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!