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
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
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.
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!
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!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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
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!
Monday, November 17, 2008
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!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
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.
Monday, November 10, 2008
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.
Monday, November 03, 2008
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