israel

Today marks the end of an amazing-yet-tiring week. My brain is full of new information, my legs are tired from hiking, my memory is busy cataloguing once in a lifetime experiences, and my heart is grateful.

We started out the day just east of Jerusalem in the Judean Wilderness. The land we observed is referred to as ‘Midbar’ and ‘Yeshimon’ in the Bible. The former word refers specifically to the land we were looking at – the dry, open, but livable land of the Bedouin. The latter word means desolate, solitary, or desert. Both words are translated as ‘wilderness.’

I appreciated our instructor’s reminder that when someone is in the ‘wilderness,’ it doesn’t mean they’re any farther away from God! In fact, it’s just the opposite: Deuteronomy 32:10 says, ‘In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye…’ Our instructor pointed out that the phrase ‘apple of his eye’ is literally translated as ‘little man of the eye.’ He proposed that this passage might be suggesting that God was close enough to see his own reflection in the eyes of his people. In other words, when someone is in the desert they might feel alone, but it’s there that God draws near!

He then asked us to sit and listen to the quiet of the desert for a few moments. In the stillness, one could only hear the sound of distant birds and the wind blowing through the canyons. When everything else is stripped away, it’s just you and God. In the wilderness, God draws near.

We then moved on to follow Joshua’s journeys outlined in the first few chapters of Joshua. Our first stop along this route was at the Jordan River. We discussed Joshua’s crossing, water metaphors, and parallels in Jesus’ life (specifically, his baptism).

Our next stop was Jericho, which provided more practical knowledge for understanding Joshua’s military tactics.

Then we went to Nabi Samwil, which was extremely helpful in getting a handle on the land – being able to see several of the sites we’ve been studying on the map from a high vantage point helped solidify their locations in my mind.

Our final stop was at Gezer, the site of one of King Solomon’s cities as stated in 1 Kings 9:16. There were several standing stones at the site, which could have been boundary markers or altar stones.

While I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and everything I’m learning, I feel like I’m a Bible history ‘lightweight’ compared to my classmates. I’ve never been a history or geography buff, so it’s a little intimidating knowing that I have a test over those subjects on Monday (I plan to study quite a bit tomorrow!). I will say this much, though: the material is being presented in a way that makes me want to learn more. Just today I was telling one of my classmates that when I get home, I’d like to do a read-through of the Bible with a map handy. To use an archaeological metaphor, it’s like I’m beginning to unearth something that has always been just below the surface, but until now I’ve never had the tools to uncover it. Slowly but surely, I hope to improve my skills so that I can reap the full benefits of this experience.

Wow…today we did so much that it’s difficult to process. It was our first day out in the field, and we went to nine different sites. Instead of trying to unpack every site in detail, I will attempt to give a quick ‘snapshot’ of each of our stops.

We started out the day on Mt. Scopus, just north of Jerusalem. Our instructor showed us how much easier it would have been for Israel’s enemies to attack from the north rather than the south, stopping to ‘scope out’ Jerusalem from the higher ground we were standing on. We also peered into a first century burial tomb and learned about Jewish burial practices.

Our second stop was on the east side of the mountain, looking off into the Judean Wilderness. To the northeast we could see Anathoth, which is where Jeremiah lived. Our instructor explained the differences and variables at play between farming and shepherding life as we peered over the east side of the Mount of Olives range. Jerusalem is situated in a unique topographical area that receives more rain than it should, so just beyond the range is a much more dry and arid area not suitable for farming. Seeing the dusty brown earth sparsely littered with flecks of green challenged my previous perceptions of ‘The Good Shepherd.’ In the past, I would imagine a quiet, lush, serene scene, maybe something you’d see in a Thomas Kinkade painting. Now, I imagine a hard, patient life marked by dirt, wind, and survival.

We then went to the Sanctuary of the Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept) on the Mount of Olives, a Roman Catholic church built on a site commemorating Jesus’ weeping over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44. Here we were able to observe some first century ossuaries.

Making our way further down the mountain, we stopped at the traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane. While we were able to take photos in the garden and spend time in silent reverence at the Church of All Nations, what was most moving for me was our instructor’s take on Jesus’ time spent praying in the garden. He pointed out that, there on the Mount of Olives, Jesus would have been in a prime location to slip away into the wilderness and escape his death. In other words, Jesus had a choice, and his option to flee would have been easy and quick. It made me appreciate all the more Jesus’ choice to give himself up.

Then we drove over to Herodium and learned more about Herod the Great’s life and death. Since we were on a high vantage point and Bethlehem was visible in the distance, our instructor also used it as an opportunity to explain David’s way of life. Herodium was large and impressive, but up there on the height the heat of the day really began to beat down on us. It was at this stop that I finally caved and bought a hat to start shielding my face from the sun!

Our next stop was on the way to Bethlehem. We pulled over on the side of the road and walked into a large open area, not realizing that we were standing in the midst of a threshing floor. We learned about the threshing process, and since it seemed appropriate, our instructor helped explain some of the greater context of the story of Ruth and Boaz. While these stories might seem superfluous to some, I very much appreciate how our curriculum integrates theological elements into the discussion. As someone who is a little more conceptual, they serve as tiny ‘shots in the arm’ to keep me going.

Bethlehem, unfortunately, was a drag. We walked up to the Church of the Nativity, which is in constant disrepair. It was almost sickening to see how the political, religious, and economic tensions here have taken a toll on the area. It moves me to pray for God’s intervention, that he would finally bring his peace to the area. Regardless of whether we were at the actual birth place of Jesus or any other venerated site we’ve visited, the juxtaposition of God’s holiness and humankind’s knack for ruining everything is leaving me a little dizzy.

One of the last sites we visited was a field where we actually saw a shepherd tending his flock in the distance. There, our instructor made his case for reconsidering the circumstances of Jesus’ birth based upon his understanding of first-century homes and culture.

Lastly, we stopped at Ramat Rachel, an archaeological site with no confirmed connection to the Bible. As I understand it, we stopped there primarily to demonstrate that archaeology is more of an art than a science. The puzzle is still coming together, and some questions may go unanswered until the end of time. Sounds kind of like our journey of faith, eh?

Today we went on the New Testament Jerusalem walk, traveling to Robinson’s Arch, the Southern Wall of the Temple, and the pool of Bethesda.

Robinson’s Arch is located on the southwestern corner of the Temple, named after Edward Robinson, the American archaeologist who discovered it. As we sat in the area that used to be covered by the arch, we learned about Herod the Great’s construction of the Second Temple and his addition of the Court of the Gentiles. It was helpful to be able to pair the images of what we were seeing with familiar stories like Jesus driving out the money changers and Jesus being tempted by the devil to throw himself from the highest point of the temple. It was also awe-inspiring in the general sense – seeing the massive cornerstones at the southwest corner and knowing that the wall used to be even taller than it is now made me gain an appreciation for just how impressive the Temple’s construction really was.

We then walked over to the southern steps of the Temple, a site where Jesus likely would have taught. As we looked out on the City of David, our instructor reminded us of Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:27:

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.’

Suddenly this analogy was brought to life as we looked across the Kidron Valley at the various tombs and graves lining the Mount of Olives – Jesus was using imagery that would have been familiar and immediate to the people he was speaking to.

Lastly, we came to the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the man who had been lame for 38 years. Our instructor shared an eye-opening explanation of the biblical account that provided a new, meaningful context to the story. Learning that Bethesda was the site of a known healing cult helped me understand the powers at play – Asclepius (or whoever they were turning to at the time), who could not heal, and Jesus / Yahweh, who did heal. [There’s more to this story that I’d love to share – ask me about it when I return from my trip!]

As some have suggested, the scriptures are beginning to ‘come alive’ to me in a way that isn’t possible without actually visiting these sites.

To walk along the streets that Jesus walked…

To sit down on the southern steps and see how the mountains come together just south of the City of David…

To walk on the floors of the pool where Jesus healed a paralytic…

…I am being blessed immensely. I am excited to take these experiences back to my brothers and sisters in Christ at home, not to overload them with information (although what I’m learning will be helpful in practical teaching), but to share a clearer picture of the world in which Jesus lived.

Today, we started with a walk to the Broad Wall, built under the direction of Hezekiah. I appreciated hearing about how its discovery, along with other archaeological finds, have proven some skeptics wrong in their attempts to make ancient Israel out to be smaller than it really was. Our instructor told us that the belief that Jerusalem was a ‘one donkey town’ had begun to prevail by the 1970’s, but the unearthing of the Broad Wall blew that theory out of the water. It’s awesome to know that, as archaeologists continue to excavate and study what lies beneath our feet, certain portions of the biblical record can be confirmed or brought into better focus.

That said, the satisfaction comes not only from ‘proving naysayers wrong,’ but also from seeing how the biblical narrative can inform our understanding of how certain structures were formed. When viewing the Broad Wall, our instructor pointed out its seemingly hurried construction – the outside of the wall was fortified by large, sturdy blocks, but it was filled in with smaller, less uniformed piles of stone. One could even see the remnants of older buildings jutting out from the sides of the wall. The most convincing explanation for this is found in Isaiah 22:10:

‘You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore down houses to fortify the wall.’

Jerusalem was anticipating an attack from Assyria, so Hezekiah saw to it that an additional wall was hastily built around the city. As the wall was being built, Jerusalem’s residents were literally tearing down their homes and throwing the stones over the outer parts of the wall to fill it in!

Continuing on with our walk, we eventually came upon Hezekiah’s tunnel under the City of David. Hezekiah’s efforts to divert the Gihon Spring are explained in 2 Chronicles 32:1-4 and the tunnel is explicitly mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20:

As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?’

We all had a chance to walk through the tunnel and experience firsthand what it must have been like for the men who dug this water channel into the rock. It was wet (obviously), dark, and at times both narrow and squat. Nearly all of us agreed that even though it was only 3/10 of a mile long, our walk felt closer to that of a full mile. One can only imagine how seemingly endless it must have been for those carving into the rock!

All in all, today was a great bit of experiential learning. The time we spent at the rooftop overview, ‘David’s Palace’, and Ahiel’s house all helped provide context for the area we’re studying. I feel as though I’m getting a handle on the area and its topography, and I’m beginning to connect the dots between places we’ve been and things I’ve read in the Bible.

A part of our required coursework while in Israel is writing a reflection paper for each day that we’re out in the field. To give my family and friends an idea of where I’ve been going and what I’m up to, I decided to share these reflections on the blog. Read as much or as little as you like. Either way, thanks for checking in!
– Mike

Jerusalem is kind of like a cake – it has many layers.

Ok, maybe that’s not the best analogy, but after our first day exploring the Old City, one of my biggest takeaways is that the Jerusalem we read about in the Bible is technically buried several feet beneath us. Due to thousands upon thousands of years of settlement, conflict, destruction, and resettlement, the streets of modern day Jerusalem are literally built upon the ruins of many nations and empires who sought – and fought – to call it their own.

Whether it was the people of Israel, Egypt to the south, or the various powers to the north like Assyria and Rome, The ‘Land Between’ (which is not limited to, but includes Jerusalem) has been part of an ongoing power struggle that persists even to today. One does not need to travel to Jerusalem to understand that Israeli Jews and Arab Muslims don’t get along, but the reality of how these conflicts are still at play was brought to life for me today. As we peered over the Western Wall to the Dome of the Rock, our view was obscured by many Israeli flags strategically placed along the wall. One could not look at the mosque without seeing Israel’s symbolic declaration that ‘this should all be ours.’

Learning about the city as we navigated our way through it was helpful as an academic pursuit, but the most meaningful experience of the day for me was our stop at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. While many claim that Golgotha and the burial tomb of Jesus are located elsewhere, it was thrilling to learn that archaeological evidence supports the belief that we were walking in the approximate vicinity of these sites. Even if it didn’t happen at this exact site, we do know that it happened nearby. These really are the streets that Jesus walked. This really is the city where David was king. This really is the land God promised to Abraham!

Speaking of Abraham, in our lecture today, the question ‘This is the Promised Land?’ was raised. When you consider its position between larger nations, its climate, and its topography, the ‘Land Between’ seems vulnerable and forgettable. Why would God choose to send his people here? Why not give Abraham and his descendants a more comfortable, fertile, and safe land? Our instructor suggested that the answer might lie in its location along various trade routes. Trade between Egypt, the Middle East, Syria, Greece, and Rome all funnel through this area at some point. Perhaps one of the reasons God has chosen the Land Between is because it is a part of his plan to announce the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Why not start in a place where people from all ends of the earth gather?

As we read in class today, Isaiah 2:2-3 is confirmed by our gathering:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Amen and amen.