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.
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