Jordan - Day 4

For our last day in the land of Jordan we got to visit a number of places. Our first stop was at Kir - the capital of Moab. Here there was a Crusader castle located on the site. It was actually quite impressive, in that much of the castle was still covered having the ceiling intact. Kir is also the city that can connect to the Cisjordan through a land bridge in the Dead Sea when there is a drought. Moab can then get to the city of Masada, by taking this land bridge. From Kir we traveled to a look out spot near the Arnon canyon.

The Arnon canyon is the divider between Moab and the Medeba Plateau. The Medeba Plateau is the contested area between Israel and Moab, and also Ammon. These three kingdoms surround this piece of land and all claim ownership. The King's Highway also passes through the Arnon canyon, which means one has to choose to either zig-zag through the canyon or take the Desert Highway instead. Though the Desert Highway posses its own problems, like lack of ready resources and less protection against marauding 'desert pirates'. The Arnon canyon is really impressive, as any canyon this size would be. As we traveled down into it and up the other side you could get a glimpse of the Dead Sea, which this canyon drains into.

From the Arnon we went to Dibon, a city located just north of the canyon. At this site was found the Mesha Stele, which is a Moabite stone that relates the conflict between Moab and Israel. This city is also important, especially to Moab, because it is one of the few footholds Moab has in the Medeba plateau area. Moab consists of Senonian rock, which is associated with a shepherding lifestyle. You can see this emphasis on shepherding, especially for Moab, in the Bible where specifically states that even the king was a sheep herder (2 Kings 3).

From Dibon we went to see the Medeba Map located inside a very beautifully decorated church. The Medeba Map includes the area from Dan to Beersheba plus Egypt and Asia Minor. It is supposed to cover the major lands mentioned in the Bible. It is also eastern oriented and makes Jerusalem the largest and most detailed city on the map. This is due to the prominence given to Jerusalem in the Bible. It actually was a very interesting map, especially in how they represented different things. Though, it was hard to get a picture of the entire map since it spanned a good deal of the floor.

After we picked up our lunches we went to our last stop for Jordan, and for our Physical Settings class as a whole. We stopped at a nice look-out area on Mount Nebo. This is the mount that is mentioned at the end of Deuteronomy. God brings Moses up on this mount to give him a prophetic view of the land that the Israelites will (or at least were supposed to) possess. However, Moses himself is not allowed to enter the Promised Land due to his sin in the desert. We could get a nice view of the land from here, but no where near the view Moses had. Though, apparently it has been rumored that on really clear days people have thought that they saw the glimmers of the Mediterranean Sea. So who knows, maybe Moses was able to see the entire land or God may have miraculously shown him.

We also discussed here the theme of Deuteronomy being - remember. Remember what God has brought you through and what He has done. The question now is, will I remember what I learned about the land of the Bible when I leave? Will I choose to allow it to shape and deepen the way I read the Bible? Will choose to take what I learned and allow it to change me? I think we all should learn from Deuteronomy and never forget to remember, but also take it that a step further by choosing faith.

~Jennilee~
P.S. I love you all and miss you. I can't believe this experience is almost over. We are all in crunch mode as our papers and finals are soon upon us. But as I realize that I will be leaving here, I think I have come to a better appreciation of this blessing. At first I must admit that I missed my home land rather strongly. However, God has helped me to appreciate Israel and all that Israel has to offer. I also will cherish many a long term friendship that would not have come to be without God directing my steps to this place. Well, Praise be to God, and may He have the glory through all that I have learned both inside and outside the classroom.
I can't wait to see you all.
Love you!

Jordan - Day 3 (Petra)

On our third day in Jordan we woke up bright and early so we could head out to Petra as soon as possible and spend the first part of out day there. This city was created by the Nabateans, who were nomadic spice traders. They were the only ones to conquer the desert and mastered the crossing of it from Arabia to the Mediterranean coast (or at least the Negev area). Petra is their most magnificent city carved out of Eocene stone. Eocene is very clay-like and easier to build out of instead of with. As we walked into the city, which was originally thought to be solely a burial place, the beauty of our surroundings was amazing. It takes about 20 minutes to actually get into the city as you walk through a small canyon pathway with high cliffs on both sides. Along the side of the cliff the Nabateans had constructed a pipe line to bring fresh water into the city. This is one of the reasons people now think that the Nabateans lived in Petra, instead of just building tombs here. For why would they need to water the dead, Zafer (our tour guide) poignantly pointed out. Also, as we were walking in we would come to a rectangle carved into the wall with blocks representing the Nabatean gods inside. Apparently, they did not like to picture their gods as human, but instead chose this more geometric shape. We found these representations about four or five times as we walked into the city.

The canyon finally opened up to the remarkable treasury building that is featured in Indian Jones. Though, there was no treasure inside or knight guarding the Holy Grail, the outside was still very impressive. It was highly decorated especially at the top, with large pillars creating a striking entry. And yes, I did get a picture in front of it. From here Nicole and I walked farther into the city and got to visit many interesting Bedouin shops. We walked all the way to the restaurant that is close to the base of the stairs that lead to a monastery. We didn't go up there, but decided instead to head back in the direction of the treasury. On our way back we stopped and talked with a Bedouin shop keeper for over an hour. It was very cool, especially for Nicole who feels called to the Middle East. The hospitality of the people here is definitely unmatched, especially if compared to Americans. We could learn a lesson or two from the Bedouins.

After we quickly walked out of Petra (due to the fact that we were a little late for lunch), we had lunch and moved on to the tell of Bozrah. Bozrah is the capital of Edom; it is very high and elevated. The Bible uses this imagery of Bozrah being high to represent Edom's tendency toward pride. Also, since Bozrah is so high it naturally is hard to attack. Bozrah has other positive points as well. For instance, this city connects to Gaza though an east to west trade route. This is important, because trade and connections are everything - especially for Edom who is the middle man between the desert and the coast. Edom is connected to Arabia which brings a lot of revenue through their spice trade, and when they can get into the Negev they can bring the spices to the Mediterranean Sea. This is why so often Edom is threatening Israel who holds claim to the Negev. Apart from the positive aspects of Edom they also must deal with some negative. For instance, they do not have access to a lot of water. Without water you cannot live, so this is always an issue for them. They also do not have a lot of natural resources, most likely partially due to not having a lot of water. Edom consists of Senonian rock which lends itself to a shepherding lifestyle instead of farming, so this too would be a reason. Finally, they must deal with Israel if they want to expand, because their only direction of expansion is into the Negev. So this can be a problem for them.

~Jennilee~

Jordan - Day 2

Our first stop of on the second day in Jordan was Rabbah Ammon. This city is considered the "city of waters" because it has powerful springs. The Jabbok wadi even originates from here. Rabbah Ammon is located on a section of Senonian rock that is surrounded on three sides by Cenomanian rock. This orients the land to the east because this is the one open side not touched by Cenomanian. Rabbah Ammon is also the intersection for the King's Highway (that stays closer to the Rift Valley) and the Desert Highway (which, obviously, stays near the desert). Ammon can also connect itself to the west through the Fariah Valley, but only if it can get through the Dome of Gilead. Since connections are always one of the most important things, Ammon naturally will try to reach into the Dome of Gilead and also the Medeba Plateau.

One can also tell that a lot of sharing of ideas took place in this land. This can be seen at Rabbah Ammon in the Israelite style walls. It was common for the Israelites to interchange the blocks on the wall with the long side facing out and then the short side (called "headers and stretchers"). Here this is also the technique used by the Ammonites.

From Rabbah Ammon we traveled to the huge and impressive Decapolis city of Garasa. Believe me, we walked all over this site, and I am sure it took us more than an hour. First, we stopped at the Hippodrome. This is the stadium used for chariot races. Apparently, though unfortunately I didn't personally see it, one of the students from my group got to ride a horse in the Hippodrome. She loves horses, so it definitely was the highlight of her day (and probably entire trip). From here we "pressed on" (our guides favorite phrase) to the temple of Zeus. This temple is literally about fifteen feet from a theater. It would be similar to connecting a church to a movie theater, so one can get some religion in before they are mindlessly entertained.

At this first theater we got to listen to a man on the bagpipe and one on the drums play music. Marcus, a student in my group, actually joined them on the drums during one song. Also, later after they played Amazing Grace (per our request) students got to dance in the theater joined by another tourist. It was really fun and amusing to watch. We next went down the Cardo, or main street. Apparently, when the columns are raised at certain points it is an indicator that this is the entrance to an important building or commerce area. We traveled farther into the site and got to see another temple as well as three different churches. During the Byzantine era Christians would destroy previously pagan temples and build churches over them. One of them at Garasa even had an inscription over the door that said basically that. The mosaics on the floor of the churches are slowly disappearing as being keep walking on them. Zafer, our tour guide, also said that tour guides in the past would take a piece of the mosaic and give it to their tourists, which is another reason why they are slowly disappearing. It is really too bad that such a beautiful piece of history is sometimes not well preserved.

So we continued through the site and came back around to the restaurant located there for lunch. After lunch we left Garasa and stopped near part of the Jabbok River. Here we read Genesis 28:12f, 32:6 where Jacob crosses the Jabbok on his way back to Israel (after he spent his time with Laban acquiring wives). Jacob means "deceiver", which he basically was with his brother and father. However, later Jacob is renamed to Israel, which means "the one who has striven with God". We discussed that Israel chooses to believe God and walk back into the promise and the Promised Land. He doesn't let go and God blesses his faithfulness.

Our last stretch of the night was a four our bus ride to Petra. We got in around 9:30pm. That next morning we were going to get up early and spend our morning in the beautiful site of ancient Petra.

~Jennilee~

Jordan - Our Last Field Study (Day 1)

Our entrance into Jordan went pretty smoothly. We took our normal Net Buses to the Border station and then switched to Jordanian buses, with Jordanian drivers, a Jordanian tourist police escort, and our Jordanian tour guide - Zafer. These are all just regulations, Jordan is not terribly unsafe or anything.

We first visited the tell of Succoth. This city was located on the Transjordan side of the Rift Valley. One can see a big difference in the way of agriculture when it comes to the east and west sides of the Rift Valley. The Transjordan mountains get a lot of rain because they are very high. This rain is then drained down into the Rift Valley. Now because the east side if the Rift Valley would have more agriculture the majority of travel for trade and what not would pass on this side. Succoth was a very popular city because of this reason. Succoth is located right on the east side of the Rift Valley, which makes it a really good resting point for travelers and traders. Here we also talked about Judges 8 where Gidean pursues his enemies to Succoth and Penuel. These people would not help Gidean and later were punished for their lack of aid.

After Succoth we visited Pella (the Old Testament site here was called Pehel). This Decapolis city is located on the opposite side of the Rift Valley from Scythopolis. From here one can locate Mt. Giboa and the Hills of Moreh if you look across the Rift Valley.

Next, we travelled to Gadara. Gadara was a rather large Decapolis city. It has a very nice theater on the site. Apparently, each Decapolis city would have a theater constructed in their own unique way. Therefore, each Decapolis theater would reflect the character of that specific city. Located at Geddara is also an octagonal church. It is suggested that octagonal churches were used to commemorate different events in Jesus' life. For instance, the one at Geddara commemorated the "pig story" that took place very near here. Geddara is also located just south of the Yarmuk wadi and close enough to the Sea of Galilee that we could view it from the site.

Our final stop was at Ramoth Gilead. Ramoth Gilead is very important because Damascus sees this city as an extension of itself and Israel sees this city as their access to Damascus. Whenever Israel came up against Damascus they went through Ramoth Gilead, as you can see in 1 Kings 23 and 2 Kings 8. Ramoth Gilead also has major connections bringing in much trade. For example, those in Arabia would come up this way to take the route that leads through the Jezreel Valley to the coast. Everyone inland is always trying to get to the coast and everyone on the coast is trying to get inland. Trade is the main source of wealth for this land. This puts those cities connecting the two areas in prime position for making a lot of money.

We finally came to our rest in Ammon, the capital of Jordan. A number of us went out to Star Bucks because there are no Star Bucks in Israel, and therefore this was our only chance to have "real" coffee (or hot chocolate for me) before we get home. It was actually really fun, other than finding out that we took the most expensive taxi to the place. Apparently, you should never take the white ones, but look for the yellow ones (well, we at least learned for our way back). Claire met a Jewish student from Chicago that is here for a semester. I think he is studying in Jordan, but I am not certain. It was fun all the same, and I got to take a few sugar packets with Arabic on them. After that Claire and I watched television in our really nice room; which had a towel warmer, safe, mini-frig, and telephone in the bathroom.

~Jennilee~

I WENT TO JORDAN!

Hey everyone, Jennilee and I just got back from our tour of Jordan. We had a great time and saw tons of wonderful places. We will be updating you all soon, and getting pictures to you as well!

So come back later if you want to hear about:
Impromptu tea with Bedouins!
Haggling our way to a donkey ride up the side of a mountain!
Riding a donkey up the side of a mountain!
Illegally jumping the fence into the treasury at Petra!
What's inside the treasury at Petra!
Rock Climbing up to a tomb!
Riding a horse out of Petra!
Singing in the theater at Gergasa!

All this and more can be yours... but you will have to come back later!


Love you and Miss you, Claire Elizabeth

What a SURPRISE!

Boy were we surprised this morning. Jennilee and I were sitting side by side in the Library working on our Hebrew skills, when Nicole tells us we should go check our mail. What do you know, if we both didn't have a package from Jennifer! Gosh were we excited as we tore into those packages. It was like Christmas in November! We would like to thank Jennifer from the bottom of our Israeli hearts for her kindness. Jennilee as you can see opened her crafts a.s.a.p. We miss you Jennifer and can't wait to see you again!

Love, Claire

Stick to the Status Quo

You probably don't know about the status quo. Its a system for the different catholic sects to keep order in the Holy Seplicre. See down to the last rock each sect knows what they own and what they take care of. In fact they have been fighting over who really owns the roof for so long now that its in danger of falling in. It is when they keep this status quo that all of the sects get along. It is when they don't that we see what really happens when we start focusing on works and not on what Christ has done for us.


This took place on Nov. 9th. Supposedly it happens every year, and we should be happy no one is dead.

A Sunday in the Old City

So despite still be a tad sick, I ventured out this Sunday with some friends. (Gosh have I been sick!) Anyway, we started the day at the Temple Mount. We got there and the line was so long we thought we might have to leave but we waited in line with the tourist groups and ended up making it to the platform eventually. I think I almost got kicked out because they thought my skirt was too short! Did you know your can't bring a Bible onto the platform? I guess Muslims aren't really into the Bible. Let me just say, it was breathtakingly beautiful. My heart began to pound as I pondered the Holy Spirit choosing this place to dwell. Also, the dome is just so beautiful to look at. Someone told me that its considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and I can see why!

We then headed off to the Baptist Church, were we always feel at Home and Welcome.

THEN, we went to have lunch at Tiffany and Nathans apartment in the Old City. It was really a nice place. Plus, we made American breakfast of Pancakes and eggs! It was a wonderful time of fun and fellowship!

Dome of the Rock, The Streets of the Old City, and The Baptist Church

My Best Friend, Francis

I am writing about Fran so that I never forget him, he is such a good cat. He was abandoned by his cat family and adopted by ours. We have all pitched in to buy his medicine. I have to give him his meds twice a day, but he takes them like a champ. He is such a runt, less than a pound at almost two months, but he is growing fast! I will keep you updated on his health. He has put on weight and his eyes are now completely open! He may stay a yard cat at the school, but I know a few people who are thinking about taking him home! I think he is getting his shots today!

More Franken-Fran Pictures

I WON I WON!

So we celebrated Halloween here at JUC, and I went dressed as the Rosh Pina Sil, which is the Basalt Rock plug at the top of the sea of Galilee... and I won the best costume! Here is what the school news letter said:
Thanks once again to our Student Activities team for their inspiration of the Fall Festivus. Everyone attending the mystery dinner had fun – even if there were no utensils to eat the spaghetti sauce and the noodles came with the dessert! Congratulations to Claire Regan aka The Rosh Pina Sill (the basalt plug that forms the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee). She was the unanimous winner of the best costume at the Fall Festivus!(Description: Dressed in Black because Basalt is black volcanic rock, the Blue ribbon is the Jordan River, The plugs all over is because I am the Basalt plug, my hair is supposed to look like it got shocked!)

My prize was 5 sheckles in the bookstore, I may put it toward the sweatshirt I have been eyeing...

Well I have been pretty sick... THE GALILEE

Well I did it again, another weekend, another field study. I wish I could say that I was totally thrilled about leaving for four days, but I have to admit I was weary of spending so much time away from work and having the prospect of missing my registration (After some convincing I arranged the registrar to register for me!). So Here I am back at school and praising God for a wonderful weekend. I was in good spirits as we left, mainly because I decided on furthering my education at grad school. Yes that is right, me at grad school. So things were looking up. I need to start writing about my trip now because I don’t want to waste Cindy’s time on my personal life. Here we go…

In General

On this trip we headed north into the Galilee, the Jezreel Valley, and some of the coastal plains. This land is important because of its rich agricultural contributions. As we are learning the rules of rain fall here are north, high, and west… so we should have known that this was going to be a very wet weekend, but more on that later. This was truly a beautiful land, I could believe that if I drove a few hours south I would hit a dessert. I guess that’s due to all of the mountain ranges. Anyway I love it, it was beautiful.

Day #1

Due to recent vitamin taking, I started his day with a lot of energy, however, my first thing in my notes, was that I was feeling nauseous. Little did I know that this was the beginning of a lovely 72 hour stomach virus. No worries, I kept in good spirits. We began the day orienting ourselves around the rift valley. That’s the one that runs the length of the Jordan. Which really isn’t that mighty after all. We got to see the the fence border between Israel and Jordan and I wrote down to tell you that there is a road right next to it for patrol cars. Between the road and the fence there is a dirt space that the soldiers comb out and check for foot prints. I thought that was pretty cool. Warning: I am about to start using City names, and I know I will butcher all of the spelling. Thank you.

Bet She’an/ Skytopolis

This was quite possibly my favorite spot of the weekend. I was hesitant to say so, because it was our first real stop, but the ruins were awesome. This roman city was HUGE. It had everything including a theatre, a bath house, and some sweet ancient public bathrooms. That was the new testament city, the old testament city had a governors house from an Egyptians were that found hieroglyphs carved into a stone. There is also a ton of columns still standing. Supposedly the city was destroyed in the great earthquake of 769 a.d.? This seemed to be a theme among all the ruins we visited. The city lies in the Jezreel Valley. Its sister city is Rahov, which was famous for its honey.

On Top of Mt. Gilboa

Mt. Gilboa is actually in reference to the entire mountain range. The Actual mountain range is at the elbow of the right angle shape of this ridge. We couldn’t see very clearly from the top of the mountain, but we could make out Mt. Carmel and the Hills of Moreh. While on top we talked of how King Saul and his sons came to this mountain to flee the Midianites, and was unsuccessful. We also discussed the story of Gideon, and how he was called to be a judge. His battle took place in the Jezreel Valley, which we were looking over at the time. Gideon’s army was stationed at the base of Mt. Gilboa.

Zippori

Our next stop was Zippori, this huge city was home to a ton of mosaics, so we were happy to finally see some art work. At least I was. There was a roman villa there that had been restored and on the floor was a woman they call the Mona Lisa of the Galilee. Actually I thought that she was much prettier. This city was very much a mixture of Hellenism and Judaism, as is evident but the mosaic on the floor of their synagogue, which displays both a zodiac and the history of the Jews. On our way to the kibbutz that night we tried to climb down the cliffs of Arbel, but they told us it was closed so we had to go on Monday.

The Diggs

I would like to say a few things about the place we stayed. I forgot to take a picture but it was a pleasure. It was this resort kind of thing run by a kibbutz on the shore of the Galilee and we got to stay in these lovely little apartment like house. The food was an absolute pleasure. It’s in En Gev, and I would suggest it to anyone.

Day #2 Approaches to the Sea of Galilee

We set off in the rain and got to see bananas and mango growing on either side of the road. I thought that was pretty neat. I was starting to wonder why Galilee wasn’t the whole chosen land.

Hazor

I couldn’t remember Hazor, and now I know why. It started to rain here. That and my stomach felt like someone was ripping it out. It sits in the Hulah basin, and kinda looked a lot like other tells we had been to. It did have a solomonic gate which I am getting really good at picking out. David, Solomon, and Ahab all rebuilt Hazor at one time or another. Cindy told us this cool story about how a kid found a clay tablet there recently while he kicked around in the dirt. So we all kicked around in the dirt while she was talking. There was a neat olive press there, where we learned that the first press of the olives is going to make your best oil. When Cindy gave us some free time it started to pour and we ran for shelter.

Tel Dan

Jennilee and I both loved Dan because it is one of the only places in Israel that has fall. To get to the tell you have to go on this amazing nature walk along the spring of Dan. It was so beautiful and reminded us all of the states. We really enjoyed our time there. It had stopped raining some and we got to the part of the tel where Jeroboam built his huge alter to idols. We sat on the steps of temple while we discussed what we thought the sin of Jeroboam actually way. Then we headed over to the gate complex and I SAW A REAL LIVE SCORPION. I thought all of these bug like things grew in pet stores, but I guess I was wrong. First a tarantula and now a scorpion. It was really small, and black. But Cindy told us that we should only worry about the yellow ones. Personally I don’t care if its pink, it just needs to stay out of my area. I screamed and almost cussed under my breath. I think I will stick to cats. There was also an old Canaanite mud gate there that we crawled all over. It is the only one of its kind left, because they covered it over for some reason. They are still in the middle of uncovering it.

Banias

I really enjoyed this stop in the trip, but I didn’t take notes or take pictures because I thought it was a stop to just look at something (crazy right? ) Anyway we stopped to have lunch and then we and looked at the sight of all these ancient pagan temples. There was a cave there that they used to throw human sacrifices down and if bold came up they thought that Pan had not accepted the sacrifice. This place was neat in that it was a huge rock face that gave an abundance of water. They used to refer to this at the gates of Hell which is why they think this is where Jesus anointed Peter as the head of the Church. It would be a good place to point at all of the rocks as an illustration to that story. I am starting to think that Jesus taught a lot in object lessons or things really relevant to people in the area that they were in. He was pretty awesome not going to lie.

Golan Heights

I figure I can lump this all in together. The end of the day was so cool. We drove to the top of a huge mountain, which ended up being Nimrod, the site of a crusader castle. Well actually two castles. This site doesn’t really have any biblical connotations, but it was just pretty darn cool. From here we could see a colony of Druze people. These are a strange group of about 500 families that have lived in their own community for hundreds of years. You can only marry other druze people and if you leave the colony they will find you and kill you. As you get older you move up ranks and they let you in on more of their secrets. Their religion is based in Muslim but only part way. They believe that one day the messiah will one day the messiah will be born to a man, and the elders where these low sagging pants in anticipation. I am not lying. Next stop was to the volcano cones in the upper Golan Heights. We were right on the border looking into Lebanon. It was lovely to watch as the sun went down and look into the no-mans land that buffers the borders.

Day #3 Galilee Day!

This is the day I sucked it up and bought an umbrella. Best 23 sheks I ever spent.

Hippus the Decapolis City

Hippus was neat in that it was right neat En Gev where we were staying, and that it was built completely from Basalt, which is black volcanic rock. We piled out in the rain and walked up this long path way all the way to the top of the hill. On our way we passed some very nice barbed wire patches with signs warning us about land mines. Nothing makes my morning like nothing I could blow up at any moment. What struck me when I first entered the city was the length of their Cardo (main road). It was not as wide as others that I had seen, but its wet black pavers gave off a dead feeling. It was like being in Europe, if I had ever been there. It was a wealthy city on a hill. A good example of letting your light shine out. The worst part of this site was me not being to the bus on time because I misunderstood the directions to where we were supposed to meet. I felt like an idiot.

BOAT RIDE!

Ok other awesome part of this day. We drove past the tel of Apphex and Hopped unto a Jesus Boat and road across the Sea of Galilee! Hooray! I do not really remember what we talked about, but I think it had to do with different types of fished. Cindy told us that the sea is as low as it has been in forever, so if you look on the shore you can find net weights and stone anchors. Well I looked everywhere and found nothing. Leah goes and finds a TON of them. Oh well. So we all hung off the side and enjoyed ourselves. It is nice to be in Israel.

Korazim

Korazim was another tel with a pretty sweet synagogue. It still had some of its pillars and again some pagan carving which is always strange. Plenty of theories there I assure you. The whole city is made from basalt. We talked about the homes of New Testament in that you would generally live in a multigenerational home (AKA. in my fathers house there are many rooms).

Out in Some Field Somewhere

So along the shore we walked out into a wheat field in the area were Jesus gave his sermon on the Mount. We lay on the ground and read it aloud. It was quite pleasant. Then we walked down by the water and sat on the rocks that are usually covered by the waves. Another Highlight I thought.

Caesarea Philippi

This next stop was pretty neat. When we got there it seemed fine and we sat under some trees in the midst of the ruins. Then it started to rain. I had left my umbrella on the bus but was hoping it wouldn’t get so bad. It did. It poured cats and dogs, (welcome to Israeli winter) so we ran into this spaceship shaped church that is built over Peter’s house. We waited out the downpour and went exploring. There is the remains of a great white synagogue there, but it is built on the foundations of a basalt synagogue which is the one Jesus would have been in. (I think I am starting to sound lame, I think I need a nap). So we got back on the bus to do our hike!

The Cliffs of Arbel

The idea of this hike terrified me, but I was going to do it anyway. I mean who wouldn’t want to use ropes and staples to hang off of a rock face that drops hundreds of feet to the floor below? I know I didn’t want to miss it. Actually while I was scared out of my wits it was really a nice feeling to get down to the bottom; Another self-confidence booster. And everyone in my group is really supportive and helps me a lot. I am really grateful about that.

Day #4 The Jezreel Valley and the Coast

Four days is too much to write about. I have no more adjectives to describe things, and will probably describe everything with awesome, cool, and neat. Ugh. So we woke up for our last day of the field study. I went out at 5:30 in the morning to look for net weights along the shore, no luck. I was feeling so much better though, and this day ended up being AWESOME.

Megiddo

It rained. I wish that was all that I had to say. It seems to only rain after we are 1,000 feet from the bus or without proper shelter. So we walked through the tel gate and walked to an overlook were you can see the ancient round prayer alter there. There was some shelter here but it was pouring and it didn’t really help. Guess what? My umbrella was on the bus. I spent this whole day with wet and cold feet. I am not complaining it’s just I didn’t want to get sick this week. There was a really AWESOME water system there that we walked down inside. It was like a huge tunnel that ran out of the city down to where the water was. They built it that way so they would be able to survive under siege. Supposedly this city has been leveled a zillion times, so it’s a pretty interesting tel.

My favorite part about this site was talking about Armageddon. The rain was actually pretty fitting when it starting to thunder over head. City went into some Hebrew grammar stuff on the bus and I thought that was pretty COOL.

LUNCH – was AWESOME. We stopped at this Druze restaurant and got to choose between snitzel or falafel. I had the chicken and the hot sauce. It tasted AMAZING. I got some coke to go with it, and decided I really don’t like coke at all anymore. After lunch was supposed to be a stop near a church were Elijah had God pour on the alter. Well it was pouring on us so we went out, looked into the fog, and got right back on the bus.

Caesarea Maritime

So we drove for a good 45 minutes and got to Herod’s unnatural harbor. It started to rain when we got there but thank the Lord it eventually stopped and the sun actually came out for the rest of our day! This city is so beautiful. Just the splendor that it must have been as ships approached it in its glory days is too much to think about. It was home to two theatres, two horse tracks, a huge bath house, and a great temple to Caesarea. Herod built a harbor that stretched out hundreds of feet into the ocean out of this cement that dried underwater. He built his palace on this offshoot of rock so that he would be surrounded on three sides with salt water. Inside his palace was a fresh water pool. The water came in on these huge aqueducts that you can still go and see (which we did, in the rain). We went exploring, first out to the palace where you can still see some of the foundation. The first part of the palace is the praetorian, the exact one where they kept Paul for so long. So that was pretty COOL. My favorite part of the site was at the theatre. I wanted to see how it would sound so I sang a line. Then the tourists about shouted for more, so I sang for them and they all clapped! It was actually kind of embarrassing. It was also impressive to see so many of the marble floors still intact there.

Over all I had a great time on this field study. I really did enjoy myself, even if going meant I had to write this terrible piece of literature and force my teacher to read it. But God is really changing my heart, and I am enjoying it.

PICTURE LINKS COMING SOON!

Galilee Day 4

On our final day in the Galilee region we first went to a lookout on the Nazareth Ridge. From here we could see into the Jezreel Valley. To the southeast we had a really nice view of Mt. Tabor and then over the Hills of Moreh. We could also see behind them Mt. Gilboa. Between the Hills of Moreh and Mt. Gilboa lies the Herod Valley, we couldn't necessarily see into it, but we could tell where it was. On the other end we could make out, when the clouds moved, Megiddo and the Megiddo pass entering into the Jezreel Valley. This was a good place to see Megiddo since our next stop was Tell-Megiddo.

At Tell-Megiddo we entered through the Solomonic gates. This site has a few interesting features. For instance, there is a really large grain silo with two sets of stairs going down into it; one to go down and one to come out. There is also a complex water storage system with a tunnel going under part of the city. We got to walk through it, which was nice because there was a lot of rain and this was the only dry section. There is also a raised prayer circle on this site.

We discussed the story of Thutmose III's take over of Megiddo. He came up from Egypt and had to decide which of the three passes he would take to enter the Jezreel Valley. The northern most pass comes out near Jokneam, the middle pass comes out near Megiddo, and the southern most pass comes out near Taanach. The middle pass would be most convenient, but it is also the narrowest (which makes it dangerous to bring a whole army through). Therefore, the Canaanites thought Thutmose III would take either the Jokneam pass or the Taanach pass. He, however, surprised them and caught them of guard by taking the more dangerous Megiddo pass. He was able to take Megiddo because of this, and considered this victory to be equivalent to taking a thousand cities.

Our next stop was for lunch, and then we went to Mount Carmel. It was raining pretty hard, which made our view non-existent. We just stopped for a minute to run out and see fog and then run back onto the bus. Though, at least I can say I stood on Mount Carmel, even if only for a minute.

Here we discussed the story of Elijah going up against the prophets of Baal. As you may know, Elijah proved to these priests that there is only One True God that has power. They can pray as hard as they want and try to get the attention of Baal, but since he doesn't actually exist there will be no response. God, however, does answer His children when they call. God definitely demonstrated His power through this event.

Our final stop was at Caesarea maritime. We first stopped at the impressive aqueducts built by Herod. These stretch for a very long ways down the coast, bringing fresh water to Caesarea. Some people climbed on it and saw it from the top. We then visited the city of Caesarea. Here Herod built a theater, a large storage facility, and a pier. There was also a large horse track built in the city for chariot races. I do not believe there were very many of these in Israel, but of course Herod would have one. Herod in his extravagance even had a fresh water pool basically right on the Mediterranean Sea. Why swim in salt water if you can put a pool right next to the sea? Herod was always good at putting up an impressive image.

We ended our day a little earlier than normal, due to the drive back from the coast. I enjoyed our field study, but it was also nice to be heading back to campus. Four days is a long time to spend with that many people all cooped up on a bus. Though, I think we all are still looking forward to our last field study where we get to visit Jordan.

~Jennilee~

Galilee Day 3

Hippus, on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, was our first stop of the day. This site is positioned east-west, which makes the main road the Decumanos, instead of the Cardo. Here we discussed Matthew 15, the Prodigal Son story. In Judaism there is the idea that one must come back to God through a mediator. The prophets have always been considered the mediators between man and God. One of the interesting aspects of Jesus' story is that there is no mediator between man and God. The Father always represents God, and the son is man. Here the son goes directly to the Father, and the Father runs to the son with forgiveness. Jesus is identified with the Father; therefore, He is identifying Himself as God and saying He is both God and the mediator.

Next, we took a boat ride onto the Sea of Galilee. We looked at different ways people used to fish. Ancient people were not used to interacting with water. Crossing the sea, even Galilee which is relatively small, was not something they did. Most people did not know how to swim, though fishermen probably knew enough to survive. Therefore, even four foot waves would have been terrifying to them. No wonder the Disciples were so afraid when the storm came and surrounded their boat.

From the Sea of Galilee we travelled to Chorazim. Here we viewed an Insula, which is a type of house that is bigger than the four room houses more common to Israelite architecture. The insula would house approximately three generations of a family. It was built so that when the oldest son married and brought back his wife a new room would be added to the house. This is what Jesus is referring to when He says my Father's house has many rooms.

At Chorazim we also looked at a synagogue. No one actually knows when the practice of using synagogues started. Synagogue is much different from the Temple. Synagogues are for the people, where as the Temple is for God. The Synagogue is used to study Torah, and teaching it to the next generation. This is why it would house a school in the building. Synagogues are also used all week long, for different things like school, feasts, and housing people in need. Early synagogues would have their main doors facing Jerusalem, so that the main source of light would come from Jerusalem in a sense.

We next went to an area traditionally known as the Mount of Beatitudes. Of course, no one can pin point exactly where Jesus was standing when he gave the Sermon of the Mount. But this general area would fit nicely both with Luke's flat place and Matthew's mountain (because it is sort of a flat place on a mountain). We also got to walk down the hill and see the small cave which is traditionally said to be where Jesus went for solitude. From here walked down to the Sea of Galilee. I was able to find a net weight, which is a stone with a hole drilled into it. I was excited.

Our next to last stop for day three was at Capernaum. This was Jesus' home base, after He left Nazareth. Jesus is putting Himself right in the middle of different cultures and people. This is a city right on the sea; the sea connects three different political areas and therefore connects a wide range of people. Matthew was also from this area. Capernaum is a great place for Jesus to launch His ministry due to its strategic location.

Our last stop was at the cliffs of Arbel. We got to climb down and around them. Some people went and looked into the caves located on the side of the cliffs. Though, I figured I had a good view from where I was. Climbing down and back up was challenging, but really fun.

~Jennilee~

Galilee Day 2

For our second day, we started at Tell-Hazor. Hazor is located at the southern end of the Huleh Basin. At this position Hasor guards international travel and trade. When Babylon was the major power, Hazor was the end of the trade to the west. When Egypt was the major power, Hazor was the end of the trade to the north. In both cases Hazor was the end destination to far reaching trade.

Hazor was a major city with an upper city section for the rich and elite community. This section was what Solomon fortified when he took power. There was also a lower city where the common people lived and worked. The lower city was quite large. In all, Hazor reached approximately 200 acres. After the Assyrians destroyed the city, however, it never again was prominent.

From Hazor we travelled to what I now consider my favorite part of Israel, Tell Dan. This beautiful site is also a nature preserve, I believe. What is nice about this area are all the trees (some with turning leaves) and abundant source of water. No wonder the tribe of Dan moved here, though of course they should have taken the land God gave them.

At tell-Dan we sat in front of the area that would have held the four horned alter. Jeroboam was the king who instituted alters both at Dan and Bethel, the northern and southern boundaries of his kingdom. Jeroboam is always connected with a great sin and leading Israel into sin. Later kings are said to have committed the sin of Jeroboam, so obviously it was very bad. The question is then, what exactly was the sin of Jeroboam? My professor suggests that the sin is him choosing his own good instead of what God has said to be good. Jeroboam has a lot of what looked like Judaism in his kingdom, yet it is fashioned in his own way. For example, he does not use Levites for priests, but priests of his own choosing. Jeroboam is veering the people to his own way of doing things, which they run with further and further away from God.

I can definitely identify with often believing that I know what would be good for me. However, God is the only One who is truly all knowing and good. Though, He never promises His way will be easier, but it will lead to life where as my sinful ways lead to death.

At another section of the Dan site we looked at the gate complex. In the inner gate is located a throne area, where either an idol would stand or the king sits to pass judgment. The gate area is also important because commerce takes place there, which means a lot of traffic passes through. The poor would come here to beg, hoping for generous passer bys.

From Tell-Dan we travelled to Caesarea Philippi. At this location the Ptolemais built a temple to Pan, the god often pictured as a dancing goat. This is the place where Jesus asked the disciples who they said He was. Peter makes the important declaration that Jesus is the Son of God, the hoped for Messiah. Here also Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to die. This of course is an outrageous idea to them, because their idea of the Messiah involved a military victory over the empire. However, Jesus shows them that God's ways are higher than our ways. God's leader is to be a servant, coming in humility and not looking like the world's idea of strength. God's good is more far reaching that just taking down the Roman Empire, but in taking down sin and death completely.

Our last stop on this day was at the Golan Heights. From this area we could look out over the Golan area and see the ancient volcanoes. We could also see the border between Israel and Jordan. That was at least until the cloud came upon the mountain and visibility was zero.

~Jennilee~

Galilee Day 1

Our first stop was to look out over the Rift Valley toward Adam. This city sits right in the middle of the Rift Valley. It was therefore used as a connector between the Cisjordan and Transjordan sections of Samaria. People could come down the Faria Valley to Adam and then travel north a little ways to the valley that leads to Penuel. Penuel was the Transjordan capital of the Northern Kingdom (along with Shechem on the Cisjordan side) in the time of Jeroboam.

From here we travelled to our first major stop at the tell of Beth Shean. There are two parts to this site because it was used both during the Old Testament and New Testament time periods. In the New Testament it was one of the Decapolis cities called Scythopolis. I spent most of my time walking around Scythopolis because the remains were spectacular.

The Cardo (or main north-south road through the city) has a walkway on ether side, which apparently at Scythopolis is covered in mosaics. From the top of tell-Beth Shean I was able to get some really nice photos of this road. Scythopolis also has a large theater and an impressive bath house. Scythopolis also boasts an innovative public toilet area. No longer will a simple hole in the ground do, but now a seat is available for your bathroom needs. This was definitely an advanced city for its time.

Our next stop was at Mount Gilboa. We were able to look over the Herod Valley to the Hills of Moreh. Also, we had a view of the southeast side of the Jezreel Valley. It was hazy, so our view was not as good as it could have been, but still impressive.

We also discussed Judges 6 about Gideon and his victory over the Midianites. Apparently, the Midianites were "hard-core Bedouins" who would attack cities to get food and supplies and then destroy everything else. So when we meet Gideon he is down in a wine press threshing his grain, as opposed to a threshing floor which would be out in the open. He was obviously hiding his produce from the Midianites. From this place of hiding God comes and tells Gideon that he is a valiant warrior who is going to gain the victory over the Midianites. Gideon basically says, "Who, me?", and as you may know God says "yes" and proves to Gideon and the Israelites that when God is fighting for you victory is inevitable.

Our last stop was at Zippori, which is the home town of Hannah the cousin of Mary and the mother of John the Baptist. There are some very beautiful mosaics still relatively intact found on this site. First, we went to a synagogue that had a basic history Israel and the temple laid out in the mosaic. The interesting part of this mosaic was the large zodiac calendar in the center. It even named the zodiac signs in Hebrew. This would either mean that the Jews were mixing pagan ideas in with their own, or that the zodiac calendar was just a way to show the months of the year without having further meaning to them. One cannot really know for sure either way. At this site is also a mosaic with what is known as the "Mona Lisa of Israel". It is a beautiful portrait of a woman in one small section of a larger mosaic. She has the Mona Lisa half smile, which gives her the name. I was able to get a nice picture of her as well.

From here we came to out rest at a hostel in En Gev, right on the Sea of Galilee. This was a really nice hostel with basically little apartment sized buildings that could house four or five people. Though, dinner was moved to 7:45pm (which is late for us), we still were able to settle in and do some needed television watching. Hooray for English channels!

~~~~Love you all and sorry for not posting in a long time~~~~

Jennilee

The Rainy Season

Depending on where you are in Israel, you can get anywhere from 1-28 inches of rain a year. Jerusalem sits around 24. The rain starts mid November and then doesn't stop all winter. Welcome to my new life. The rains have started early this year, and right now it is pouring outside. The rain is currently flooding the Hinnom and the bridge that goes along with it. Cars are still driving on it, which is crazy to me. While this is a good example of how a Wadi should work, I kind of feel bad for them. I took a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Welcome to my newer, damper life.

Finishing My Midterm.

Well I finally finished it. After a week of on and off work, I finally conquered the Palestinian Mid Term. I am so relieved. The class (Palestinian Politics and Society) is really interesting but I had no idea that the Midterm would ask so much of my brain. This is coming from a girl who didn't know the West Bank was even in Israel until two months ago, and now I should give the president fake advice? It was stretching but rewarding. If you have a half of an hour give it a read.

Claire's take on the Conflict

MY PACKAGE CAME!

HI EVERYONE! I need to write to tell you that it is finally here! For three weeks now I have been patiently waiting to recieve the darn thing, and my package finally made it. Granted, it was probably sitting in the post office and being used as a foot stool. So I grabbed Nicole and Kaitlyn who had some buisness and we set off to get the goods. I was so excited! It takes a 15 min. walk to get there and then you have to get in line. Well today the number machine was broken so we had to wait for longer. This was alright because I got to listen to a lot of Hebrew arguing and I didn't have to think about the translation of the question words! Hooray! So we finally got in and picked up my package and the girls picked theirs up and also sent something. Then I got to go home (i just called school home, sorry mom, its were I sleep) and open it! Pictured are some of the wonderful things that I got! I am so grateful to Mom, Gina, Grandpa, and Tim for the things in that Box, I love them all. I tried the tea, labeled the movies, and hung up our pumpkin on the door! I am truely blessed and I thank you!

A Food Review

Today some girls and I went out to this great vegetarian restaurant in the New City. See there are two short term groups here so the meal situation is a little crazy. So we decided to skip the overcrowding and get some delish veggie cuisine. AND IT WAS DELISH! The whole idea is quality vegetarian and vegan food. I had the organic split pea soup! Anna had the Cream of Butternut soup, and I tasted it, and it was just awesome. That was a well warranted run-on sentence. Did I mention the Americano I had that was wiped with soy milk? To die for. Best coffee I have tasted in Israel. Jennilee was excited to be able to eat everything on the menu. Our friend Leah came too and she was excited about all of the pasta option! Of course it was all whole wheat and made at the restaurant. I really liked its buffet kind of style. You could even watch the people peel the vegetables if you ate down stairs. So if you are ever in Jerusalem, try the Village Green on Jaffa St.! (Left: Laura and Leah enjoy their meal! )

Check out their Web Page!

Doing the Dead Sea Float!

I understand that the following is insanely long. Therefore I will give you the photo links first, and you can choose whether or not the reading suits you! Love you, Claire!

Negev Feild Study Day 1

Negev Feild Study Day 2 #1

Negev Feild Study Day 2 #2

Negev Field Study Day 2 #3

Negev Field Study Day 3 #1

Negev Field Study Day 3 #2

Biblical Negev Day #1
This weekend started similar to all the others with one exception. Well perhaps a few. The main change being that I decided that I didn’t have to shower at 5 in the morning because I would be getting sweaty all day. It was very liberating. I can’t remember everything about this first day because it seems like it was a month ago, but hopefully I will be able to give you a good enough version to satisfy all of my adoring fans. (Right) We started our day snaking our way down the Sorek, heading towards the Negev.

SATAF NATIONAL PARK
Our first stop of the day was a national park which receives many visitors that love to hike. I however have no physical endurance and had no idea that this would just be the tip of our hiking iceberg. We were there to see the lovely views and have yet another example of cenomanian limestone. We also learned that the trails that we were taking would have been the typical back roads in ancient times. For some reason I wrote the next page of my notes upside down, so I will take a moment to flip them again. Alright, so we hiked all the way down the side of this wadi to a building that we didn’t actually talk about, so I am assuming it was byzantine. On the way we passed a home build into to a cave like we talked about in class. I would barely call it a home, but more of a one room shelter. The people who lived here would have been part of a very small community who lived by shepherding and terracing the side of the wadi. It was a great example of everyday life. There was a small spring there that would have provided just enough to live on. Basically the good and simple life.

TEL BET SHEMESH
Our next stop was to Tel Bet Shemesh in the Sorek Valley. Again we were in cenomanian territory with tera rosa soil. It was here we discussed the story of Sampson. Dan was given the area of Lod but they didn’t want to fight the people living there for it so they moved up north to the Galilee. However a few danites did stay and tried to live where they were given. One of these families was Sampson’s. It was interesting to hear the story of Sampson in its setting; actually, all the stories are more interesting when you can see the setting. Some of the preaching you here all of a sudden can’t be true anymore. It is really… enlightening.

TEL AZEKAH
Yes we are still on day one and not done yet! We were excited about this stop because it meant lunch, but it ended up being crazy fun. One fun part was we finally drove into Eocein rock territory and left senonian in the chalk dust. (That is pretty funny but the joke takes some explanation, see senonian turns into chalk… ) Anyway, we climbed a short distance to the top of the tel and looked out over the Elah valley down the diagonal road. It was in this valley were David kicked the butt of a Philistine named Goliath. We pointed out where everyone was camped, and it was neat to envision it all. Then before lunch Cindy took us down into some caves and let us crawl around. I finally got to use my head lamp! The neatest part was when this seemingly cute bat went nuts and flew into Melissa. I screamed “It’s going to kill me!” I am such a girl. Lunch was the same old pita and tuna, but we loved it.

LACISH
Next we came to Lacish, the toaster of the Israelites. I still am having trouble figuring out who came up with this analogy, but it makes me laugh so I thought I would mention it. It was a pretty interesting site and huge! This city was well fortified and everyone wanted it, because it was the doorway into the Negev trade routes. There was a really neat Assyrian siege ramp stuck on the side of it. Supposedly they would make their Israelite slaves build it so the isrealites inside would be less likely to kill them. What a terrible job!

ROMAN MILE MARKERS
Sometime during the day Cindy stopped the bus to take a look at some Roman mile markers. They were large stones stood up straight and carved on explaining where the heck you were in the middle of nowhere. I am sure they were very useful. Actually it was pretty neat to see them, as they are pictured in all kinds of books.

Biblical Negev Day #2
THE SUPER BOWL
The youth hostel we stayed at sat on the edge of the largest maktesh in Israel. A maktesh is like a huge crater, or at least I think that is what it is. She took us out to the edge in the morning to see the sun shining on the rocks. It looked like a wide grand canyon. I could not believe how big and beautiful it was. I wish I had the words to describe it. I stood really close to the edge so Jennilee could get a picture and thought I was going to be sick as my knees started to wobble. I decided I would be better to admire it from a distance. Later I could atleast sit by the edge, and that was nice. It was wonderful to admire the beauty of God’s creation and just the vastness of it all. This is what the Israelites would have gone through coming up out of Egypt. Also it was all Jurassic rock, the oldest in Israel.

AVDAT
Avdat was one of my favorite cities thus far. It was in the middle of the Negev desert and was built by the mysterious nabatiens. These are the people who built petra and could cross the desert without dying. Their secrets went with them to the grave. Avdat was just amazing. The dry Negev only gets around an inch of water a year, but they still figured out how to grow things, and had the best pottery of the time period. The ruins where best we will see in Israel. I was excited that I climbed on top of a huge archway, even though we all got in trouble for walking on the walls later. In some ways I am becoming more adventurous, which is scary, but I kind of like it. I am learning to trust myself and my body. Thanks Avdat.

HIKE UP ONE OF WADI ZIN’S FINGERS
I would say that this hike was one of those moments in my life where God showed me that I am stronger than I ever thought I was. The hike started up this beautiful dramatic wadi that had a nice stream down the center. I remember looking down and up the side and seeing a small ladder near the top and thinking about why it was put there. I had no idea at the moment that we were planning on going up the side of this thing. Maybe I could have gone down it, but up? I barely got up the snake like steps carved into the stone. And that was half way. By this time I was hyperventilating and crying. I think I was crying because I felt so defeated. I just couldn’t breathe. I felt like the only one who couldn’t do this on the inside. Half way up was a plateform with a cave where I stopped for some breath and where the ladder was. Megan agreed to go behind me and help me the rest of the way. She really talked me through the whole way up. Despite my tears and climbed out the top of that Wadi! I think around this time I noticed the pain in my legs was not going to leave me for the whole trip. Anyway, Praise be to God I did it!

TEL BEER SHEVA
Beer Sheva is where Hebron and Beer Sheva wadis drain into the Basor Wadi which drains the entire Eastern Basin. Here we find Loess soil which is basically windblown sand that you can grow barley in. There are no remains at Beer Sheva until the Iron Age, which raises a question of where the patriarchs were. However, we need to remember that Abraham was probably living in a tent and not a stone building. Here was a saw a well that went down at least 25 meters, and they haven’t even reached the bottom yet! This could be the actual well that Abraham dug. We also saw yet another good example of the four room house and described what life was like here.

TEL ARAD
Our last official stop of the day was Tel Arad in the eastern basin looking at the hills east of the Transjordan and the hills of ancient Edom. The gate was oriented towards Moab to watch enemies, thus this location anchors the eastern basin. This location was stronger and more strategic than Beer Sheva. They collected water by a system of cisterns. The interesting part about this tel was the to-scale replica of the temple in Jerusalem. We talked a lot about why Solomon would have built something like this. What was interesting was the presence of an a female counterpart to God here. More proof that Solomon, although a wise and worthy king, was giving into the God’s of his wives. He was blending religions.

Biblical Negev Day #3
MASADA
Our last day to me seemed more vacation like. The climb up the roman siege ramp was another example of my new life as a mountain climber. It took me about 15 minutes to get up, but the boys in our group broke the old record of 3 minutes and did it in 2.2 minutes! As for me I just happy to get to the top of the thing. It was for sure a daunting task, but I definitely earned my “I climbed Masada” t-shirt. Herod the great built Masada as a fortress and winter month palace. He probably only stayed there two months out of the year. Later it was used by the Zealots to hide out from the Romans. In the end they ended up committing suicide to escape becoming slaves. I also got to see a one million gallon cistern, and ride a cable car to the bottom. I would have walked down the insane looking snake path, however I didn’t think my leg could take it. I was glad to be on the cable car.

THE DEAD SEA
We stopped at the Dead Sea for lunch for a short float. I say short because you can’t stay in for more than twenty minutes or you will want to rip off your skin. There is no sand really, just sharp rocks. I got about two feet in and my feet hurt so bad. Then Marcus told me just to sit down and float away, and it really worked! The water feels oily to touch. We tasted it, and it was the grossest thing I have ever put into my mouth. You are not supposed to put your head under because if it gets in your eyes you instantly cannot see. The easiest thing to do is float on your back. It is a really neat feeling. Now, the burn. The burning is not so bad at first and seems bearable. That is until five minutes pass, and you start to become uncomfortable any place you may have even the smallest cut. Then the burning of your nether regions begins. I mean it! After about 15 minutes you feel like you are going to die from the burning. It was funny to watch no one mention it but see it on everyone’s faces. For lunch we had a cookout with hotdogs and bags of chips!

THE SPRINGS OF ENGEDI
I really enjoyed the waterfalls at Engedi. You could hike up through the wadi and swim in them. We stopped and read some about them and then set off by ourselves for an hour. We had a blast! We saw Ibex, which are like skinny horned goats that crawl all over the rock walls. We also saw these cute little rodents that looked like big ginea pigs. We walked up to the second water fall and swam and laughed and took pictures. It was nice to get the salt water all cleaned off of me.

QUMRAN
Qumran is thought to be were the Eciens lived. This was an intense Jewish community that John the Baptist may have been a member of. We went and saw the famous Cave #4 where the largest collection of scrolls were found. We were told that the famous opening was actually not there, and that the original hole was on the top! The crazy thing was that the government would pay by the pieces of scrolls handed in, so the Bedouins would rip up the scrolls and hand them in for a bigger reward! When we heard this we all gasped! The government found out and then gave rewards based on the size of the scroll handed in. However now everything is in little pieces. After this we decided to climb a huge rock formation and end the day looking at the Dead Sea while the sun sank in the sky. This was particularly awesome because it was another thing I was scared of and did anything. All of my friends helped me and I made it up! The only casualty was my pants!

Coming Attractions!

Jennilee and I are BACK! We spent three amazing days in the Negev, and we can't wait to share it with you. Just give us some time to get ourselves together, and we will give you an amazing story!

Yom Kippur was like Halloween... BUT BETTER!

Yom Kippur was pretty darn cool. I wish would have gotten a picture of myself in my Jewish Outfit, but I forgot and cameras were not allowed by the Wall yesterday. So here is the funny story I have to share on why you shouldn't dress just like a Jew.

So I was so excited that I looked so convincing. I got waved right through security and walked down to the Wall with Nicole. I walked to the book shelf and picked up a prayer book. I then went and stood next to Nicole and waited for someone to clear a space in the wall. I read (something) out of the book because the text was pointed and swayed back and forth like a good Jew. Then it happened, this girl sitting in a chair in front of the wall who had probably been there all day turns around and says to me "Did they start the negilla yet?" Or at least thats what I think she said! I didn't no what to do, I was an imposter! I heard myself speak the word "no" in terror. She turned around and I looked to Nicole terrified and mouthed "Nicole I dont know" I put my prayer book to my face (which just made me look more Jewish) and laughed to myself. Had I just ruined her prayers for the day? I moved to a different section of the wall as to not risk standing next to her.

Other than that... It was an awesome prayer time, I read from the prayer time but took most of the time to pray for the salvation of Israel. But come to think of it, that is the first time a Jew has spoken to me in a non shopping/school setting since I have been here... It kinda felt... good.

Well I am off to Shabbat more later!

Catching up!

Alright so I have to apologize for not writing in sooner. It has been too long, but maybe it's because I have been laying low? I don't even know what to tell you really!

Today is Yom Kippur. And I am dressed like a Jewess for when we go to the wall later. A quick explanation of the holiday. The holiday starts with a 40 day period of forgiveness and prayer. After 30 days starts the new year. Rosh Hashanna starts the New year, and it is now that God writes in the book who is very righteous and who is evil. Those who are either good nor bad have TEN DAYS to get it straight with God. ONLY TEN. So there is a lot of prayer and fasting during this time. Yom Kippur is the day of Atonement when the Priest could go into the Holy of Holies. It is on this day God makes his final decision about which book he writes you into. So today it is so... quiet. I live in a city, and it is always noisy. Today there is not a car on the streets, from the roof you can here the prayers in the Synagogs. Children play in the streets careless of their saftey because of the lack of cars (today is the highest rate of accidents amoung children) Today we will go to the wall where all of the Jews will be wearing white (they usually wear black in mourning for the temple). It is supposedly something to see. Consequently, I dressed as a Jew today, white and all, and I love it. I am a big fan of the tights.

In other news, I am going to try and write more about every day and more often. I understand I dont need to write a novel every day.

This morning I say on the roof and read the Shama, Duet 4. in hebrew. It seemed fitting on the Holiday.

Love you, Claire

Samaria Field Study

Present day Samaria incorporates the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. At the beginning of your Field Study we stopped at a look out in Ephraim that gave us a beautiful view of the Rift Valley. The Rift Valley is the valley created by the Jordan River and the two seas (Galilee and Dead Sea). Here we discussed Israel's initial take over of the Promised Land. Apparently, the tribes of Joseph (bring Ephraim and Manasseh) were the dominant tribes who led the conquest. They were also the largest tribes, which is probably why they were strongest. Interestingly enough, Judah's tribe doesn't come into power until David.

From here we went to a Zionist settlement near Shechem. Apparently, they believe that all the land belongs to them, which is why they will not put up a fence. A fence would represent a boundary line, and since they believe their boundaries include the whole land, a fence would not be appropriate. At the top of this settlement was a wonderful look-out. We could see Mount Gerezim, Mount Ebal, and Shechem. At the North end we could see Manasseh territory and at the South we could see Ephraim territory. One would be surprised how much of the land you can see if you go to the right spot. At this place, there was also a really pretty oak tree, whose leaves were turning and reminding me of Fall.

After lunch time we went to a spot that looked down on Shechem. Therefore, I believe we were standing on Mount Gerezim. Down in the valley is where Joshua gathered all the people of Israel and reminded them of what God had done for them. He challenged the people to choose life and not death. "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:15). He even challenged them again after they said they would follow the Lord, because he wanted to make sure they were going to sincerely submit their lives to the One True God who had brought them thus far.

I found it very applicable to my own life; that I must choose this day and every day to make God the ruler of my life and not my own desires or sinfulness. That is why Jesus spoke of taking up one's cross daily. You can't just affirm your belief in God one time, but every day live out that faith so you can be a light to the world. I really liked this part of the trip.

Our final stop was at Shiloh. Shiloh is the religious capital of the Northern Kingdom. This is the place that housed the Tabernacle at one point. This is also the place where people would come to communicate with God and find direction. Shiloh is similar to Jerusalem, because it too is isolated and located off of the Patriarchal Highway. These two places must be intentional about staying connected to society. Shiloh and Jerusalem also have barriers to the west that aid in their isolation.

Shiloh is also the place where Eli and his sons were priests. Therefore, Samuel was raised in this place. Eli's sons are good examples of those who tried to use God. They would take the sacrifices made to God for themselves and in many ways defile the holy place of God. This theme of people forgetting that they need to be holy for God to be with them is seen in the battle between Israel and the Philistines at this time. They decided to take the ark to battle as a lucky charm. They didn't realize that the physical ark did not hold power, but the God who dwelt on the ark was the one with the power. This is why they lost and why Eli's sons died. I think it is a good reminder that we need to continually strive to be like Christ, and not rely on our cross necklaces and Christian T-shirts to keep us from harm or in good relationship with God.