travel

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.

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.