israel

This morning, we embarked on our four day excursion into Galilee. Our first stop of the day was at Beth Shean, a tel to the west of Mt. Gilboa and southwest of Mt. Moreh. Beth Shean is the city where the Philistines hung Saul‘s body outside its walls after he took his life during battle.

Our class discussed the circumstances surrounding Saul’s death, such as why he was in the area fighting the Philistines to begin with: Saul was working to unite the kingdom, and the Philistines were threatened by the northern tribes coming together. As long as they remained isolated from each other they weren’t a threat to anyone, but Israel’s unification meant trouble for those in the more international region to the north. Our instructor pointed out that Saul was actually doing the right thing as king by working towards unification, challenging the caricature of Saul that’s become ingrained in the western Christian psyche. “He didn’t always act crazy,” he reminded us.

Also at the site of Beth Shean was the Second Temple era city of Scythopolis. Its architecture, its temples, and its theater painted a strikingly different picture than we’ve become accustomed to at the Israelite locations. As we sat on a hill above the city, our instructor invited us to take in the spectacular view and consider the wealth and power of the Decapolis cities. Their grand qualities were used as “evangelism tools” for Rome – it’s no wonder that groups like the Sadducees were willing to play along.

The next place we visited was Megiddo, which gave us an excellent overview of the Jezeeel Valley. From the top of the tel we could clearly see the Nazareth Ridge, Mt Tabor, the Tabor pass, Mt. Moreh, the Harod pass, Mt. Gilboa, and the Megiddo pass. In the foreground lie the Jezreel Valley and the Kishon Wadi. With the valley as his backdrop, our instructor walked us through the stories of Deborah and Jael, and Josiah’s fall in battle. We also discussed various views concerning the references to Megiddo found in Revelation.

The next site we visited was Mt. Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal. At this stop, our instructor shared his interpretation of the events that transpired there, helping us understand the cultural and religious backdrop of Elijah’s story. As we surveyed the land from the top of a scenic outlook, we could see Nazareth in the distance, which is where we traveled next.

Our location along the Nazareth ridge offered yet another breathtaking view of the Jezreel valley. As we looked southward, we could see Mt Tabor to our left and, across the valley, Mt Moreh directly in front of us. Here, our instructor asked us to consider all of the biblical events that occurred in the vicinity of Jesus’ upbringing (e.g. Deborah and Jael, Elisha raising a young boy from the dead, Saul’s defeat, etc.). Jesus grew up in Israel’s heartland, so to speak. But he also grew up in a poor area under Roman control; anyone hearing these stories would have looked back on them as the “good old days,” longing for God to restore Israel to its former glory.

Our instructor explained that this is the proper context for Luke 4:14-30 when Jesus traveled to Nazareth and read from Isaiah in the local synagogue. At first, his proclamation was well received, which is something I had never noticed in my reading before. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve become so familiar with rote recitations of the story, but in my mind I always understood that Jesus read from the scroll and everyone became upset about his claim to have fulfilled the prophecy. But a closer look at the text reveals that the people in the synagogue became upset only when Jesus implied that God’s promises were not only for his chosen people, but also for the Gentiles. Jesus was turning their expectations and worldview on its head. Jews in Jesus’ day wanted God to send his Messiah to overthrow the Romans, not invite them in!

Interestingly, the site where we studied this passage is understood to be the spot where they attempted to throw Jesus off a cliff. While there is absolutely no basis for it in scripture, local tradition states that they actually did throw him off the cliff, but he flew away. Gotta love local legends.

After spending a lot of time in the Old Testament, it’s been awesome bringing Jesus back into the picture a little. Even though this class is only three weeks long, I believe I’m gaining knowledge that can inform and apply to so much of what I’m already doing. I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but I can’t wait to get home and start putting what I’m learning here to good use!

Today’s outing was a little less intense with only three stops, but I’m thankful that we made the most of it. Sometimes when plans change, the planned activities give way to ‘filler’ material, but I didn’t feel that way at all about today. We visited Shiloh, the Israel museum, and Sataf.

The first site we visited was Shiloh, the capital of Israel before the first temple was built in Jerusalem. I’m thankful that we stopped here because I was fairly ignorant about the location’s significance before today. In the past, I would read about locations like Shiloh and not take notice, but now I’m beginning to understand the importance of differentiating them. I’m excited to go home and study the word with a fresh perspective – in the future, I will have not only a handle on the relative location of biblical cities and regions, but I will also remember actually being at so many of them!

At Shiloh, the piece of information that struck me the most was its geographical similarities with Jerusalem. Just like Jerusalem, Shiloh is somewhat isolated, but accessible; surrounded by hills and off the beaten path. Our instructor used these qualities to draw out a theological parallel, pointing out that God isn’t always in the places you’d expect. He is accessible, but you have to be looking for him in the right places. He desires those who intentionally seek him out.

Our next stop was the Israel Museum. First, I explored the Shrine of the Book, where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were on display. It was awesome to see them in person.

Next, I examined the to-scale model of Second Temple Jerusalem. After having already explored Jerusalem and knowing its true dimensions, I marveled at how large the temple must have been. It would certainly inspire awe in those who traveled from afar to worship there!

Lastly, I spent a good hour and a half in the archaeological building. I enjoyed getting to see some real artifacts from ancient Israel.

Our final stop was Sataf, where we learned a little bit about the daily life of those who lived on the terraces. Grapes, figs, and other produce are still grown in the area, so our instructor used the site to flesh out various vine metaphors employed in scripture.

I know it’s a little early to be giving feedback about the class as a whole, but I’m unbelievably grateful to the people who sent me here. I wouldn’t have had this opportunity if it weren’t for the generous donors who support Sioux Falls Seminary and believe in JUC. To whomever is reading this, feel free to pass along my sentiments – every seminary student should have this opportunity!

Josephus wrote about four major ‘philosophies’ that came to the forefront during Second Temple Judaism: those of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Today at Masada, we learned about the Zealots firsthand. Okay, maybe not firsthand, but kind of…we stood upon one of their most famous sites!

We walked up the siege ramp as a group, and everyone was winded by the time we reached the top. Once we all had a chance to catch our breath, our instructor told us about how the Sicarii (a particularly violent brand of Zealots) occupied the site during a rebellion against Rome. He told us about Josephus’ account of their downfall, which describes a mass suicide after Rome tore down their defenses. However, archaeological evidence seems to contradict Josephus, painting a picture of resistance and fighting to the death instead. Our instructor told us to keep in mind that Josephus was writing for a Roman audience, his goal was to portray his people in a positive light as he sought to preserve their history. Suicide is not an honorable death in Judaism, but it was for Rome – perhaps Josephus chose to contextualize their deaths in a way that would be seen as honorable to the Romans? It’s definitely something to consider.

We were given some time to explore the site, and then we had the choice of taking a cable car back to the bottom or walking down a winding snake path to get back to the buses. I chose to go on the hike, which turned more into a precarious downhill run because a classmate and I chose to wait until the last minute to depart (which, unfortunately, wouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me well). We reached the bottom relatively quickly, but I was unbelievably tired at the end. Thankfully, our instructor was gracious and gave us some extra time to re-hydrate before we left.

Next, we traveled to En Gedi, the area where David hid as he fled from Saul in 1 Samuel 23-24. We climbed up to several of the site’s waterfalls, where we once again had the opportunity to pray and read scripture in silence. I would have liked more time in this location, but it was apparent that most of my class was itching to get to our next location…

The Dead Sea. Big, salty, floaty. Most of my classmates swam in it, but I was content to take some photos and get my fingertips wet. It was a beautiful sight.

Qumran was mesmerizing. It was here that we discussed the Essenes (the general consensus is that the Qumran community was comprised of Essenes). I had learned about the Essenes in my undergraduate studies, and I was aware that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered at Qumran, but I knew very little about their discovery and the fact that the scrolls contained self-referencing (sectarian) writings. I’d love to learn more about this site and its people in the future.

Today was easily the most physically exhausting day of our journey. Although we still have class tomorrow, I’m looking forward to spending a few hours in a museum and limiting my exertion as we travel to a few other sites. As much as I want things to slow down, I understand the need to keep pushing forward. It’s a marathon of a class packed into a three week sprint, and I want to finish well.

Today we explored the biblical Negev and the greater Negev, discussing topics such as prescribed versus practical religion; Abraham’s way of life; and the the influence the Nabateans had over trade in the south.

Our first stop was Tel Arad, the site of the biblical city of Arad. We learned of its strategic position tucked away under the southernmost portion of the Judean hills, overlooking the spice route. It also lies on what our instructor called an Eocene ‘hiccup’ in the Senonian rock that surrounds it, producing natural cisterns in an otherwise barren area. A discussion with my parents back home the other day helped put Arad’s annual rainfall into perspective – Omaha has seen a lot of rainfall lately, and apparently, they had 7 inches of rain the other night. Come to find out, that’s about how much rain Arad receives in a year!

I found the presence of a temple to Yahweh at Tel Arad, complete with an altar and a Holy of Holies, to be quite intriguing. Since Arad was located so far away from Jerusalem, the temple may have functioned like customs, announcing to visitors that they were entering the land of Yahweh. Although scripture is clear that there should only be one House of God, the existence of this temple demonstrates that the state was sanctioning dubious activities like this at the time. What’s more, the Holy of Holies contained multiple incense altars and standing stones, which suggests that they were using the temple to worship not only Yahweh, but other gods (e.g. Asherah). Archaeology shows, however, that by the time of Hezekiah’s reign the temple had been scaled back, and it was finally put out of commission entirely once Josiah assumed the throne.

As we walked throughout the site, I had a discussion with a classmate about parallels between practical religion in the time of Judah and our worship of God today. It’s clear that everyone has their own ‘little gods’ that they worship on the side, be it a sports team or a personality or a product, yet I’m still mulling over the possibility that our churches could be sanctioning this type of behavior. It’s easy to point a finger at televangelists or churches that hock the ‘health and wealth’ gospel, but I wonder if those of us in churches who love God and have relatively solid theology have any blind spots. As a pastor myself, I want to remain faithful to God and make sure that I’m not unintentionally misleading the congregation I’ve been called to serve!

The next site we visited was Tel Beer Sheva, the site where Abraham and Abimelech swore an oath in Genesis 21. Here, we learned about how Beersheba’s location along the Spice Route and the Watershed Ridge Route would have been extremely advantageous for Abraham as he lived, worked, and traded in the area.

Our next stop was in one of Israel’s national parks for a wilderness hike to ‘experience the Bible in our legs and in our lungs,’ as our instructor says. We started at the bottom of a crevasse and hiked all the way to the top. It was hard work, but so worth it for the view at the end! An opportunistic ice cream salesman had set up shop at the end of the hike, too. He received a lot of business from us that day 🙂

We then traveled to Avdat, a site once inhabited by the Nabateans. The Nabateans were known for trading items like frankincense and myrrh, leading some early church fathers to believe that the Wise Men at Jesus’ birth were of the same people. The Nabateans had come from beyond Edom in Arabia to settle in Avdat and various other places in the area to control trade. They went as far as damming wadis to divert water resources to the places they had settled, forcing travelers to come to them. History suggests that the Nabateans eventually converted to Christianity, which makes the Wise Men connection that much more poetic.

Lastly, we visited Makhtesh Ramon and peered over its cliffs. This stop marked the halfway point in our studies, so our instructor gave us some time to sit alone with God and reflect on our journey thus far.

The sight was beautiful, and the time spent in prayer was much appreciated. At this rate, I’m going to be bushed by the end of this trip – but so far it’s been worth every drop of sweat!

Today we traveled down the Shephelah, hitting various biblical cities and discussing corresponding narratives along the way. We stopped at Beit Shemesh, Shaaraim, Lachish, and Ashkelon. After learning about the Diagonal Highway in class yesterday, it was helpful to experience the region in person.

At Beit Shemesh, we learned about the historical tug of war over the area. Canaanites, Philistines, and Judahites jockeyed for position there, as it was one of the first major cities coming down from the Judean highlands towards the Coastal Plain. As we stood upon the tel, our instructor pointed out Zorah to the north, the birthplace of Samson. Surprisingly, the story of Samson was highly relevant to learning about tensions between the Philistines and Judahites during Judah’s expansion southward.

Our next stop was Shaaraim, which provided a stunning overlook of the Elah Valley and the surrounding area. We could see Azekah to the west and Socoh off to the southeast. Apparently, Shaaraim may have been fortified as an outlook by David after he flushed the Philistines out of the area. After learning this, one of my classmates pointed out to me that we had just walked through the same entrance gate that David himself used.

Here, we put ‘flesh on the bones’ of the story of David and Goliath. Learning how the event connects with the land helped me realize the importance of what we’re studying – knowing that this conflict was a pivotal moment in the war between the Philistines and Judah made it ‘real’ for me. This isn’t to suggest that I didn’t believe the story at first; it’s just that, in my mind, it no longer exists as a self-contained, flannel-graph Sunday School lesson. So far, this is what I’m finding most beneficial about our studies: it’s providing helpful context to familiar stories and helping me make connections I hadn’t considered before.

Next, we traveled to Lachish, the last of Judah’s cities along the Diagonal Road. Sennacherib was in Lachish when Hezekiah finally surrendered himself to the Assyrians after they had laid waste to all the other fortified cities of Judah.

Finally, we made a quick stop at Ashkelon before most of the group jumped in the water at the beach. It was a thriving port under the Philistines and, later, under the Romans as well. Apparently Herod the Great was born there, too. We didn’t stay at Ashkelon for very long, but our instructor used the environment as an opportunity to teach us about the biblical concept of chaos in relation to water.

And that’s all I have to say about that.