June 25

Today was an exciting day with seeing Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea and in a fresh water pool, and going to Qumran.

Masada is where Zealots (Jewish rebels who were against Rome) held out against Rome after the Jewish revolt in 66 AD. Josephus writes about it in The Jewish War and the excavator Yigael Yadin confirms this history and brings it to life with his findings. In 72 AD the Roman procurator of Judea, Flavius Silva, tried to capture the Zealots living in Masada. After battling, the Zealots saw that they were going to lose. Rather than turning themselves over to captivity and slavery, they decided to kill themselves. When the Romans came to capture them, they found 960 dead.

When walking around Masada, we saw some of the ruins from when Herod owned Masada as his palace. We saw his Graeco-Roman bath complex, where there was a sauna heated by clay pots in the floor. When looking at Masada from a distance you can see three levels cut out of the mountain, making three terraces for Herod’s personal leisure.

After Masada we went to EnGedi where the Dead Sea is! The ground was so hot walking down to the water that I couldn’t go without shoes. Large red umbrellas were scattered on the sand with people lying under them in the shade, though unable to escape the heat. As I approached the water the ground turned into smooth rocks with a salty film over them. I could see rocks of salt where the water met the rocks, and covering the lifeguard’s paddleboard. I eagerly put my feet in the water, as quickly as I could get them off the scalding hot rocks. The water was refreshing, though it was probably 75 degrees. After wading through the shallow end I pushed my body into the water, and immediately began to float on my belly. I could stretch out my arms and extend my legs out of the water, all without sinking at all. We laughed at each other as we bobbed along, twisting around with very little effort. After a while the salt began burning my skin too much, so I braved the heat and rocks once again.

After lunch we hiked through another Wadi, though this time it led us to a beautiful fresh water pool under a waterfall. We all rushed into the water enthusiastically, this time in water that was actually cool and refreshing. Hiking into this area was dry and desert, but it slowly got greener and greener until we found this wonderful pool!

We concluded the day in Qumran. I didn’t realize it could get even hotter than it had been. I heard that it was 115 degrees in this area, and I don’t doubt it. Qumran is where an Essene community (a sect of Judaism that separated themselves from mainstream Jewish culture to be purified) collected scrolls and stored them in surrounding caves. 29% of the scrolls were the oldest remaining manuscripts of scripture that we have. Some of us hiked up to some of the caves, which involved climbing straight up a rocky mountain and looking around inside (its not the cave in the picture. That is cave four where the majority of the scrolls were found). The earth was really soft on the inside and it was smaller than I had imagined.

After Qumran we headed home to Jerusalem!

Second Day of Field Trip: Negev

June 24

Today we began our day in Oboda. This was one of the cities on the spice route, which is how our Professor believes Solomon became wealthy—by gaining control of these trade routes. I got to stand on the preaching mound and see the baptism altar. From there we went to Nahel Zin where we hiked through a Wadi. It was a long valley with steep cliffs going up on either side. There was some water in a stream and a light waterfall, with some greenery. At the end we climbed up the side to get to the top, which was quite a feat in over 100-degree weather. We spent the night in Arad.

One of the things I love about the group I am with is how much we laugh. We are doing so many challenging things, with walking miles through the desert, hiking up mountains, spending almost 12 hours in one day going to different cities and being in the sun, and trying to absorb information about a land that is so important to all of us. Throughout all of it we are always looking for opportunities to make each other laugh, and someone is always finding something hilarious. I’ve really appreciated the community here. The group is mostly made up of undergraduate biblical studies students, seminary students, and professors. Its been really interesting being in a group where everyone has so much in common, and especially helpful to have so many resources.

First Day of Field Trip: Negev

Pictures:
Mitzpeh Ramon, Roman amphitheater, Valley of Elah

June 23

Today was our first day of our three-day field trip. First we stopped at the Valley of Elah, where David fought Goliath. We walked along the Wadi (stream bed) where David would have picked his stone. Then we stopped at a Roman amphitheater, where we walked around the parameter under the stands. It was really pretty looking through the arches into the bright sun where the events would have taken place. In Bet Guvrin we saw how people would have made olive oil with a huge stone ball and press. We also saw a huge cave with little holes carved out in the walls where birds were bred for sacrifices. It was cool in there and the walls were a mossy green color. We stopped at the Mediterranean Sea in Ashgelon, which was a highlight for me! The ocean was clear blue and along the shoreline were fully intact shells. I successfully dodged all the jellyfish in the water without getting stung! The jellyfish were huge, some clear and others bright blue. The water was so refreshing after being in the hot sun all day.

Our first night we stayed in Mitzpeh Ramon. This area is like the Grand Canyon, a gigantic impression in the earth. It has three bowls (or land indentations) that are called makhtesh. At night a group of us got together and sat by the edge of the cliff, looking out into the dark expansive land before us. Every once in a while we could see a car driving through on one of the windy roads, engulfed in miles of open space and dry desert land. The stars were magnificently illuminated, and we could see the big dipper perfectly.

Oskar Schindler's Grave

I am off to a three day field trip starting tomorrow so I won't be posting or having access to the internet until I get back. We are going to the Mediterranean Sea, Dead Sea, and Qumran so I should have lots of good stories! Today I visited Oskar Schindler's grave, which is the picture above. I hope everyone is doing well!

Mount of Olives, Herodion, and Bethlehem

June 20th
Today we spent time on the Mount of Olives where we saw the Garden of Gethsemane and All Nations Church, then we stopped at a vineyard, went to the Herodion, and went to Bethlehem.

I loved spending time on the Mount of Olives. It has a beautiful view overlooking Jerusalem. We walked down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified. There is a small garden with olive trees that may be up to 1500 years old. The trees look ancient with their wide bottoms that have split off and tangle together. Right next to the garden is the All Nations Church. The outside of the church has a beautiful mural with Jesus praying in the middle facing up to heaven. Inside the church the stained glass is dark, letting in little light, in order to commemorate the night Jesus prayed in the garden and was betrayed by Judas. This created a contemplative, powerful effect, setting it apart from other churches I have been in. There were people from all over the world sitting in the pews, praying, and observing the different aspects of the church. I sat behind two nuns and listened as one of the people from our group played “It is Well With My Soul” on the organ. I felt at peace, and like I had walked into a space that is always in a state of commemorating this event and capturing the feeling it holds. I felt like Jesus was speaking to me that he knows suffering far more than I can even imagine. And he bore this suffering so that I wouldn’t have to. It was so meaningful to know that Jesus deeply understands my suffering, he has been through even greater pain, and I can release my suffering to him because he has chosen to bear it for me.

From there we stopped at a vineyard. On one side was a fertile, healthy vineyard and on the other side was the natural terrain of thorns and bushes. I could also see where a vine was still growing in the earth but was choked out by the thorns and bushes. We also saw the remains of a watchtower there. It was just like reading parables in the Bible!

Then we went to the Herodion, which was Herod’s summer palace and the place of his burial. It is carved out of a mountain, looking like a volcano. We could see the remains of a huge swimming pool, which would have been very luxurious in the heat here in Israel. We also saw Herod’s tomb, where his body was carried from Jericho all the way to this location. The top of the Herodion has a view of the wilderness where David shepherded and fled from Saul, as well as the homeland of Amos. It also has a view of Bethlehem, making me realize how dangerous it would have been for Jesus to be born there with Herod in pursuit of him.

From the Herodion we went to Bethlehem. Bethlehem is under Palestinian control and can be difficult going in and out of. We went to the traditional location of Jesus’ birth, which is a huge church with multiple altars inside. The church was crowded with tourists and the site of Jesus’ birth was a small room, so it was cramped and stuffy. Everything was gaudy and felt tourist oriented. On the street in Bethlehem were vendors selling plastic baby Jesus dolls. It felt like such a contrast from the All Nations Church, and to be honest was kind of disappointing. In coming to Israel I had no idea that churches had been built over all the important biblical sites. I was expecting Calvary to be a hill and Bethlehem to have a stable! So I think I am still adjusting to the way these biblical events have turned into ornate commemorative creations. There is still beauty in the churches and altars, but in some of them it feels like the meaning of what they are commemorating has been lost in all the show.

Gezer and Jericho

June 19th

Today we went to Gezer and Jericho. Gezer is important because it has a Solomonic gate, which would have been like the one in Ruth where the city officials did business. There was also an archaeological dig taking place there, which looked really hot, dirty, and painstaking. I’m really glad I am getting to travel around Israel and not sifting through dirt on a small plot of land!! But I guess someone has to do it. After that we stopped at a Mosk to see the view of different regions (including Gibeon). This Mosk is shared by Jews and Muslims. My professor explained it as the Jews have the bottom floor, the Muslims have the second floor, and the Christians go to the roof (to look at the view and take pictures!). It is so interesting how Jews and Muslims have to share different religious spaces in Israel even though there is so much tension between them.

From there we headed towards Jericho. In order to get to Jericho we had to drive through the wilderness. The wilderness is basically rolling hills of desert, all the same light colored sand. Throughout the wilderness are pockets of camps of people, who live like Abraham would have. I can’t imagine living in the wilderness. It is SO hot, barren, bleak, and dry. It made me nervous just thinking about getting stuck out there. Driving into Jericho everything is immediately green with banana leaves. It is like an oasis in the desert. We saw the bottom of the Jericho wall and I got to clean off my dusty, dirty feet in the fountain.

On our way back from Jericho we stopped and looked at a cistern. Cisterns hold water that is supplied from natural springs. Originally, the Israelites just relied on God to give them enough water from the springs, but they started to worry that they wouldn’t always have enough so they invented cisterns to have a reserve. Later that night some of us were doing a Bible study and we started unpacking this concept. In Jeremiah 2:13 God says, “My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” God goes on to ask why his people would turn to foreign gods and says, “Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness?” Then we looked at John 4 where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman and offers her living water. After driving through the wilderness it makes sense that people would feel worried about not having enough water. But in creating cisterns people began to move their faith away from God onto their own reliance. Cisterns are not nearly as good as a natural spring, because they hold stagnant water and they run out, while natural springs are fresh and cool. This really encouraged me to keep going to God as my direct source of living water, rather than trying to collect water on my own to sustain me that clearly will run dry. It is especially tempting when going through a desert, or wilderness, period of life to try to collect my own reserves because running out of water, or life giving sources, is so scary. But in going directly to the source of life I don’t need to be afraid of running dry. In addition, it reminded me that while I can go through desert periods, God is never the desert. God is the one offering me living water, bringing me out of the desert to a natural, abundant spring like in green Jericho.

Dome of the Rock and Western Wall

June 18
Today we went to the Dome of the Rock! Only Muslims are allowed inside, but we got to walk all around the temple mount and talk about where the temple may have been. Inside the temple is the stone that the Muslims believe Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Ishmael on. We also looked at the location on the temple mount where it is believed the holy of holies was. The whole parameter of the temple mount was quite large, and as we left we walked through a grove of olive trees.

Afterwards we went to the Western Wall. Men and women have to go on separate sides and the men have to wear head coverings. I made my way through the crowd of people, some standing and talking, others sitting in chairs praying, some standing on chairs to peak over into the men’s side, perhaps to observe bat mitzvahs taking place. All the women were dressed modestly, as mandated in entering into the Western Wall area. As I approached the wall I struggled to find even a gap of space to press against. Women were kissing the wall, crying, and reading from prayer books, creating a buzz of Hebrew voices. I found a small area and immediately felt overwhelmed by the sweet presence of God. The wall was soft and cool as I ran my hand over it and the noises around me faded to the background. I pushed my rolled up piece of paper with a prayer written on it into a crack, alongside numerous others. As I stood against the wall, God spoke to me in a personal and present way.

From there we walked around some ruins that were from the first century. We sat on stairs that led into the temple mount that Jesus and his disciples would have walked on! I am still amazed that we can walk, sit, and climb on these ancient ruins! I’m so used to seeing things preserved in museums, but here we can actually interact with these pieces of history.

There is so much to process each day! It’s been really hard sitting down and gathering my thoughts and remembering everything we’ve done. But I think that’s a good thing ☺ Please pray that I get well rested and stay hydrated.

I Have Arrived!

Hello everyone!

I arrived in Jerusalem two days ago. The trip over was long but easy, I even managed to sleep on the plane and eat some of the plane food (and yes, they did serve hummus and olives)! When it was getting time to sleep some of the Jewish people started reading from their prayer books and praying in the corner of the plane. It made me feel safe and protected, knowing I was probably on the only flight in the world that is covered in so much prayer! I landed in Tel Aviv then took a sherut bus for an hour into Jerusalem. My first impression driving through Israel was how colorless everything is. The buildings are all made out of the same limestone, which is a government mandate but also effective in the heat, and the terrain is kind of like Pasadena, dry and desert like. We also drove through a Jewish area where I saw Orthodox Jews who have long curls, beards, black coats and slacks, and wide brimmed black hats.

I arrived at my school in the afternoon. It is right along the Old City Wall and has all sorts of stairwells, courtyards, and all the rooms are different.

Our first day we did a walking tour of the Old City. The Old City is divided into four quarters: Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian. Everything is within walking distance of each other and surprisingly small.

We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the location of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. A big church has been built over where Jesus is believed to have died and inside are altars from the Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Roman Catholics, Syrians, Ethiopians, and Coptic. It was so interesting to see these groups all commemorating the same spiritual event and having to coexist in this church while also being in conflict with one another.

We also went to Saint Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. This is where Jesus healed the crippled man in John 5. I had no idea the pools were so huge, which was especially evident when getting to walk around in their remains!

On our way back we stopped by a shop owned by an Orthodox Jew who is a friend of our professor’s. His life work is bridging communication between Christians and Jews. He told us that everyone who is in Israel has been invited by God, and no one who comes here can leave unchanged. He also said every piece of fruit and every tree we see is a prophecy fulfilled.

Today we went to King David’s palace and the pool where Jesus healed the blind man. While we were at King David's Palace we read Psalm 121, which begins "I lift up my eyes to the mountains--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." It was so interesting to read this Psalm in its geographical context, because David's palace is at the bottom of the Kihdron Valley. It made so much sense that he would say this because in looking up from the valley he would have seen mountains.

The most exciting part of the day was walking through a long, narrow tunnel that was Hezekiah’s water system. First we walked down several flights of stairs, then entered into a dark tunnel that was chiseled out of stone. The water came up to our knees at parts and the walls were as close as our elbows. I can’t imagine being the people who had to carve the tunnel!

The light in Israel is really a unique quality. During the day it is bright then it cools down to a golden tone in the evening. Before coming here I kept visualizing Israel in bright golden lights, just like it turned out to be.

Well, those are the highlights so far. JUC has kept us really busy, with lots and lots of walking and things to see. That has definitely helped with the jetlag. I hope everyone at home is doing well! Send me notes on my blog or email me, I’d love to hear from you!