to surprise an enemy. Karak castle is where the movie Kingdom of Heaven was filmed. There were some interesting stories that came with the castle. One includes the soldiers not having enough rations so they gave their wives over to the Muslims because they knew they would have mercy on the women. After Karak we went over to another lookout to see the Arnon Canyon. The Arnon was also very impressive, I just wish I was not so sick at the time so I might enjoy it more. After the lookout we traveled to Dibon on the Medeba Plateau. There, there were connections to the Dead Sea. Dibon is mentioned in several boundry lists when discussing the area in the Bible. The Mesha Stella was also found there. After Dibon we drove to the modern city of Madaba where we went to see the Medeba Map. The Medeba Map is quite impressive. It was made more than a thousand years ago and was comprehensive of the entire Southern Levant until people started picking at it and broke apart the mosaic. Now it only shows parts of Israel. Our last stop of our last field study of the semester was spent at Mt. Nebo where Moses died after looking into the Promised Land. Coming to the top of the mountain and looking out over the Rift Valley, Dead Sea, Jericho (right across the valley), the Mount of Olives, the hills leading to the Sea of Galilee, and Samaria. What a way to end the semester! We then read the story in the Bible and shared with each other our journeys this semester. The desert if u will. And now, at the end of the semester we are to enter into our Promised Land. I know I have changed tremendously. When we shared with each other and lookout out upon the same view that Moses had behold so many years ago I couldn’t help but cry. God had brought me so far. He brought me to the realization of my true call. He brought me to understanding more about myself. He made me fall in love with His word all over again. He has taught me that worrying truly does not get you anywhere. He taught me to rely on Him and has brought me to realize that I really have nothing outside of Him. He is everything. Everything I need and more. He is a God of impossible situations. He is a God of His promises. He is a God of grace and greatness. He is a God of majesty. And He completely blows my mind!  This has definitely been one of the most difficult times of my life. I had to leave a huge passion at home. I left family and friends that I have not seen now for almost 8 months. I have without a doubt been in the wilderness. I have been through a spiritual journey that I never anticipated and it took me through some times of war, some times of peace, and has made me realize that joy can be found in both. God is a God of joy. He wants us to enjoy Him. That’s why we were created, so we could enjoy Him and all that He has given us here on earth. Although my stomach is still not feeling well even as I write this I look forward to waking up and hearing God’s delight in telling me “Bonjiourno Principessa!”

Jordan Day Gimmel

Day three started out at Petra which was absolutely incredible! It is probably best known for the Indiana Jones movie. It was incredible to see the treasury and to see all the others buildings the Nabateans had built. The Nabateans were a people group back from 300 BC to about 300 AD. There are no known living Nabateans now. They were a group that are famous for their desert cities which were check points along the trade routes from Arabia to Gaza. They are the only known group to ever conquer the desert back then. No one else would attempt it. They were able to harness water in ways not even understood today. Because of this they were tremendously wealthy. That is why the treasury was built. The architecture they get is from all over including Egypt, Rome, etc… Because of their travels they were able to understand these architectural wonders and recreate them all in their cities like Petra. Another Nabatean city I visited earlier in the semester was Avdat. They were an incredibly brilliant people. My friend Teresa and I rode donkeys up to the high place where the Nabateans used to do Sacrifices. We took some fun pictures “sacrificing” each other up on the alter. The high place had some amazing views of Petra, both the ancient and the modern city. It was unbelievable to see how many buildings there really were. Those Nabateans were pretty busy! Their dwellings not only line the bottoms of the canyons, they go all the way up to the tops of the canyons. At Petra there was also a great theater that they had built. The tremendous wealth of the city at that time astounds me! Teresa and I also went inside several caves and public buildings of the ancient site, one of which had amazing acoustics so we sang in there for about 10 minutes. It was so much fun! After that we took the bus to a lookout at the Wadi Dana which was another access point from the Negev to the Rift Valley. It was beautiful to see the canyon in the haze leading out away from us. Then we continued our journey to Bozrah where there were many local children surrounding us, putting scorpions in our faces and being giggly not having seen white people very many times in their lives. Bozrah is located on Cenomanian limestone with high steep hills. There was lots of terracing done in this area as well. It was one of the gateways to the Rift Valley. In Ancient times as described in Obadiah, Bozrah was a city that was pretty haughty about their location and city. They would boast that they were better than Jerusalem, God’s city. And because of that they could be a little more self sufficient. For this, Obadiah spoke out against them. The way the city was built was much like Jerusalem as well. The Temple and Palace were established at the side that was not naturally fortified and the hills surrounded the rest of the city.

Jordan Day Bet

Today was probably in the top 10 days of my life! We started out the day at Amman/Ramah/Philadelphia where we went to an Archeological Museum and walked around a temple to Zeus. The site was fairly large with a palace and an ancient city. Amman is surrounded by springs which provided the area with a good supply of water. The Terrain is hilly with senonian chalk making up most of the geology. Because senonian is not ideal for agriculture, so they were mostly made of shepherds and were well connected with the rest of the Medeba Plateau in order to maintain rations. This was where the war was taking place during David’s reign when he say Bathsheba bathing on her roof. My friend Robert and I walked around and took goofy pictures of each other, kinda like the pictures you take at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Next we went to Jerash which is known as the city of a thousand pillars, the largest Roman remains outside of Rome. There we walked around and explored. There were some very impressive remains there including several beautifully well preserved mosaic floors, and a roundabout looking thing surrounded with columns. The main cardo of the city was most impressive with its great columns and remains of marketplaces. The theaters were also really neat! Two men there played the bagpipes and drums so some of our group got up and danced together. It was great fun! Then Cyndi, my professor, and I played telephone with the great acoustics of the stadiums seats. It was pretty fun! There were also impressive remains of Temples to Artemis and Zeus. Then the most amazing thing happened. After lunch Laura and I were walkig back to the bus past the hippodrome, the ancient place where they would race horses and low and behold there were horses there. I asked the man if I could pet the horse, then if I could ride, to which the guy replied no, but then my friend Matt told him that I was an expert, so the guy said, “oh okay.” I got to ride a horse in a 2000 year old hippodrome! It was incredible! The horse’s name was Amad. He was a tiny little bay pony with a lot of attitude. It was an incredible blessing to be able to really ride and what an amazing opportunity to do it where I did it! It absolutely blew my mind! After Jerash we went to the Jabbok River which was quite brown and disgusting. There we talked about when Jacob ran from Esau. And the process Jacob went through when God changed his name to Israel. I love how God restores our identities when we mess up and it is amazing that he chooses to do such things because that is truly when He is truly glorified! Finally we ended the day at Tyrus where Tobias, one of Alexander the Great’s generals had a palace. Our professor didn’t tell us where we were. We had to made educated guesses based on geography, the style of the building remains and the building materials. It was a great building with lions carved in the large blocks and had great big rooms. It was strategically located by the Jabbok River, as well. From all of that and looking at a map we were able to guess correctly where we were.

Jordan Day Alef

Today has been one crazy day! We started out by crossing the Israeli/Jordanian border by Jericho. We took the Allenby bridge over the Jordan River and through the Rift Valley. We had to change buses at the border and in Jordan we met our tour guide whose name is Zafer. He was pretty hilarious. He graduated from Texas A&M and absolutely loves his school! It was funny. He explained a little about his nation and the government that is in place there. It was interesting to hear. Jordan has type of monarchy in place. They have a King whose name is Hussein. That was interesting being somewhere with leadership having the name of Hussein. His son, the crowned prince is Abdullah. Abdullah is very much well loved by his country, mostly because of his beautiful wife the princess. Their pictures are literally plastered everyone in Jordan! I thought it was pretty funny that the prince looks quite a bit like my sister’s boyfriend, Easy. Abdullah just looks a little bit older. After the initial bus ride we ended up at a cut of the Jabbok Canyon. This was Tel Deir Allah, known in the Bible as Succoth. From this tel there was an easy access to Pella (Penuel) and excellent connections to the international trade routes by means of the King’s Highway. This tel is also located in prime agricultural territory which an be seen even today. There have been several digs at this location though it pretty much just looks like a big dirt mound today. In these digs, a temple and many Bronze items were found, as well as international goods. This proves two things: 1) the tel was established in the late Bronze age 2) it was very much in connection with international trade routes. There were also many stone and plaster inscriptions found in which the book of Numbers story in the Bible was described. It spoke of the Balaam story. Then after Succoth we were off to Pella/Penuel which was the second capital of the Samaritan region. This was the sister city to Scythopolis and has an excellent view of the Herod Valley. Pella has been settled for over 6000 years! There have been digs there continuously for tens of years and they still have not uncovered everything. Pella was strategic in location because of its connections with trade and the protective physical geography of the region. The next place we went to was Gadera, another Decapolis city. Here, a basilica was found from the Roman period, and statues of Royalty. We had excellent views of the Sea of Galilee and the Yarmuk Canyon. It was really a breathtaking view! The remains of Gadera were quite impressive with the columns and both the cardo and the decumanos. There was also found an octagonal church which usually constitutes some sort of memorial. Lastly we went to Ramoth Gilead which is on the road to Damascus in Syria. It was an important hinge for trade and described in 1 Kings 20. Nowadays the Tel of Ramoth Gilead is just a dirt mound. The remains are not too visible. We were there at sunset and when the moon was coming up it was incredibly big and bright red. It was beautiful!

Time..

I looked at my calendar this morning and realized that when I get back from Jordan this weekend I come home in exactly 4 weeks. Two weeks before finals, finals week, then Egypt for a week. It is going to fly by! I am so excited to be home again and see everyone that I miss so much! :) All that to say, with the impending busy-ness of finals, I probably will not write a whole lot after next week until December 7th-ish.

Leaving to Jordan in the Morning...

So tomorrow I leave for Jordan. I have mixed feelings about going. Don't get me wrong, I am terribly excited about the trip. I am just not looking forward to having a Jordanian soldier on our bus, a tour guide, and a bus driver whom all believe that women are incapable of teaching and learning. Not a fan.

Three months down one month to go. just some thoughts...

I can't believe how fast my time here has gone. It seems like yesterday that I left, but all the same I am ready to come home. I am ready to reunite with family and to be able to have a little more independence again. I can't even begin to explain how much I have grown and come to know about myself this semester. I have been stretched, challenged, and brought out of my comfort zone like never before. Before I left, my prayer was that God would completely have His way with me: with my education, with my heart, and with my worldview. That is definitely a dangerous prayer, I can assure you of that. My heart has been overwhelmed by the hurt and division that this part of the world experiences everyday. The prejudice, the hatred. It is incredible frustrating to see. The other day I played tourist and went around to museums including the David Citadel, The Burnt House, The Wohl, and went on the Ramparts Walk of the Old City. One thing had a significant impact on me. As I climbed to the tallest tower of the David Citadel I overlooked the Old City. I could see the Dome of the Rock, I could see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and I could see the Synagogues of the Jewish Quarter. Three Domes. Three Religions. Three worlds. Three prejudices. One God. I felt an overwhelming hopelessness. These three have divisions among themselves. Christianity can hardly agree on any one theology. And Jews and Arabs have divisions over religious and secular groups. And then as I look at a map of the world. Jerusalem is pretty much at the center. it is the border, this dichotomy, of Western and Eastern cultures. Everything is here.

Until I have lived here I have never realized the importance of reconciliation and the complex relationships that are in the world today. Everything seems to be a he said she said situation which only adds to the complexities. Then it grows into people taking sides which just leads to more resentment, more hatred. It is an incredibly vicious cycle and it all stems back to nothing but the fall of man. In our depravity we, for lack of a better phrase, suck at life. Throughout history we make huge mistakes by covering them up with bigger mistakes, then we elevate some cultures/people groups to the idea of infallible which creates more mistakes, more division, more prejudice, more hatred. The idea of us and them. It makes me sick to my stomach. literally.

one thing I can trust in... the only thing... is that God truly is sovereign. He is the one that holds the world together. One of the books that I read this semester was about how God aches for us to trust Him. He sees us making these mistakes, getting hurt and hurting others, and trying to fix it in our own infallibility and I can't help but feel that His heart just breaks. An image that keeps coming to my mind is the idea of a child - a prodigal son if you will - your child leaves and does horribly destructive things to themselves, your other children, and others outside of your family. You look upon them with the hope of reconciliation. You ache for them to come back to you so that you could help them change. You watch them slowly destroy their self image, their hope of returning to you. How would you feel as that parent? The child longs for your tender words of encouragement, but is afraid of returning because of being reprimanded. They wish so badly for you to help them. Now take those feelings that you have and multiply them by infinity. That is how much God aches over our reliance on Him. Our reliance for fulfillment in Him, for reconciliation with Him and others, our everything in Him.

Being here has given me such powerful image of what God is like with that prodigal child. Sometimes it takes being taken to a place where one can observe the complicated division and religious mindset in order to understand how simple it is. God aches for us. We try to fill our holes with things that do not satiate. God can fill that and wants to desperately. Let Him.

So Excited!

In a week and a half I am going to Jordan! Woohoo!

Galilee Day Dalet

I must start out by apologizing for my unorganized thoughts. It has been a long weekend!  Our final day of the Galilee field study was spent mostly in the Jezreel Valley area. We left En Gev and drove past Mt. Tabor over to Nazareth where the bus climbed the hill to the top where there is a lookout point. This lookout had a spectacular view of the entire Jezreel Valley and we were fortunate to be able to enjoy it almost rain free. When you look out upon the valley from the left to the right you see Mount Tabor, Hills of Moreh, Dothon Pass, Megiddo (some know it as Armageddon), the Megiddo pass, and finally off in the far distance to the right you can see Haifa which is along the coast. It was really neat to be able to put ourselves in the geographical location of Jesus’ childhood. Here Jesus was able to view so much of his Jewish history while playing on the rocks on the mountain with friends as a child. I think that is so neat! On the other side of Nazareth which is located on the Nazareth ridge was where we were on our first day of the field study. This other town is a likely location for Joseph to have worked at as a carpenter.
Then we drove over to Megiddo where there was a torrential downpour! It was starting to get pretty cold. It was really cool to see the tel and to learn about all the history that is contained in that single mound of dirt. The city has been rebuilt twenty four times after twenty four destructions. It is amazing! This is where Solomon, Ahab, and other kings had palaces. It is well known, however, especially for Solomon’s “stables”. It is said that Solomon had 450 horses here, though I don’t really believe it. The gate to the city that is showing is a late Bronze Age gate. It is typical for that time with its several protruding sides where soldiers would be able to hide out. This is where Thutmose from Egypt tried to attack the city. When he and his men were approaching the Jezreel Valley they got distracted by all the loot they could take from the fields and forgot to take advantage of the wide open gates of the unsuspecting city. So the people of Megiddo were able to shut the gates and protect themselves easily. Thutmose then had to wait seven months to take hold of the city again. Hearing this story made me chuckle to myself a little. Here is Thutmose this awesome leader with this advanced army from the Egypt and his soldiers get distracted? It brings a picture to my mind of puppies in a field that are all learning how to hunt but keep stumbling upon butterflies and become enthralled. Too funny!
Our day ended with Caesarea Maritime. This is the harbor that Herod built. This was his prized home because it was not around the Jews, so he could fulfill his Roman dreams. The city itself is extremely Roman in style and architecture as well as building purposes. There were lots of them created for entertainment such as the hippodrome and the theater. This is also where Paul would land when he came back from his missions across the Mediterranean as described in the book of Acts. He was once on trial here as well.

Galilee Day Gimmel

Monday’s field study explored the immediate region around the Galilee. We started our day at Hippus (Hebrew, Susita). There we explored through the Roman road and the other buildings made of Basalt. We also discussed the passage in Luke regarding the Prodigal Son. This passage in particular grabs at my heart each time. Growing up with a father that did not always show just how much he loved us in ways that I or my sister could understand, this passage blows my mind. The passion the father has for the son and in parallel the passion God has for us, his children, astounds me. Growing up not knowing God but going through moments that I can now look back on and distinctly see God calling me to Him, brings a vivid picture to my mind of this parable. It is very near and dear to my heart.
After Hippus we hopped on a boat and crossed the Galilee. It was incredible to be upon the water looking around the lake. It was interesting to learn about the different types of fishing and to compare them to the different disciple’s occupations. I enjoyed learning about that! Once we arrived on the other side of the lake, we entered in a place where parts of a 2000 year old boat were displayed.
Then we made our way to Karazim to see some more basalt ruins where we learned about the new homes that were being established at the time. They were known as Insula or Beth Av (Father’s House). There was a courtyard surrounded by rooms of the different family members who had gone to make families of their own. It was interesting. We also learned about the Synagogue there. It was a very elaborate building. There is something called the seat of Moses which I got to sit in. This is where the reader of the Torah selection for that time sat after the reading to discuss and exegete the passage.
After Korazim we traveled to Capernaum. Capernaum was amazing! This is Jesus’ hometown. Besides the rain, there were lots of interesting things there including the possible “house of Peter”, a Byzantine church, and a synagogue. This may be part of the same synagogue that Jesus preached in. The location of Capernaum is at the center of several cultures. This is remarkable because Jesus placed himself in a location ideal for interaction with all sorts of people, setting an example to his followers for the great commission.
Then we went over to the hill where the Sermon on the Mount was most likely given by Jesus. We walked along the hill and part way down and read aloud the passage in Matthew. It was amazing to be able to see Hippus and Magdala and think about the concepts of the salt and light. Jesus says we are to be like a light on a hill (like Hippus) and be the salt of the earth (Mgdala has a salt industry). It was very cool!
Finally, we went back to the cliffs of Arbel where I climbed down a cliff and hiked back up. I am terribly impressed with myself, especially since I am so afraid of heights.

Galilee Day Bet

Sunday was another amazing day of travel and sights! We started the day by going to Tel Dan where we saw some amazing things! It is such a beautiful place! There is a river than runs though it and everything around it is green. It was a refreshing change from the dryness of southern Israel. While there we stopped at Jeraboam’s palace and temple. It was interesting to see how big the alter was there and to discuss what exactly was the sin that Jeraboam has that is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. We also discussed the tribe of Dan and how they decided to settle this particular area because they did not enter into their true inheritance near the coast. Dan was not a bad place to settle though. They had more than enough water, more than enough land and good soil for agriculture. It was definitely a beautiful location. It reminded me a lot of the Stanislaus River back home. On our way out we stopped by the gate and talked about the different purposes of the gates. It amazes me how much activity went on at the gates. There really was so much that happened there. At this gate in particular there was a distinct alter type thing with decorative planters in which wooden poles holding a canopy would be placed. This is where the judgments of the city would happen. The king would hold hearings here and judge the people that came in to be judged.
After Dan we went to Caesarea Philipi which absolutely blew my mind. I was so impressed by it and thinking back on the conversation Jesus had with his disciples in Matthew was amazing. We looked up at where all these temples stood to all these Gods, the same ones Jesus looked at when he asked, “Who do you say I am”. I feel like God brings me to that every now and again. Something good in my life will happen and I will praise myself for the good job I have done an will often forget to praise the only one worthy of praise, God. He is so incredibly worthy and I shortchange Him every time, but he is gracious. Praise Him for that! It was nice also to be able to wander off while I was there and sit on the river and sing a song for Him, a song declaring who he is. He is God. Amen! Being there probably had the most impact on me.
After Caesarea we went over to Nimrod. The name cracks me up. But anyway, Nimrod was an old Crusader castle/fortress. It was really impressive! I had a blast exploring it and going through the secret passage ways and climbing to the tallest towers. That was so much fun!
Finally, we ended our day at the top of an extinct volcano in the Golan Heights. We could see into Syria and I was absolutely blown away by that! It was so cool! Also, we were able to climb through the trenches and bunkers of the hill from the 1967 war. It was amazing to go underground into the bunker and see where the soldiers slept and ate. There were even some plates left there. It was fun!

Galilee Day Aleph

Saturday’s field study followed the surrounding areas of the Jezreel Valley. We started out the day by going to Beth Shan. We walked by an amazing Roman Road made of basalt rock that is unique to this part of Israel. It has a rich black color. Beth Shan is the Old Testament City that guards the Herod Valley and River at the foot of the Rift Valley where the two meet up. This is where Saul and his sons were fleeing from the Moabites. Saul’s head was also displayed here thousands of years ago. Scythopolis is the New Testament city there. It is quite an impressive place. It is a very big and well built city. There was a large Roman Theater, a bathhouse, a cardo and a decumanos, and other great architectural wonders. There were even public toilets from the time. In Old Testament Beth Shan there was an occupation of Egyptians at one time in which a governor was put in place to oversee all happenings. At that time there was a mixture of both Pagan and Jewish practices. Scythopolis was one of the Decapolis cities and was the only one that extends that far west. This site reminded me a lot of Ephesus in Turkey, just on a smaller scale. Which makes sense because both were established in the same time period. It is also interesting because it is likely that Paul had also been if in the city, very close to it on his journey from Jerusalem to Damascus. After being in Beth Shan we made our way up to Mt. Gilboa. There was a really cool lookout there, but because of the rain, the glorious rain, is was a little difficult to see. This is where Saul’s camp was located when he fled and was killed by the Moabites as written in Judges six and seven. This is also where one of my favorite biblical stories happened. This is where Gideon was when God called him to fight. Gideon was in a winepress threshing grain while hiding. God calls out to him and calls him a mighty warrior. Here is Gideon, hiding, and scared, and God calls him a mighty warrior. God is so good about seeing us beyond what we see in ourselves. So God continues and calls Gideon to lead the army. Gideon, still scared, has thousands in his legion and hears the request of God to dwindle his legions, so he reduces several thousand, but then God requests him to give up even more. So Gideon fallows the requests of God and takes his men down to the stream to watch them drink. The ones that drank with their hands at their mouths were the ones God chose to fight for Him. This number was 300. That’s it! From thousands down the three hundred! So Gideon continues to assemble the 300 and goes to fight. His opposite has an innumerable amount of camels, let alone men, so needless to say, Gideon was a little overwhelmed. But God had a method to His madness, as He always does. He was reducing Gideon’s army to a number in which they could attribute the victory to no one but God. God was going to deliver the enemies into Gideon’s hands. The transformation of Gideon throughout the story is also quite notable. Gideon goes from being a timid and scared guy to the leader of God’s army. He even says in his battle cry “Follow Me”! He doesn’t say alright guys lets hope for the best, or even charge, he says follow me because of this new found confidence God was able to instill in him. It is such an amazing story of God’s awesome power, and the delight he takes in his children.
Impression Report #2
Galilee Day 2

Sunday was another amazing day of travel and sights! We started the day by going to Tel Dan where we saw some amazing things! It is such a beautiful place! There is a river than runs though it and everything around it is green. It was a refreshing change from the dryness of southern Israel. While there we stopped at Jeraboam’s palace and temple. It was interesting to see how big the alter was there and to discuss what exactly was the sin that Jeraboam has that is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. We also discussed the tribe of Dan and how they decided to settle this particular area because they did not enter into their true inheritance near the coast. Dan was not a bad place to settle though. They had more than enough water, more than enough land and good soil for agriculture. It was definitely a beautiful location. It reminded me a lot of the Stanislaus River back home. On our way out we stopped by the gate and talked about the different purposes of the gates. It amazes me how much activity went on at the gates. There really was so much that happened there. At this gate in particular there was a distinct alter type thing with decorative planters in which wooden poles holding a canopy would be placed. This is where the judgments of the city would happen. The king would hold hearings here and judge the people that came in to be judged.
After Dan we went to Caesarea Philipi which absolutely blew my mind. I was so impressed by it and thinking back on the conversation Jesus had with his disciples in Matthew was amazing. We looked up at where all these temples stood to all these Gods, the same ones Jesus looked at when he asked, “Who do you say I am”. I feel like God brings me to that every now and again. Something good in my life will happen and I will praise myself for the good job I have done an will often forget to praise the only one worthy of praise, God. He is so incredibly worthy and I shortchange Him every time, but he is gracious. Praise Him for that! It was nice also to be able to wander off while I was there and sit on the river and sing a song for Him, a song declaring who he is. He is God. Amen! Being there probably had the most impact on me.
After Caesarea we went over to Nimrod. The name cracks me up. But anyway, Nimrod was an old Crusader castle/fortress. It was really impressive! I had a blast exploring it and going through the secret passage ways and climbing to the tallest towers. That was so much fun!
Finally, we ended our day at the top of an extinct volcano in the Golan Heights. We could see into Syria and I was absolutely blown away by that! It was so cool! Also, we were able to climb through the trenches and bunkers of the hill from the 1967 war. It was amazing to go underground into the bunker and see where the soldiers slept and ate. There were even some plates left there. It was fun!

3 months!

It has been three months since I first wrote in this blog. It is truly amazing all that can happen in three months!

Care Package!

Thanks Cathy, Dad, Mom, and Rick for the care package! I have some funny stories to tell you about the DHL guy trying to find the school!

More links to more pictures... just copy and paste.. and then enjoy! :)

Garden Tomb/ Walk around the Old City Pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014567&l=f6d3e&id=176801233

Negev Pictures Part Alef

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014647&l=04780&id=176801233

Negev Pictures Part Bet

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014668&l=7cf89&id=176801233

Negev Pictures Part Gimmel

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014669&l=4fd5d&id=176801233

Negev Part Gimmel

This field study was by far the most fun and the most exhausting! We got up early to get on the road and drive to the base of Masada. Once we got there we began to climb. It was nice to have already hiked up that wadi beforehand, because after that Wadi, this seemed like it wasn’t going to be a big deal. We hiked up the Roman Siege ramp. It was really cool to be able to see where the camps had been that surrounded Masada. I was asking my professor about how a siege ramp would be built and why the Israelites at the top of Masada did nothing about it. I had this picture in my mind of Monty Python and the Holy Grail of the Israelites taunting the Romans while they were building the ramps tell them that their “mothers were hamsters and their fathers smelled of elderberries.” I didn’t understand why the Israelites would let the Romans build a ramp in the first place. But then my professor said that it was because the Romans most likely used slaves to build the ramps and their slaves were Israelites. So, the Israelites at Masada would and could not do anything to the people building the ramp because they were their brothers, cousins, fathers, etc… Masada was amazing and reading the stories of Josephus at the top was incredible. Josephus writes a story of the Jews living at Masada knowing that the siege was coming and they could not do anything about it. So they had a meeting and the leader of the group decided that it would be better to die than have the Romans steel the wives and children violently and kill the men, so the men had to kill their wives and children and then kill themselves and burn everything that could be looted by the soldiers. Josephus painted the people of Masada as these valiant Jews. You may wonder, well, how did Josephus get the story if everyone died? Well, it was said that a few women and children survived and told the story to the soldiers who came up to siege. After exploring the cisterns and palaces of Masada, it was time to climb down the other side of the cliff. Holy Toledo Cow! It was forever down. But amazing! Then we went to the Dead Sea to go swimming! It was one thing I was looking so forward to! The Dead Sea is super slimy and gross and you are so darn buoyant. It is like you are surrounded by life jackets. It is really funny because you can’t really control our body. You randomly roll over and have a hard time keeping your balance. I really don’t recommend tasting the water. I did it a few times because it splashed on to my face. The water is so salty and nasty and minerally (I don’t think that’s an actual word, but go with me on this one). It is disgusting! And it burns. Ouch! After that we went across the highway to En Gedi springs. This was absolutely beautiful! There were waterfalls and gorgeous pools of fresh water where we hiked up to and went swimming! It was amazing! It is so cool because they are surrounded by desert wilderness, but wherever the water mist hits is green. So beautiful! After the springs we went over to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It was a pretty neat place and so awesome to see the different caves where they were found. Then we climbed (because that is what we do) up a rock crag to the top to hang out and take pictures. It was a blast! It was really hard… and my pants ripped on the sharp rock on the inseam near my knee, but it was fun!

Negev Field Study Part Bet

Sunday was another busy but incredible day! My roommates and I got up around 5 before the sunrise, got ready quickly, and walked out to the Maqtesh, which is like the Israeli equivalent to the Grand Canyon. We watched the sun come up slowly, first peaking over the other side of the crater, then continuing up to show the glory of God and his might. It was amazing! After going back to the hostel for breakfast our class went back out to the Maqtesh and shared in different ways how it reminded us of God. I was so blessed by our conversation! It reminded me of a worship song that goes, “Your love it deep, your love is high, your love is long, your love is wide…. Your love is deeper than my view of grace, higher than this worldly place, longer than this road I’ve traveled, wider than the gap you’ve filled.” It was breathtaking! Then we got on the bus and went to Avdat. At Avdat the biblical city of Obodah, we learned about the Nabateans. The Nabateans were the only group in history to successfully live in the desert wilderness of Israel. The became a wealthy people because of this and built fortified cities along the spic route which only they were able to control and travel. Because of this spice route to Gaza from the Arabian Peninsula, they became very very rich and built cities like Petra our of the sandstone to house their money. We will be going there soon, as well. After Avdat we made our way to the Wadi Zin where we climbed up through a canyon! I climbed up a canyon! It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but it was a blast! The canyon was a part of a larger wadi system. It was formed by water erosion. While on the climb/hike we saw lots of Ibex along the ridge. They are so adorable! Once we finished our hike we drove to the tel Be’er Sheva which is where Abraham set up some of his camp when he came into Israel and dug 7 wells. None of the wells have been found yet. The Iron Age well (Iron Age = time of United Monarchy of Israel) was massively deep! We threw rocks into it and they took several seconds to hit the bottom. I think we counted 6 seconds. The wells in those times were social gatherings for single women. There are several bible stories in which men find wives at the well. These include Moses and Isaac. Then we went over to see a 4 room house. This was a typical home at the time. The size of the home is about 20 ft x 12 ft. The ENTIRE home! The rooms are about big enough to fit 2 people layng down. It consists of a back room, two guest rooms (which are called Inns) and a front room where the animal would normally be housed in the winter to keep the home warm. When Jesus was born, he was most likely born at the end of summer. This would mean that all of Joseph’s family would have been visiting in Bethlehem for the harvest and all the animals would have been out at pasture for the night. So, the guest rooms of the 4 bedroom homes would have been full of relatives and the front animal room would have been vacant because of the animals being gone. This is the most likely place that Jesus would have been born. Interesting, huh? After Be’er Sheva we went to Arad, where there is an exact replica of the first temple in Jerusalem, just on a smaller scale. It was really cool to be able to see that. One thing I thought was really interesting. At the time that the temple was built there was great confusion in the identity of God. It was commonly believed that God was a man and that he had a wife named Ashterah. This was confirmed by the two alters and pottery found in the area that contained both names.

Negev Part Alef

Field Study on Saturday went to Beth Shemesh, Azekah, Lachish, and to Ashkelon. Beth Shemesh was amazing for its views of Zorah and Eshtaol. Zorah was where Samson was born. Samson was born into a Jewish family and was raised up in the Nazarite Vow to become a judge. However, he chose to do something that few men would do, he married outside the tribe and family to a philistine woman, Delilah. Delilah lived around the bend of the Elah Valley at a Philistine village. It would not have been far for Samson to travel to have seen her. This was not a common practice at the time because the Israelites did not want their inheritances to be shared with other people groups, but Samson was determined. After Delilah betrayed him and handed him over to the Philistines, he died from a caved roof. He was then buried between Zorah and Eshtaol at the saddle of the mountain in the Elah Valley. Our next stop was Azekah. This is where the Philistine Army had a large fortress that held the Elah Valley. Elah Valley is where the Israelite army of Saul’s time was camped. This is the place where David fought Goliath! It blows my mind to think about the situation. Little David with great faith, and big foolish Goliath. Goliath was taunting God and the Israeilite army day after day and no one was stepping up to the plate. David was just bringing his brothers food from home and saw what was going on during his visit. He was disgusted that someone would speak out against his God and decided that he would be the one to do something about it. He did not fit into Saul’s armor, and realized, that putting it on just implied he was not trusting God, so he took it off and went to battle Goliath. As we read the story aloud and looked down upon the valley below us from Azekah I could see the story unfold. Something, this time, stuck out. Every person, it seems, has heard a David and Goliath sermon about faith. But it never really hit until I was standing there, literally. It says that David RAN toward Goliath. RAN! Can you believe it?! That is faith! No holding back, but instead barreling down toward his enemy knowing God has already taken care of it. Amen! Also at Azekah we climbed down into the caves in the area. We crawled through them. Scripture mentions that David would hide in the caves and would find booby traps in them. It was cool to see those traps. They were random holds along where you crawl so the enemy would fall into them to slow them in their pursuit. After climbing around in the caves we were able to see ancient Gath from the top of the hill which is where Goliath was born. The next site we visited was Lachish where the Assyrians and Israelites fought over the Shephelah or lowlands. This was vital to controlling the international trade of the Coastal Plains. It was so neat to be able to walk up the fortified city and see where a once great palace was, a wall, etc… It is funny how buildings deteriorate over time. Finally, we went to Ashkelon on the coast where the oldest arched gate can be found. It was built in the bronze age which is the same time as the patriarchs (Abraham/Isaac). It is remarkable that is was still there because it was made of mud brick. While we were there we were also able to dip our feet in the Mediterranean Sea. It was absolutely beautiful! It was really warm, too! One thing I forgot to mention that on one of our stops we say Roman Mile markers. They looked a lot like standing stones.

Jerualem on Yom Kippur

So, today is Yom Kippur or "the day of atonement" and everything is dead silent. All Jewish people today are fasting and resting and going to synagogue. It is crazy because they are not allowed to drive anywhere or shop or do anything productive so the entire city is silent. No cars are driving down the streets, no stores are open, nothing is going on. It is so strange that it is so quiet because normally we would be able to hear a billion (exaggeration) cars honking their horns outside (because that is what people do here... you think New York honking is bad... it has nothing on Jerusalem!). So it feels kinda eerie.

This coming weekend...

We are going to the Dead Sea to go swimming, so Megan and I prepared for it by having a Dead Sea mud mask party!

Ilene on the Lord...

During one of my first weeks Israel, I went to the book store at Christ Church, the only Protestant church in the Old City. Megan and I stopped to ask a lady there about some devotional books and she gladly showed us the section. Then I proceeded to ask her where she was from, her name, and just some trivial questions. She boldly replied with "my name is Ilene, you can remember that because 'I lean on the Lord'!" She cracked me up. Then we got to talking about why she was here in Israel. She felt God telling her to come to Jerusalem for this time in her life, and she obeyed. In 2005 her daughter passed away after going through a bout with an illness. As Ilene explained the situation to me, her eyes began to well up with tears and her voice quivered but you could see this hope that she had behind all of it. She had been carrying her daughter's ashes with her since she passed. She never let go. I can not even imagine how difficult something like that would be. She proceeded to tell me that she knew it was something for her to let go of, but she did not know how to. She did not think she ever could let go of it. She was torn until she went to the garden tomb North of the Old City. She was there, with her daughter's ashes, looked around, praying. A woman walked up to her and told her, "I feel pressed by God to tell you something." Ilene, knowing full well that her heart was in turmoil broke down in tears. The woman told her, "you are carrying something with you... and God wants you to know that it is okay to let it go". It is okay to let it go... those words as Ilene tole her story to me really hit me. I could relate. Hurts and frustrations... its okay.. God, the God of the universe says it is okay to let them go. Jesus wants to take them and release you from them. I started to tear up as Ilene continued. Right then as the woman spoke to her she brought out the ashes and spread them at the Garden Tomb. When she did there was a release that she had not felt in three years. Three years of pain, bondage, were being released in one cathartic experience. When Ilene delineated this part of her story she looked into my eyes and smiled. She gave a little giggle of freedom and knew that everything was already taken care of. God was in charge and everything was going to be ok. Ilene then went on to tell me more about her experiences here, the crankiness of the Muslim men during the days of Ramadan because of their fasting, her crazy roommate experiences in the hostels... all with such joy and delight. I got lost in her stories... she is such an incredibly beauiful woman. From then on, whenever I would go into the Old City I would stop by the book store to see her, give her a hug and hear more about her love for God and people. She blew my mind! :) Then, we started to run into eachother in other places too. Yesterday, my roommates and I went to the garden tomb and walked around the gardens. It is definitely not the place where Jesus was buried, but its foliage is incredible! Bright beautiful flowers, thick beautiful trees. A glimpse of Eden. We walked around and I took pictures, and as I went to one end, there was Ilene! We talked about the latest crazy hostel roommmates she had and she shared a vivid vision of the passion of the Christ to me, which made me well up with tears. I have learned so much from her, about caring for people, about passion, about love and freedom. Definitely a divine appointment, no other explanation.

Shopping in the New City...

Its expensive but so much fun! Teresa and I went to the Mamilla Mall in the new city and went shopping because I needed some winter-y clothes that I forgot to bring. eeks... We did not have a field study this weekend so we just hung out at school, Robert and I went to the Old City to take pictures and we tried to go up to the Dome of the Rock, but it was closed.

Shana Tovah and rain!

I believe I mentioned a few days ago that it was about a billion and a half degrees outside. That stinks. But I have beyond splendiferous news... The heavens opened up and released rain upon the land! The skies are clearer and the temperature is a lot more tollerable. The Jewish new year (which was just yesterday), Rosh Hashana marks the beginning of the agricultural calendar. These "early rains" are what prepares the soil and makes it prime for cultivation throughout the rest of the year. It is considered a blessing from God for His people who keep Torah.

Culture change: its a shocking experience

A professor of mine back at Vanguard talked about the process of culture shock. When you first arrive in a country up until about the 3rd or 4th week you are there, everything is new and exciting. Things you get to see and try seem like an adventure and it is very much honeymoon-esque. But just after that period of time is over you definitely feel a little homesick and the reality of your decision truly sets in. This is culture shock. The shock that nothing around you is quite familiar. There are not so many conveniences because you have not been brought up in this society. That is soooo true. After having been here in one city for a month and only having the option to get out of this one place when I am going to study is silightly frustrating. It is hard not to be able to just hop in the car and go somewhere or have the familiar stores that you can go to to get the everyday things you are used to. Such a bummer. But, I will tell you one thing is for sure: I will never take another Rite-Aid for granted. :)

Link to Pictures from Samaria Field Study

http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30432072&l=f8cb1&id=176801233

Sa-Maria? Hey, thats my name! Well... sort of.

On the Samaria Field study this Sunday, we explored the regions of Ephraim and Manasseh. We traveled to Shechem, Shiloh, and Mt. Gerazim. We started the day with a lookout that had views of some of the Hill Country, and the Rift Valley. Off to the left of our view we could see Alexandrium, another of Herod’s fortresses that controlled the Transjordan route by the Jordan River. ` I was so excited because the past two days had rained and we had an incredible view! I was also tickled that we were able to be a bit chilly and experience a few drops of rain during our lecture! When we looked down on the Rift Valley, we could see that parts of the land were lush and some quite dry. This is the land that Lot, the nephew of Abraham, chose. Back then, the river was not used to supply the entire country with water as it is now, so the valley was even more lush and beautiful. Our next stop led us to Elon Moreh, a radical Israeli settlement by Shechem. This settlement granted us permission to travel through their community in order to enjoy the views from the top of the mountain which we hiked, which allowed us to further our understanding of the physical geography of the land. From the top we could see the Oak of Moreh between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, Tirzah and the Wadi Faria. When the sky became especially clear between rainclouds we were able to see the range of Mt. Carmel. It was amazing! Such a spectacular view! The third place we went to was to the top of Mt. Gerizim to oversee the Salim Valley. At the top of this mountain is a Samaritan community that still practices very old Judaism. They believe only in the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible) and do not accept the prophets, poetry, or other narratives as a part of their religious writings. Not much of this community’s way of thinking and beliefs has changed in a few thousand years. Once we hiked to the top of the mountain, we could see the Oak of Moreh. This is nestled between the two hills. This is where Joshua explains the curses and blessings in Joshua 8. This is where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. This was yet another radical thing that Jesus did during His lifetime. The Samaritans have been notorious throughout Israeli history for being the group that one would want to avoid. When people traveled through the country, they would cut across to the east to get to the Rift Valley, then meander southward to the Ascent of Adumim and finally cut across to Jerusalem to return to the Patriarchal Highway. NO ONE wanted to go through Samaria. But Jesus… oh Jesus… he went straight through. You gotta love Him! If you ask a Samaritan, Mt. Gerizim is where Abraham brought Isaac to sacrifice, not Jerusalem. This has been a great debate between people. That is why Jesus says to the Samaritan woman that people must worship in spirit and truth, not in any specific location. The location whether it was on Mt. Gerizim or on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem, is completely irrelevant and misses the point of true worship. Our final place of study was Shiloh. Shiloh was a pretty neat place, aside from the rotting cow carcasses. This is where the Tabernacle that held the Ark of the Covenant was before the Ark was captured in war by the Philistines which is mentioned in 1 Samuel.

A link to some more pics from this past weekend!

http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30428847&l=1e444&id=176801233

This link coincides with the post about the Benjamin Gateway.

Dr. Gabi Barkay- the man who helped write history

I have to tell you all about my Archeology professor because he cracks me up. He is seriously brilliant. We have no textbook for our class because the man is a textbook. He knows everything... probably because he was there (his words, not mine). lol... Anyways, his wealth of knowledge is astounding and to top it all off he is so funny. After every point in his lecture he always says in his Hungarian-Jewish accent "Any questions, Any queries, any 'go to hell with your nonsense?" Its one of those things where you have to hear him say it because it is absolutely hilarious. Gabi has an amazing life story, as well. He was born in Hungary during WWII. He was on the train to Auschwitz with his family when a divine intervention occurred and the train was stopped. He never had to go. Then his family moved down to Italy where they were able to get on a ship and come to Israel. He has been here ever since. Because of his extensive traveling experience he can speak about five million different languages, well thats a gross exaggeration... but you get my point. He studied under a couple of the most famous Archaeologists of all time including Yadin, a renowned Biblical Archaeologist, and has met and dug with several other famous Archaeologists including Kathleen Kenyon and several others. Oh the stories this man tells about them. He is so blunt, its fantastic! :) I am so excited because in a few weeks I am going to be able to do a dig with him sifting through some remains of the Temple Mount. Ground that has not been touched for 2,000+ years! How insane is that!? I am so excited!

I will tell you all about it when it happens. :)

Shalom,

maria

In the news...

So, I am sure by now most of you have heard about the Palestinian man driving his car into a group of soldiers in th Old City. First, I want to let everyone know that I am fine and there is no need to worry! :) I wanted to give you all some background information on what exactly happened. Well, in their first year of mandatory service, Israeli soldiers travel the country visiting significant sites which obviously includes the Old City. The group was heading toward the Western Wall to mark Rosh Hashana (the new year). The group of soldiers everyone is hearing about is one of these touring groups. The group was not bombed, but instead ran into by a Palestinian driver, who was then killed by one of the soldiers and a police person in the group. Because the man is Arab (Palestinian) the attack is considered a terrorist attack.
This took place in the Old City between the Arab and Jewish Quarters, which is located about the middle of the Old City. My school is stationed at the end of the Jewish Quarter of the Old City on the edge of Mt. Zion. (Basically about 1/4-1/2 mile south of where this happened)Anyways, it is far enough away that I am fine. SO, (especially Mom and Dad) please do not worry. :)

Shalom,

Maria

Ben-Jammin'

Sunday’s field study explored the region covered by the tribe of Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin was one of the smallest tribes in Israel, however, because of its location it played a key role in many Biblical events. James Monson describes Israel as the land between and if we were to use that terminology to describe Benjamin, the region would be considered the land between the land between. It divides the Northern and Southern Arenas of the Southern Levant. The reason this region is key is not only because of its central location, but also that it controls many major highways including the Patriarchal Highway, the Ascent of Adumim ( which connects Jerusalem to Jericho), the Way of the Wilderness (which connects Ramah to Jericho), and the Beth-Horon and Kiriath Jearim routes (connecting Ramah to Gezer). In the morning of our study day we hiked down part of the Ascent of Adumim which was an old Roman road that had been paved over during British control. Most of the pavement was gone, so it was really neat to be able to explore the road and see how travel was during the time of the Romans. In Luke chapter 10 there is a passage that describes a person who had been robbed and left to die along the side of the road. Jesus delineates a Samaritan who helps this person as his neighbor and aids him in getting back on his own two feet. After having walked down this road, it is easy to understand the possibility of being surprised by robbers. The road twists and turns and it would not be difficult to be surprised by someone who was hiding around a corner.
After leaving the Roman Road we headed down into Jericho where we took a look at the New Testament Jericho. We went to the site of Herod’s Jericho Palace which straddled the Wadi Qilt. This was a very strategic place for Herod to have his palace because he controlled trade on the Ascent of Adumim to Jerusalem. This meant he was getting a ton of tax money. A New Testament narrative that takes place in Jericho is Luke 19:1-10 which tells a story of Jesus coming through the town and choosing to stay at a tax collectors house. This was a revolutionary idea because all of Jesus followers were upset that He would chose to stay at the home of someone who essentially steals their money. It was also a strategic place for Herod because it was a wealthy area for agriculture and since the Dead Sea is so close, it is a convenient place to harvest salt which was a wonderful preservative.
Once we finished discussing and exploring Herod’s Jericho Palace, we went over to the Old Testament Jericho Tell. A tell is an artificial mound that contains layers of civilization. This is the city that Joshua came and destroyed with his army after marching around seven times and giving a loud shout. At this location, there is also the oldest man made structure in the world. It is a tower dating back to 8000 BC, 10000 years ago! From Jericho, looking off to the North East, you can see where the Joshua’s camp at Gilgal was located. It was a lot closer than I thought it would have been.
Then we were off to Michmash, to have a view of the Emek. And then we traveled over to Nebi Samuel which contains of Byzantine Ruins, however we were there to look out and discuss the geography of the area. From that hill, you can see Gibeon, Gibeah, Ramah, Jerusalem, Mizpah, Beth Horon, and Kiriath Jearim. It is amazing to me how close everything is here. From one point you can see several significant cities. These cities, which are located on the Central Benjamin Plateau, are key for trade and travel. They sit on major highways and serve great purposes for protection, as well.
Finally, we went over towards the Mediterranean to hike to the top of Gezer. Gezer was a fortress for the protection and regulation of the Aijalon Valley. This is located in the Shephelah and is important because it controls the Coastal Highway as well as highways that are more inland.

My favorite part of the day was when we made our way to Gezer. After hiking up the hill we explored the top a little and had a lecture about some massive rocks that looked much like the stones at Stonehenge in the UK. Some scholars suggest that the stones are like those discussed in the Old Testament. Moses talked about creating stones and monuments

Cutting over to the Dome of the Rock

So... today Megan and I went over to the Dome of the ROck on the Temple Mount to walk around. It is absolutely unbelievable. There are about a million (gross exaggeration) soldiers around the area with very large guns. Only VERY intimidating. Megan and I enjoyed our time, nonetheless. We went up and touched the temple and quietly prayed over it, hoping that people would discover truth and that there would be peace. It is amazing to think that this patch of land is what more than 1/2 of the world's problems are coming from.

Megan and I were talking about a previous lecture we had with our professor and thought through the idea of what the Temple meant to the Jewish people during the time of David on through the time of Jesus. The Temple was where God chose to limit himself and confine himself in a building so that He could interact with the people He loved so much. How amazing is that!? The God who created the universe, the one who formed you and I in our mother's wombs, the same God who gave us breath and can take it out in the next second but chooses not to, the very God who showed Moses the burning bush - the fire that consumes but chooses not to, the God of Jacob, Abraham, and Isaac, the God of infinite miracles, the God that chose to come down to earth in flesh as Jesus Christ so that He may save the world from their sins. That is the God who chose to come and be limited to a building. It absolutely blows my mind!

You are probably wondering why I said I was "cutting" over to the Dome of the ROck.... well, sorry Mom, (and aren't you excited Christina!) I chopped my hair off last night! It was getting too hot here and I needed a change. I realized how much of my sense of beauty came from my hair and I needed to chop it off. And boy does it feel good!

God Bless!

The ups and downs of cemeteries.....

Well, I have 2 updates today...

The other day Laura and I were walking through the Old City and went into a church museum... We met a historian there by the name of Maureen. She is the sweetest little old British lady. Well, anyhoo, we told her we go to JUC and she got really excited because behind our school is the protestant cemetery. Since she is a protestant historian, she asked us if we could get her in through the school to see the cemetery and we gladly obliged. So, Laura and I got our own little private tour of the cemetery and historical facts about people such as the Biship Gobat, who was the one to build JUC back when it was a protestant school for Arab children. It was really neat! Then we went to the back of the cemetery to see the grave of Sir Flinders Petrie who was an acclaimed archaeologist in both Egypt and Israel. He is the one that introduced dating by pottery. Flinders was kinda nuts. He used to hang out in his archaeological digs wearing nothing but a pink tutu. He figured no one would bother him if they all thought he was loco. And they were correct. He also had some issues with humility. Before he died, he declared that his brain be studied for he knew it was far superior than any brain had been before. So, his head was severed from his body and sent back to England and his body remained here in Jerusalem. While his head was being examined in a room with other heads, there was an explosion and all the heads went rolling and it was not until recently that they found it and are now doing experiments with it.


Part bet: so Laura and I were walking around the city today... well, just down into the valley and back up to school and came to the conclusion that Jerusalem is unlike any other city in the world. My reason: in every other city, what goes up must come down.... in Jerusalem what goes down must come up. In summation, my legs are getting a workout each time we climb these stupidly huge hills! I never realized the possibilities of the statement feel the burn until I got to Israel.

Biblical Approaches to Jerusalem

On this field study, we started our day by going to the Hill of Evil Counsel to overlook the Old City, as well as, modern day Jerusalem. We identified the usual valleys and hills and took a moment to recognize the views from our location at the vista. From our position we could not only see the Old City and the identified hills and valleys, we could also see newer constructions such as “The Fence” of the West Bank. It was interesting to be able to see it following the outskirts of Jerusalem. It is amazing to think that separation devices like that still exist. It is really sad.
After a brief discussion and a short drive by the UN, we headed past Bethlehem to Herodium (aka The Herodion). This is where Herod the Great (the one ruling at the time of Jesus’ birth) had one of his many palaces. We climbed to the top of a thin but tall hill and were able to see Herod’s Tomb and the inside of his palace. It was incredible to be able to see Tekoa, Bethlehem, and the Wilderness of Moab. The point was brought up that Herod could see Bethlehem, the town that Jesus was born in, from his palace.
Later on, we went to Bethlehem to visit the church of the Nativity. On our way to Bethlehem, we stopped by a large slab of rock called a threshing floor which was used by people to grind wheat back in Biblical times. They were shared by the communities which surround them. Threshing floors are mentioned in the book of Ruth. Ruth finds Boaz sleeping on the threshing floor after his harvest and does some pretty scandalous things to him for the times. Upon arriving to Bethlehem, we took a short walk up a hill to visit the Church of the Nativity and the Catholic Church that is connected to it. It is so interesting to hear of yet another thing that Constantine’s mother, Helena, built. She must have been one dedicated woman in her faith to pursue knowledge of Jesus’ land and then to have her people erect churches and monuments to her beloved Savior.
In the afternoon we went on top of yet another hill (that I can’t remember the name of) that has incredible views of Jerusalem, and specifically, the Patriarchal Highway on the Watershed Ridge. It was informative to be able to see the mountain ridge that the highway followed and it made it a lot easier to visualize the route.
Then we made our way to the top of the Mount of Olives to look over the Wilderness of Judea. It was wonderful to be able to look upon the area of which Jesus spent forty days and forty nights and to see that the Mount of Olives really is a barrier from the City of Jerusalem to the Wilderness. Once we viewed the city from the top, we made our way down a small road to the bottom of the Mount of Olives, to the place where the Garden of Gethsemane was located. There, we went into a church that commemorates Jesus’ night in the garden wrestling with the call God, his father, had given Him to die for the sins of everyone, ever, so they might be in relationship with God. It was pretty powerful to be there and think about Jesus kneeling down, sweating blood, and agonizing over his decision, knowing fully that the wilderness was just on the other side of the Mount, not far at all. But He makes a conscious decision to stay and endure the cross because He loved us. He loves us so much, so incredibly much. It absolutely blows my mind and makes me wonder why. I am so grateful for the sacrifice He made.
Once we fully descended the Mount, we went down into the Kidron Valley to look at some tombs. The first was a monument thought to be built for Absalom, but because of the architecture, it clearly was from a different time period. Then we continued down the path to another monument built for an unknown reason.