On Saturday, February 20th, we went on a "Physical Settings" field study trip to the area of Benjamin and Ephraim which includes Wadi Qilt in the Judean desert of the West Bank, Jericho of OT and NT, Nebi Samwil, and ended the day at Gezer.
The wilderness is a vast, beautiful place. But I wouldn't want to travel it by foot . . . or spend the night out there! (Gen 49:27) A Wadi is the channel of a watercourse (we would call it a deep valley or canyon) that is dry except during periods of rainfall. Jerusalem is on the western ridge and has rainfall of approx 24" per year while Jericho less than 15 miles to the east gets only 2". The Wadi Qilt is very deep and a barrier to traffic both foot and vehicular. Travelers must trek alongside it rather than cut across it. This is what Jesus and the disciples would have done traveling from Jericho to Jerusalem. This is probably the area Jesus was referencing in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Needless to say very rough, rugged, desolate, and foreboding terrain.
We then went to New Testament Jericho and visited the site of another Herodian palace. Herod the Great was quite innovative. Here he had the bricks laid in a diamond pattern, making it more sound. He also had a bridge built to span the Wadi Qilt for when waters were on the rise.
We arrived Old Testament Jericho (Joshua Chapter 6) at high noon, and it was very hot. The group, including Nat, went into the site where he saw the excavated remains of the oldest known building, a pre-pottery Neolithic A (8500-7500 BC) tower...see pic. I opted to sit in the shade of a palm tree, amid all the other tourists. I had my sunglasses on and was resting my head on a large clay pot watching the world go by, but apparently looking as though I was napping. A group of Chinese tourists decided to take one another's photo next to me. This happened to me once before on a bench seat across the street from the Garden of Gethsemane. That time it was a group of young Asian guys who weren't shy at all about sliding in next to me for a photo op. I'm not sure what it is about me, but they sure do find me fascinating! Perhaps they think me a rare Israeli antiquity?
We then went to Nebi Samwil (City of Samuel and traditionally the site of his tomb but probably not accurate inspite of the highway roadsign!). It is a Palestinian village just north of Jerusalem. We climbed atop a building which serves as both a synagogue and a mosque! From the roof we could see Jerusalem (City of David) and City of Saul (and other locales). We sat and listened, using our imaginations, as Dr. Wright read about Joshua and the Israelites and all of the chases & battles that took place below us. From this same vantage, it was amazing to see how close in proximity the two capitols of Saul & David were.
Our last stop was at Gezer to see the remains and one of Solomon's six chambered gates, which had been excavated by JUC students and staff (in the 1970's, I think). The surrounding hill country of Ephraim/Benjamin was absolutely lush and green with panoramic views of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean.
We also saw some large upright stones. Archeologists suggest that the stones represent a treaty between the city of Gezer and nine other Canaanite city states. Rituals related to a treaty between these cities were probably performed here. Amid them was an altar. But what was important to the students? Who can climb up to the top of one faster . . . the girls or the boys!
Shalom y'all
The wilderness is a vast, beautiful place. But I wouldn't want to travel it by foot . . . or spend the night out there! (Gen 49:27) A Wadi is the channel of a watercourse (we would call it a deep valley or canyon) that is dry except during periods of rainfall. Jerusalem is on the western ridge and has rainfall of approx 24" per year while Jericho less than 15 miles to the east gets only 2". The Wadi Qilt is very deep and a barrier to traffic both foot and vehicular. Travelers must trek alongside it rather than cut across it. This is what Jesus and the disciples would have done traveling from Jericho to Jerusalem. This is probably the area Jesus was referencing in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Needless to say very rough, rugged, desolate, and foreboding terrain.
We then went to New Testament Jericho and visited the site of another Herodian palace. Herod the Great was quite innovative. Here he had the bricks laid in a diamond pattern, making it more sound. He also had a bridge built to span the Wadi Qilt for when waters were on the rise.
We arrived Old Testament Jericho (Joshua Chapter 6) at high noon, and it was very hot. The group, including Nat, went into the site where he saw the excavated remains of the oldest known building, a pre-pottery Neolithic A (8500-7500 BC) tower...see pic. I opted to sit in the shade of a palm tree, amid all the other tourists. I had my sunglasses on and was resting my head on a large clay pot watching the world go by, but apparently looking as though I was napping. A group of Chinese tourists decided to take one another's photo next to me. This happened to me once before on a bench seat across the street from the Garden of Gethsemane. That time it was a group of young Asian guys who weren't shy at all about sliding in next to me for a photo op. I'm not sure what it is about me, but they sure do find me fascinating! Perhaps they think me a rare Israeli antiquity?
We then went to Nebi Samwil (City of Samuel and traditionally the site of his tomb but probably not accurate inspite of the highway roadsign!). It is a Palestinian village just north of Jerusalem. We climbed atop a building which serves as both a synagogue and a mosque! From the roof we could see Jerusalem (City of David) and City of Saul (and other locales). We sat and listened, using our imaginations, as Dr. Wright read about Joshua and the Israelites and all of the chases & battles that took place below us. From this same vantage, it was amazing to see how close in proximity the two capitols of Saul & David were.
Our last stop was at Gezer to see the remains and one of Solomon's six chambered gates, which had been excavated by JUC students and staff (in the 1970's, I think). The surrounding hill country of Ephraim/Benjamin was absolutely lush and green with panoramic views of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean.
We also saw some large upright stones. Archeologists suggest that the stones represent a treaty between the city of Gezer and nine other Canaanite city states. Rituals related to a treaty between these cities were probably performed here. Amid them was an altar. But what was important to the students? Who can climb up to the top of one faster . . . the girls or the boys!
Shalom y'all
1 comment:
It's good to know that some things never change. Garrett and I were at the park today where I witnessed over and over kids racing to see who could get to the top of the playscape the fastest.
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