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