Scholarly Winds

Today we finished our three night, four day excursion into the Galilee region. We started off the morning by hiking down Mt. Arbel. From atop Mt, Arbel one gets a eagle’s eye view. From Mt. Arbel we headed to the area of the Jezreel Valley. From the city of Jezreel we were able to view the field that is the backdrop to many OT narratives. From the stories of Gideon, to the death of Jonathan and Saul on Mt. Gilboa. The Jezreel Valley served as the key city to controlling the eastern side. If one was able to conquer Jezreel, one was able to take the entire eastern side of the nation.

Me on Mt. Arbel

From the Jezreel Valley we headed southeast to the city of Bet-Alpeh. Why someone would name a city after the first two letters of the Hebrew alephbet (alphabet) is somewhat funny. While there isn’t anything at this site that is related to the biblical accounts, there is something very interesting about this site. Around 400 AD, the time of the Byzantine Empire, there was a synagogue with a mosaic. This was quite common in many synagogues, what was quite uncommon was that this mosaic was of the Zodiac and contained a picture of an uncircumcised boy alongside the biblical pictures of Abraham and Isaac. This happens to be one of six floors in the region that contain this type of floor.

This is quite interesting on many levels. For one, what is a Jewish Synagogue doing with such pagan symbols on the floor? Time happens to have an interesting impact on rules and prohibitions. Over time prohibitions tend to relax. The other interesting feature, is that during the time period mosaics of the Zodiac were quite popular in many areas. In the culture we have the rise of Zodiac mosaics and we happen to find six synagogues with these mosaics.

The majority opinion on this is that the Zodiac was mainly used for keeping time. So in some sense this was a calendar for the Jewish people to keep their festivals. However, the seasons that are around the Zodiac do not match the months. The calendar is incorrect, so there would be no way to use it for time keeping. Which causes many to wonder, what this community was like, in that it allowed pagan symbols to influence and finds its way into its religious center.

If the synagogue is the religious center of Judaism, then the church is the religious center of Christianity. While its easy to look at other cultures, especially historical ones, and sit in judgement. We find it easy to critique their seeming backsliding and collaboration with pagan symbols. But I wonder if the church is any different. What if 1,000 years from now, people were to come look at the ruins of our religious centers, what would they find that is out of the ordinary? Two examples will suffice. Maybe as they peer through the catacombs of our churches they would marvel and be troubled at the number of Christmas trees they find. After all, the Christmas tree was a pagan symbol of Norse mythology. Maybe they would find pictures with these trees outside the church, or even worse behind the pulpit. Or as they scrounge around the old documents they find some of our accounting receipts and budgets. Maybe they would find a budget from a church in Davis, California, where in 2008 they paid their lead guitarist in their worship band $120,000 for the year.

I wonder what history will say as it looks back on our legacy as the body of Christ? What elements of our culture have we been influenced by? What things have we mixed with our version of Christianity in the West, that are incompatible with the life and message of Jesus? Maybe its capitalism? Maybe its consumerism? Maybe its our own political system? Perhaps it’s time to start asking communities outside the west what they see? Then seek repentance, find forgiveness, and begin to change our ways around the person of Jesus Christ.

Pics from the 1st century city of Scythopolis (Jesus would have passed through here on his way from Capernaum to Jericho.)

Today spent another day in Galilee, we went to the Sea of Galilee, Gergesa, and Capernaum. We spent the day around the northern section of Galilee, which was the center of Jesus’ ministry. After being rejected in Nazareth, Jesus moved the “headquarters” of his ministry north to Capernaum. It was neat to be around the life and ministry of Christ in this area.

The morning was the highlight of the trip, as we took a boat ride around the Sea of Galilee. We spent about 45 min to an hour on the sea. I never thought that I would be able to be on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. It was neat to think about how much time the disciples spent on this sea and to get that “viewpoint” from the sea itself. The Sea of Galilee is more like a lake. At seven miles wide by thirteen miles long, its not a big body of water. What it lacks in size it makes up in storms. The mountains that surround the sea serve to whip up some impressive storms. As the hard winds press in from the west, they get trapped in the sea, creating some pretty massive storms. Some of the same that we see in the gospels.

The sea of Galilee was home to some of the disciples that Jesus called. James and John were from the northern part and were in line to inherit a pretty lucrative family fishing business. The sea of Galilee was also an international body of water. The western side was predominately Jewish, the eastern side predominately gentile, and the northern section was a mix between the two. Jesus situated his ministry within the heart of the the crossways of this international hub. This situation prepared the disciples for everything they would face as the spread the gospel. As what they saw in microcosm on the sea of Galilee they would see in macro past the Mediterranean. It’s interesting that Jesus places his ministry within the center of life and culture.

The Sea of Galilee

We also had a chance to visit Capernaum. This city has always been unique to me. As a senior at Cedarville, I had to do a final project on the city of Capernaum for an Archaeology class. So it was very interesting to see in person, what I had spent months studying in books. The city of Capernaum boasts of two unique aspects to the life of Christ. At Capernaum there is a foundation of a first century synagogue that sits below a Byzantine synagogue and “Peter’s House.”

This synagogue is the one that is referenced in Mark 1:21-28. It is here that Jesus begins to preach in the synagogue, and the people respond saying that “Jesus teaches with authority.” Also after this event Jesus casts a demon out of a man outside the synagogue. Mark then records that these events caused Jesus’ popularity to “grow in the area surrounding Galilee.’ This shouldn’t be surprising as Jesus is in the populace center of the area. Many would have come here for business and then returned to their homes, taking what they had seen with them.

The Synagogue at Capernaum (The first century foundation is the black basalt, see my next picture.)

The Foundation (The black basalt is the foundation of the first century synagogue.)

At Capernaum there is also a first century house, most likely belonging to the Apostle Peter. Immediately following the healing of the demon, it says that Jesus left the synagogue and entered into the house of Peter, where He heals Peter’s mother in law. This house is directly adjacent to the synagogue. This house shortly towards the end of the first century as converted into a house church. And at the end of the first century was already a place of worship, giving credibility that this was the house of Peter.

The more I think about where Jesus had his ministry, the more it seems to me that the church today has fled from such spots in fear. This has come to be known as “suburban flight.” Rather than enter the centers of life, economy, and culture, Christians by and large have retreated to the comfy suburbs outside the despairing city. In an effort to feel safe and secure, we have given up the influence and the opportunities that the city provides. Its hard to work for change from the inside out, this is applicable as much to a person as it is a city. Luckily, there are rays of hope. I think of Tim Keller’s ministry in New York City. His church is has been strategically centered within New York City, in an effort to reach the people in NYC. This church should serve as an example of entering into the life of a community with the intent to redeem.

Jesus ministry was neither secure nor safe, He ended up being crucified. Jesus ministry was situated within a area directly controlled by Rome. It certainly would have been safer to keep the ministry in Nazareth, out where he would have less conflict and more safety. Yet somehow, Jesus enters into this insecure area with a very volatile message. It seems as if we have moved to the “safe areas” and in turn our message has become “safe” as well. May we learn from Christ to enter into the areas with His message, that He is Lord of all and leave the safety up to Him.

We also had the opportunity to see a first century fishing boat that was found in 1984-1985 at the Sea of Galilee.
The First Century Fishing Boat – I accidently set off an alarm trying to get a picture.

We finished off the day at the Jordan River.

The Jordan River at Sunset
  

Today, we visited the sites of Hazor, Tel Dan, Caeserea Phillipi, and a mountain 4,000 feet in the air. At Hazor we saw the fortifications and high temple places of Jeroboam. At Tel Dan, we visited an ancient site where an inscription was found with the inscription Beth-David, the house of David. This was one of the only inscriptions found outside the Old Testament, providing more credibility to the biblical text. The mountain at the northern most part of Israel was interesting. From this mountain, rising 3,950 feet in the air, one could see the land of Syria, and the northern city of Damascus. From this spot we looked at a road, that was most likely the road Saul took on his way to round up Christians. It was on this road to Damascus that Saul saw the great light.

The most interesting thing from my point of view, was the New Testament city of Paneas. Paneas has a long and interesting history. It was originally a Hellenistic city devoted to worshipping the god Pan. Pan was the god of nature and fertility, and out of this site, water flowed from the mountain cave to the land below. From the Greeks, the city was taken over by the Romans. The worship of Pan continued, as the Romans typically just added the conquered cities’ gods to their ever growing pantheon of gods to worship. During the time of Herod the Great, Herod dedicated this spot to the worship of Caesar Augustus. Emperor worship was somewhat common from the time of the first Caesar to the end of the empire with obligatory worship. Emperor worship was common, as the Emperors usually declared themselves to be the “son of God.” This usually helped with controlling the people and adding weight to their authority. It was in this environment that the euangellion (gospel) of Caesar took shape. An interesting comparison to the euangellion of Christ.

The site of Paneas is located in the northern most portion of Israel. Jesus just happened to visit this place about nine months before his crucifixion. While there is debate as to where the transfiguration took place, I hold that it took place on Mt. Hebron. I need not go through the reasons here, but at the base of Mt. Hebron is Paneas. In Matthew 16, we find the declaration of Peter to the Messiahship and Lordship of Jesus, most likely somewhere close to Paneas. It is also here, that Christ speaks about the building of the church. Ironically, the word church is only found twice in the gospels, both times in the gospel of Matthew.

Here in Matthew 16, Jesus declares that “on this rock, he will build the church. Now being from the midwest, Ohio and Michigan, are not well known for their massive rocks. Usually when we think of rocks we think of things able to be picked up and thrown. However, as one stands at the base of Mt. Hebron, the words of Jesus take on a new dimension. The rock within the context of the area, is a rock that cannot be moved. It is more of a mountain than a rock. The image of Mt. Hebron reinforces that the church will not be moved, and not even the gates of Hades shall prevail against it. Now while it is somewhat popular to bash against the institutionalized church, we ought to be reminded that for all the imperfections of the modern church and of church ages past, this is the praxis by which God is changing the world.

The Ancient Site of Paneas

A Corinthian Column from the 1st Century (Very common Roman architecture)

This church is the unmovable rock, the bride of Christ, the fellowship of believers, by which God is in the process of redeeming the world. This is what makes the church unique. No para-church organization or small group bible study is given the task of being the bride of Christ, and while these other organizations are important, it is the church, in its fullest biblical sense that has been made the avenue for God’s work. This is what makes membership and attendance to church so important. By being a part of a local body we are connecting into God’s design of redeeming the world.

This should also serve as a warning to churches, churches do not exist for the sole edification of one another, but to declare the Jesus has been raised from the dead, resurrection life is available to all, and that God is reclaiming and redeeming his world. With this all beginning with the church. In light of this, the church should be the place that most reflects the redemption of the world. Redemption begins with the church and then outflows through the church to the rest of the world. This is why the church must get its message and praxis right. The mission of God triumphing through the church to the outermost parts of the earth.

A City Gate from the Time of Abraham (Most likely entered through this gate in Genesis 14), Estimated to be about 3,500 years old!

A Nice shot of rushing water from Tel Dan (This tributary feeds into the Jordan River)

Today we started out on our four day, three night excursion to the region of Galilee. We started off the day at Caeserea, worked through the Jezreel Valley stopping at Mt. Carmel and Tel Meggido, before finishing our day at the city of Nazareth. I really enjoyed today as it directly relates to the Gospels and the life of Christ.

At Caeserea, we had the opportunity to explore the wonderful architecture of Herod the Great. If you’ve been reading for long, you know that I’ve been to several spots in Israel that had a Herod stamp on it. Herod had drastically changed the landscape of Israel, and Caeserea is no exception. Ports are important as they are the gateway to a good economy. Knowing this, Herod decided to build a port, where there was no port. Impossible was not a word that Herod operated with. Instead, he developed one of the most incredible ocean ports of its time. So outlandish that Herod used concrete that became solid, while under water.

Today, this is not such a feat, but remember this was right around the time of the first century. Before the invention of scuba equipment and without the aid mechanical engineering (in the modern sense). This was quite the architectural wonder of its day. This port city brought the Roman lifestyle to the inhabitants of this land, complete with a Roman theatre, hippodrome (for chariot races), and Roman Bathhouses.

The Port of Caesarea

The Roman Aqueducts

The port was also an ideological point of conflict. The Western Roman mindset was completely the opposite of the Eastern Jewish mindset. For basics, the Jews were a land based people, and for them the sea had no value. The sea represented chaos and everything unstable, as opposed to the land that represented stability. The sea as chaos is seen throughout the Old Testament narrative. Beginning with Genesis 1, God is hovering over the chaos of the water, including Noah, the Exodus, Psalm 107, and most emphatically with the story of Jonah. From these stories the sea was a place of instability, causing the Jews to stay away. Yet, here comes Herod, with his Roman attitude, and wanting to use the sea. Herod was directly challenging their value system by building a port. To value the port as a Jewish person, was to have a change of mind as to what was valuable.

Situated on the coast, it was easily connected to the north and to the south of Israel, allowing it to have a key economic advantage to the land to the east. It also was able to be connected to the rest of the world, such as Rome and Asia minor. This allowed the area to become an international destination between the east and west. The trade ships from the west not only brought their goods, they also brought their culture, their worldview, and their deities. This prompted an interesting position for Jews living in the area, as to what extent would they accommodate these new cultures and religions. How much accommodation is too much? For some Jews living in the hill country, they considered the Jews living by the coast as having given up their cultural identity, Once such point of conflict was the theatre. Were good Jews allowed to attend a Roman play? Certainly Torah was not taught at these events, and none of the Patriarchs ever attended a play. What it is a good Jewish father and mother supposed to tell their children, when they ask to go see a play? These are the types of situations that arose around the port city.

It seems as if we have the same debates today. What relationship should the church have to culture? Are there certain aspects of culture that are to be abstained from? What if we have no previous case example to go from? The answers are as numerous today as they were then. We have some groups, that prefer the isolationism, like those living in the hill country, who choose to retreat from culture. We also have groups, that like those along the coast, see culture and want to use it to all of its advantages. Like these groups, both sides tend to critique and belittle one another, and build there own ideas up as the right ones. I’m certainly not going to solve the problem, but somehow I’m reassured that we are not the first to struggle with this dilemma. However, we are called to bring resurrection type redemption to the world we live in, to be a light in the darkness, and to transform the world around us.

Nazareth at Sunset

On friday night, we celebrated a Shabbat meal, this is the typical dinner celebration that all Jewish people celebrate on the evening of Sabbath. Sabbath goes from friday sundown to saturday sundown. The Shabbat meal consists of passover elements of bread and wine/juice. During the partaking of the elemens, we read some selected Psalms, said some blessings. Throughout the first part of the meal there are four blessings. A blessing from Husband to wife, wife to husband, parents to son, parents to daughter. This blessings are in praise and based on a biblical text. After the blessings, and the reading of scripture, we sang some traditional songs in English and Hebrew as a time of thanksgiving. After this we had our meal (there are no specifications, as long as its kosher).

It was a really neat experience to have taken part of, and in some way probably wouldn’t be a bad celebration for most families to take part in. As family members are praised publicly once a week.

On saturday we had our 2nd exam in the afternoon. A few of us decided to go out to breakfast and study. With it being Sabbath there weren’t too many places open. But we were at least able to find one restaurant, where we scrounged up some coffee, had some omelets, and pita. It’s come to my attention that Pita bread is a main staple of every meal here. It’s not exactly like the Pita in the states, and by that I mean its better, and its more a curved round piece of bread than a round flat piece of bread. Lately, I’ve been craving a Grande Mocha from starbucks, so far nothing in Israel comes close to Starbucks. Needless to say, my first purchase back in Chicago will be Starbucks.

Tonight, I was able to sit in on a class, lead by Dr. Richard Smith from Taylor University. We are on this trip with about 20 Taylor students, and they are using this class to replace on of their Old or New Testament courses. Since this course is more of an OT focus, Dr. Smith needed to supplement the material with a class tonight on the Pauline epistles. We had a good conversation earlier in the day, on our thoughts on Paul and points that interest me and things that I think have been often overlooked. The class was great, given I like this stuff.

It’s been great to get to know Richard and his wife Julie, I’ll try and get a chance to take and post a picture of the three of us.

Tomorrow, we head out for a four day, three night excursion to the region of Galilee. I’m really excited for this portion of the trip, as it emphasizes the life of Christ, which is of extra interest to me. I’ll be able to post based on the availability of internet over the next few days. Surprisingly, we are headed into our last week. It’s quite a bittersweet feeling, as I love this land and the ability to learn on location. I’ve been amazed with the land and the people of Israel, as well as the great group of people from Taylor, who have quickly become our friends. Yet at the same time, I am excited to get back home, get back to “life”, and get back to Lisa. So I’m excited for the last week, with a hint of bittersweet.

“I am the Vine, you are the branches”

Some Artistic Shots I’ve Taken

Today we finished the third and final day of our expedition. We spent the day mostly at the site of Herod’s Temple at Masada. This was an amazing architectural accomplishment that Herod used to spend his time and impress the rest of the Roman Empire. Later around 68 AD, the leaders of the Jewish revolt fled Jerusalem and headed to Masada. This would be there home for the next few years, until Silva a Roman general was commanded to go in and “clean house.” Once again, another Herodian masterpiece.

The Approach to Masada (We walked up to the top!)

View From the Top

We then left Masada and headed to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is not only the lowest place on earth, it is also the the body of water with the largest percentage of Salt. The Dead Sea 2.5 times saltier than Salt Lake City in Utah.As I was wading in the Dead Sea, it was amazing to feel the buoyancy of the water. It was an interesting feeling being pushed up on the water. What many don’t tell you about the Dead Sea is how painful it is to be there. The salt concentration is so powerful that as one exits the sea, one feels a slow burn over their body. It’s also painful as the rocks on the bottom of the sea have razor sharp salt deposits. These sharp rocks cut into your feet, and the salt water immediately seeps in and burns. I luckily only received one small scratch on the bottom of my feet. Other students were not so lucky. It’s also painful as those who shave (men their faces, women their legs) have the salt water interacting with their freshly shaven skin. All in all, it was a good experience to float in the Dead Sea. It was quite warm today reaching about 75 degrees at the Dead Sea.

Approaching the Dead Sea

Floating in the Dead Sea

After the Dead Sea we headed En Gedi. This was the location that David found refuge in as Saul pursued him 1st Samuel 24. En Gedi is a overwhelming oasis in the middle of the desert. One almost forgets, amidst the numerous waterfalls, that one is in the desert. This location would have provided David the relief and protection he needed from Saul.

Waterfall in En Gedi

Another Waterfall in En Gedi

Looking out from En Gedi to the Dead Sea and the Wilderness Beyond

After En Gedi, we headed to the desert community of Qumran. This location in Qumran was home to a group called the Essenes. The Essenes had fled Jerusalem a little before the time of Jesus, thinking that the Saduccees and Pharisees and the temple had become corrupt. This was a highly conservative, ultra-fundamentalistic, group of people who withdrew to the desert. They withdrew from the community in hopes to purify Judaism and return it to its roots. The Qumran community of Essenes held to a belief in two Messiahs, one priestly and one political. They were known for there excessive rules and devout purification. Many similarities have been drawn between this group and John the Baptist, who was baptizing people less than twenty miles away. Leading some to believe that John was either schooled in this tradition and continued in it. Or he was trained and then at some point broke away, either way these two groups would have known each other,

Famous Cave #4 at Qumran

The Qumran community was discovered quite recently in 1950. It was discovered by a Bedouin shepherd who had lost one of his sheep and decided to throw a stone into a cave to scare it out. As the shepherd boy threw his rock he heard a loud crash. Unknowingly he had discovered the largest collection of copies of the Old Testament. The value of this find was priceless for Old and New Testament studies. For Old Testament studies, every book except for Esther was found. Bringing much textual support to the validity of the Old Testament text. As the copies found contained very few errors, most simple spelling errors. For New Testament, this gave insight to the thought process of a small group of Jews at the time before the first century. Interestingly enough the books of Psalms, Isaiah, and Deuteronomy had the most copies, which is strikingly interesting as these are the most quoted OT books in the New Testament.

On a more theological note, the Qumran community is a sad story. This group having thought that the current Jewish system was corrupt, and it probably was, fled and left. They went out into the desert to start their own community, with things they way the wanted, in hopes to please God and bring the Messiah. The Essenes were quite the isolationists. Hoping to rid evil from their community and remain pure. This theology if isolationism is quite prevalent in many churches today. Many churches operate on the basis of “if we keep them or it out, then we will be pure or right.” Not to step on too many toes of my theological tradition, but in Baptist circles this is known as secondary separation. This notion of if we separate ourselves from those we disagree with and with culture, then we will be right with God. It seems that this is contrary to the New Testament theological arc beginning with the incarnation of Christ.

It seems that if the incarnation is to teach us anything, at its most basic level, its about God coming into the world, to redeem and transform the world from the inside out. In a sense, God gets his hands dirty in the act of redeeming creation. This can also be clearly seen from Jesus’ own words, where he concludes that it is not what goes into a person that makes him unclean, its what comes out. For Jesus, impurity is an internal disease that spreads from the inside out. It’s solution is not found by working from the outside in, but the inside out. This is where the Essenes would have objected to the message of Jesus. The message of Jesus seemed to be entering into community an culture, not seeking an exit route.

We can see this clearly from Jesus’ own ministry, when we find him alongside the tax collector, leper, drunk, and sexually immoral (John 4). If the life and words of Jesus teach us anything, its about redeeming people and community from the inside out. It’s about getting personally involved, not withdrawing. This is where the Essenes went wrong and where the church today finds itself in danger. I wonder where this message finds the church today? Where would we find Jesus? What outcasts of the religious system would we find Jesus with? Who would we object to Jesus socializing with?

The more we think about this question, the more uncomfortable we may get with our Lord and Savior. Just as the Essenes and Pharisees objected to Jesus’ fellowship with sinners, so would the conservative leaders of our day. It seems as if we are always in danger of withdrawing and throwing in the towel. It’s certainly not an easy tight rope to walk, but somehow the life and ministry of Jesus is calling us to walk that balance of always loving, always forgiving, always hopeful, always redeeming, yet always challenging, always demanding obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord.

Today we visited three main areas. We were in the region of Arad, which is south west of Jerusalem. We visited Tel Arad, A Nabaetean city named Avadat (they dwelt between the Southern most part of Israel and Egypt.), this was on the major ancient spice route from Petra up north. We finished off the day at sunset at a site known as the “Crater”. It is about 1200 feet deep, and gives us a small glimpse of what the Israelites would have traveled through to get to the Promised Land. (See picture 1)

In Hebrew, there is a word that we usually tend to translate as wisdom. The Hebrew word is hacmah, which is more accurately understood as the “art of skillful living”, knowing how to live. The area of Arad and the biblical Negev is just this type of place. Skillful living is needed for survival out in the Negev. Foolishness is at one’s own peril. No wonder the biblical wisdom literature plays out its story in such terms. Foolishness is to be avoided and wisdom pursued, for one’s own life is at stake. It is also no coincidence that Psalm 1 begins “skillful living” with the requirement of a “fear of the Lord.” Not only is this land require wisdom, it also requires that someone from the outside intervene to provide life. The natural environment provides little sustenance for life.

Looking out into the Wilderness of the Negev in Arad

Yet, it was this area that the sons of Israel had to travel on their way out of Egypt. Egypt was the well watered, easy living, comfortable life, that sadly the Israelites had come to enjoy. Yet they are called through this wilderness to the promised land. While coming through this land, they needed the outside providence of Yahweh, to provide manna to ear. This promised land was not the same as Egypt, yet what was “promised” was that God would provide what they needed for the next day. H didn’t promise them the world, nor their every wish, He promised to provide what they needed each day. It’s no different in the New Testament with the Lord’s prayer; “Give us this day our daily bread.”

I wonder how “wise” we as Christians can be? Do we even have the circumstances to provoke skillful living? The Israelites learned wisdom through the scarcity not through the abundance. It seems that abundance breeds foolishness, and scarcity provokes one to think and meditate on their decisions. While the United States, may still be the richest country in the world, maybe this in and of itself has led to such an economic crisis. The overabundance has caused families to take out loans for houses they couldn’t afford and didn’t need, it was foolish. The economic downturn has already caused people to start to choose the pathway of wisdom. Hopefully through this trying time, people will begin to seek the pathway of wisdom, and live simply, so that others can simply live. The pathway of wisdom is carved out through the scarcity of the wilderness.

Canyon cutting through the Mountains

It’s not surprise that the wilderness breeds wisdom. The Nabateans were the sojourners of this land. They were known throughout the ancient world as the seat of wisdom. No wonder, they book of Job is thought to come out of this same wisdom literature tradition. The area was already known for its own wisdom literature. The Nabateans were some of the wisest people, even to this day. Somehow the Nabateans were able to make a life in the wilderness. They had been able to funnel the six inches of rain each year and grow the type of products Jerusalem grew on 12-14 inches of water per year. Scientists in the area today are still trying to figure out the Nabateans water system in the attempt to solve the current water problem in Israel.

It is also this area that the Apostle Paul spent the first three years after his conversion/calling. In Galatians 2 we find out that Paul went and spent three years in the land of Arabia. It was in the wilderness that God revealed himself to Paul, and most likely where Paul began formulating some of this theological wisdom, working through his Jewish upbringing and figuring out this Jewish matrix in light of Jesus Christ. This is where Paul was shaped and reformed to bring the light unto the Gentiles.

It’s interesting that many biblical characters spent a portion of their life in the wilderness. Abraham, Moses. Joseph, David, Jesus, and Paul all spent years in the wilderness as preparation for their ministries. Maybe this is tied to that art of skillful living, this wisdom tradition. The wilderness was a time of learning for each of this people, that shaped and prepared them for some of the biggest acts of God in history. While many people knock bible colleges and seminaries, as a waste of time, maybe this is just the preparation we need. Maybe not going to seminary or bible college is a foolish thing for people to do. I know of many pastors and Christian leaders who don’t have any degrees and treat this as a badge of honor. Maybe this is to their shame. If Paul can spend three years in the wilderness, you better believe we need at least, if not more than that, to begin to understand all that God has done in history.

Now while, I fully admit wisdom does not equal seminary, trust me there are alot of people here I would not characterize as wise. It is one of the only places you can set aside years of your life and devot your time to studying God’s word. We need more people who are able to navigate the complexities of life skillfully. Consider these words in Proverbs about the valued role of wisdom.

Proverbs 16:16: “How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

Proverbs 4:7 also says: ”The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”

May we have the heart of the father figure in Proverbs, who tells is son to above all “Get Wisdom!”

Here is a “hike”that we did today through a river valley and up a mountain, it took about an hour.

Me above the wilderness in Arad, above the main city along the Nabaetean Spice Route.

Same location as above, A Nabaetean Palace, rebuilt during the Roman Empire

The Wilderness at Sunset

Tomorrow it is the Dead Sea, visiting the sites of Qumran, En Gedi, and Masada. Should be a great day, high in the upper 70’s and a bunch of great sites to visit.

Luckily, I was able to find internet at this youth hostel we are staying at. The is most likely the world’s nicest youth hostel. I really didnt expect too much, but this place is awesome. It’s actually a little better than the facilities at JUC. We’ll be here for the next two nights as we check out the area of Arad, and then Thursday we’ll be at the dead sea.

Today we ventured to the cities of Sataf, Beth-Shemesh, Azeqah, and Lacish. It was a busy day as it begun our first three day excursion. We began the day at Sataf, where we were able to get a good picture of what the Shephelah, or foothills, looks like, The city of Sataf has no Biblical attachments, but does provide one with a clear picture of the lay of the land in this area. Sataf today is in a modern Israeli metro-park and is ocated about 25 minutes south east of Jerusalem, From here, we were able to see several biblical motifs. We saw vines which are a prominent motif throughout the book of Isaiah, in Psalm 80, and in John 15. We were also able to see olive trees terraced on the hill side. The “hike” was a pretty big trek down the mountain to the river valley and back up again.

Pics of the Trail (Dr. Miller would be proud of me, its not he Appalachian Trail, but it was pretty tough)

By far the most interesting part of the day was when we studied the geographical area surrounding the story of Samson, that we find in the book of Judges. From the city of Beth-Shemesh we were able to have a good angle to view the prominent cities in this story, Samson was from Zorah and is located in the Judean portion of the foot lands. However, the Philistines were also located along the coast cities of Gaza, Ekron, and Gath, and were starting to move east. Judges 1 sets the story for Samson, according to the allotments, Dan was given the Hill country to take over, but up to this point, they had remained in the hills out of fear of the Philistines.

Area of Zorah (Samson’s birthplace: on the Hill ridge, just right of center)

Land of Ekron and Timnah (Philistine settlements, where Samson lit the fields on fire- Judges 15)

Typically, in a Eastern culture, it is normal to marry one’s second or third cousin, The thought behind this idea was to keep the family tied close together and keep the resources “in house.” Part of Samson’s character is revealed in chapter fourteen, when he begins to seek a wife in the city of Timnah, a Philistinian controlled city. His fathers response, which indicated the cultural norm is found in verse 14. Timnah, at the time of Samson, was a very cosmopolitan city and Samson is from Zorah a small country town. Samson enters the big city, and is attracted to the glitz, glamour, and women of the big city. While the story of Samson fits the geographical landscape perfectly, it is somewhat troubling theologically, as one tries to understand this twisted narrative. I’ll leave the theological interpretation up to your theological paradigms, but it should provide at least some uncomfortableness for every one of us.

In an odd turn of events, Samson gets married to this unnamed woman of Timnah, but by the end of the chapter he leaves her and heads out to kill some Philistines. His father confused by the matter, gives his new wife to his best man to sleep with, who happens to be Philistine (bad sign), this leads to the fox incident of 15;4-6. When Samson releases the 300 foxes, it burns the entire fields of grain of the Philistines, completely destroying their economy. He then heads to Gaza, the innermost heartland of the Philistine territory, takes their city gate (think someone stealing the Pentagon), and carries it 40 miles, up and over mountains, back to Hebron.

Towards the end of his life, Samson meets Delilah and as the story goes is captured and taken back to Gaza, the city he helped ruin in the previous chapters. In a turning of the tables, Samson is made to tread grain, which he previously helped destroy, during the worship of Dagon, the god of grain. He then brings the temple down killing himself and everyone inside. This allows the Israelites to retake the land they had originally been given. This sets up the book of First Samuel, where the people move back down into the valleys, and do to the tension with the Philistines, now want their own king.

Samson, in his life, dealt and received a whole lot of violence. More disturbing is that this violence is usually prefaced by the phrase “ and the spirit of the Lord rushed into him.” On top of the extreme violence, Solomon sleeps with no less than three women in this narrative. Probably, not the best example of a healthy marriage. In the end, the Israelites return to the land, but what about Samson? What are we supposed to learn from him? He took a nazarite vow, that he never kept, committed multiple acts of violence, slept with a few women, and left his life in shambles. His only bright and shining moments seem to be when, he wanted to challenge the Israelites to take by their land, and when he committed to right his wrongs at the end of his life.

I don’t know what to take away from this story, but it does cause me to want to research this topic further. My best bet, would not be to take anything away from the life of Samson. As in my view he acts as a type of anti-hero. Especially when compared with the story of Boaz and Ruth, which is also set within the time of the period of Judges. I’m curious as to how this narrative fits into the book of Judges and into the narrative of the Old Testament. It seems like Hollywood would have a fun time making this story into a movie. Needless to say, the story is intriguing, captivating, and complex.

We also had a chance to see where the battle of David and Goliath took place.
Between the Sorek Valley and the Valley of Elah (About where the highway hooks right, toward the top of the photo)

Last but not least, we were able to see a Roman Road from the first century, complete with Roman mile marker. According to Roman law, a Roman soldier was allowed to ask any free person to carry their equipment for one mile. This is also most likely the road that Philip met the Ethiopia Eunuch on in Acts 8:26-40.

I want to take the time for this entry to post about some of the cultural/culinary/and extra-curricular activities I have been up to. This past Sunday we had a “free day”, which means we had no class, trips or lecture. It was a nice time to relax. Although we did have to study for an exam that was on Monday.

On Sunday, Nathan and I went to Christ Church in Jerusalem. We had a great service. It was a high-institution, high liturgy type church. Which was very refreshing. We read scripture together according to the liturgical calendar, we read creeds, sang, and even had communion which was really good.

Even though the service was in english, we had a chance to sing in Hebrew, that was probably one of the highlights for me. Another highlight was the communion. It was very different than I am typically used to seeing. Each member was dismissed by row and went to the front where we kneeled. The pastor then brought the bread by and gave it to each of us saying “Christ’s body broken for you.” But as he did this he actually broke the cracker in your hand. It was a powerful image. The pastor then said “this is Christ’s blood shed for you.” Which we then all shared the same cup.

I think this truly captured the essence of one body. Too often, we as westerners are germa-phobes and lose out on some of the imagery that communion is supposed to communicate. We have individualized such a unifying symbol of the Christian Faith. I don’t understand what part about looking forward, having our own juice and our own bread communicates oneness. It was also neat to watch other taking communion and participating in the body of Christ. Plus, what better place to celebrate the Eucharist than where it first began 2,000 years ago.

Later that night, a group of us (read Nathan, me, and a group of about 15 Taylor University students, see pic below.) went out to enjoy some authentic off the street Jewish food. We ended up getting Shwarmas. Now many of you are probably wondering what that is. Shwarma is basically a pita bread shell, with cut up vegetables, hummus, potato chips, and turkey or beef. The meat is slow grilled all day. This is all wrapped up in aluminum foil. Think of the size of a Qdoba burrito but bigger. Needless to say, Shwarma was great. Sadly, I didnt take a picture of it.

Here are some pics from the past week that I haven’t posted.

We’ve had the awesome priveledge to meet about 20 Taylor University freshman. This course is counting for their Old Testament Intro course. We’ve really become good friends in this short time. Each one of them has a unique story and bring a unique element to this trip. It’s been fun getting to know them over the past 8 days.

Here is a picture of the Wall from the Time of David, and our Professor Dr. Paul Wright. This is what class usually looks like as well.

St. Anne’s Church ( next to the Pools of Bethsaida) The room had amazing acoustics that really held out the sound. We had a small Hymnn-Sing here. In the top 10 highlights of the trip.

This is a mountain from out in the wilderness near Jericho. Quite massive, this is the land of the Sheperd, David was no wimp.

Well the next few days we will be heading east for about 3 days. Sadly, we won’t have internet where we are going. So the blog updates will be a little lacking. When I get back, I will post one per day, so it may be a little behind in schedule. Luckily on Thursday we will be at the Dead Sea, with a chance to go in. I’m also looking forward to seeing En Gedi (1st Samuel 24) and Qumran (Home to the Dead Sea Scrolls, DSS). The DSS have revolutionized the study of the New Testament. Cya when I get back!

Today we saw the locations of the Mount of Olives, The Herodian, and Bethlehem. Tomorrow we have a day off. I may just post some pictures with some short descriptions. It’s been a long week with 10-11 hour classes.

What impressed me most today was learning about the mount of olives. One of the more famous spots within Israel. One immediately thinks of the gospels, which we will get to in a minute. This mountain had a important role before the time of Jesus, in the life of King David. In the book of Second Samuel nineteen, we have David fleeing from his son Absalom. This whole chapter is bringing to close a narrative event from 2nd Samuel 8-20. Within these chapters, we have a commentary on the ethics of King David. In chapter fifteen, David flees after his son Absalom conspires against him and steals the kingdom. When David flees he flees by going through the Kidron Valley, up and over the mount of olives, and into the wilderness. David leaves the city weeping knowing he has lost his kingdom. In chapter nineteen we have David coming back, the same route, rejoicing that his kingdom has been returned.

If we fast forward to the gospels, we have a similar event happening within the life of Christ. In Luke 18-19, we have Jesus traveling through Jericho, meeting the blind man (ch.18 ) and Zacchaeus (ch. 19), on his last trip to Jerusalem. He then makes a small stop in Bethany and then proceeds to the mount of olives. The city is busy as people are preparing for passover and it is from the mount, after the triumphal entry, that Jesus weeps over the city. From the mount of olives, across the Kidron Valley, one can easily see the city of David to the west. Unlike David’s entry to the city, Jesus enters the city weeping knowing that He is bringing the kingdom.

Classic Panoramic of Israel (The 2nd Temple is just to the left of the Dome of the Rock)

From here, His disciples and Him return to the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemene. Jesus prays that this part of his mission will be taken from Him. It’s an interesting choice Jesus has to make. From the Kidron Valley Jesus has two options. He can either head west into the city of Jerusalem and to crucifixion. He can also decide to head east, and within five minutes be up over the mount of olives and into the wilderness, leaving all the pain and shame behind. If Jesus didn’t want to die, it was a quick and easy escape route. He could skip all the humiliation and pain and never need to return. The situation was tempting, the alternative option was an easy route, where He could easily find solitude in the barren wilderness. Jesus, however heads west, into the city, and towards redemption.

Picture from the viewpoint of the Kidron Valley (Jerusalem is to the Right and The Mount of Olives and Wilderness is to the left. Jesus and the disciples would have been down in the canyon.)

I would want to argue that the disciples faced this same choice. In Acts 1, we have the ascension of Jesus on none other than the mount of olives. After Jesus leaves, I think the disciples must have thought the same thought. Do we go into Jerusalem, where Jesus promised we would face persecution, or do we escape into the wilderness and just forget everything that happened? The disciples could have easily vanished into the mountainous region of the wilderness and found a new life. Yet their obedience to follow Jesus has resulted in many more disciples of Christ. To obey was to go into the dirty and busy city, and pick up where Jesus left off. Our situation is no different. We are to go to the hurting, the broken, the ones on the fringes of society and pick up where Jesus left off. Ironically, I think the church has become that “wilderness” that we run into, to really avoid the places where Jesus may be calling us to go. Somehow in church, we tend to not see the type of people Jesus was typically seen around. I think the burden of responsibility relies on each and every one of us, through the church, to pick up where Jesus left off.

Another interesting location today was the Herodian, one of Herod the Great’s places. I have a particular interest in the life of Herod for two reasons. One, I’ve done research in the area during some of my undergrad time. Second, through that research, I’ve discovered Herod to be an amazingly profound and interesting man. As well as a very broken and troubled individual. To read his life story from a primary source check out Jospehus’s “Jewish Wars.” Here the historian gives a first hand account of King Herod’s life. Hollywood has trouble making some of this stuff up. His life was filled with tremendous building project, that still dot the landscape of Israel to this day. His monuments were about as big as his ego. At the same time, he also lived a very troubling life, always suspicious of others, and some believe even had schizophrenia. He eventually died from what most people think was syphilis.

The Herodian (One of Herod’s pools in the front, the palace is the mountain in the back.

View from on top of the mountain looking into the palace.

While standing among the ruins, which overlook the city of Bethlehem, one is struck by an interesting contrast. Here the large Herodian palace looms over tiny, little, insignificant Bethlehem. What I was thinking about was the fact that the way of Jesus is not the way of Herod. Jesus never built anything and didn’t seem to live any tangible footprints on the land. But somehow this was God’s plan. Too many times, I think we try to follow Jesus in the a Herodian type way. Not least in politics or financial matters. We want the grandness, the fame, the security, and we want to follow Jesus too. We need to begin to realize that the way of Jesus is not the way of Herod, they head in different directions. We cannot get where Jesus is going by acting like little Herods. The way of Jesus may not bring is the benefits that Herod afforded. The outcomes of Herod’s pursuits are now ruins. The outcome of Jesus work, is a living and active community of disciples, changed from the inside out, and turning the world upside down.

Here’s a picture of me standing on top of a pillar in Herod’s mountain palace.