Farewell to Israel!

Today (Thursday) may be the last time I have access to a computer. The excavation office is packing up here at the kibbutz and moving to Jerusalem tomorrow. The dig season is over for Tel Rehov as of today. We have tomorrow and part of Saturday to wind down and get ready to fly back to the U.S. I think most people in our group are looking forward to coming home.

I just wanted to list a few insights and remembrances from our five weeks here in Israel. Some are duplications from my blogs, but others are things that stand out and will be forever remembered:

* Getting off the plane in Tel Aviv, marveling that we are actually in the Holy Land.
* Schlepping our luggage from the bus up a hill to JUC. No curbside service for us!
* JUC is on septic tank; that meant we could not put ANYTHING in the toilet...not even toilet paper!
* Walking the Jerusalem ramparts in the morning heat.
* Hezekiah's Tunnel - Amazing!
* Standing on Temple Mount - Wondrous!
* Jacob's Pizza - the best pizza in Jerusalem!
* Singing hymns a capella in the underground dwellings at Bet Guvrin Maresha.
* Getting to know the people in our group and the others who joined us on all our excursions.
* Floating in the Dead Sea and covering ourselves with Dead Sea mud.
* Pita, pita, and more pita!
* Singing and dancing on the boat as we crossed the Sea of Galilee.
* Witnessing a soon-to-be first-time mom (Jan, who was part of our group) standing next to the place where Jesus was born in Bethlehem - a poignant picture!
* Knok-Out ice cream bars - Awesome!
* Praying at the Western Wall on Shabbat.
* Worship night in the garden at JUC the last night we were all together before our group broke up to come home or go to other places of interest.
* Crashing after excavating from 5:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Statements made to our female students from vendors in the Old City in Jerusalem:
"Your husband is a lucky man!"
"You're worth 600 camels!"
"Excuse me, you dropped something...my heart!"
"You looking for a husband? Me! Me!"
And last, but certainly not least...."Come with me to my home in Hebron for 4 days and meet my family!" (He was enamored by 3 of our female students. Needless to say, the girls did not go with him!)

The students are thinking about the first thing they want to eat when they get back home. I'm yearning for an In N Out burger! So, be prepared to visit a fast food restaurant or something that has meat and cheese together (basically not found in Israel because they keep kosher).

As mentioned before, this has been a trip of a lifetime. We all took vast amounts of pictures, so also be prepared to peruse these pictures and listen to stories told. This was a life-changing trip and one that has helped us all grow in our faith and our relationships. God has been faithful to us and has walked with us throughout this amazing adventure. He is so good to us!

Blessings to each family represented. You have such amazing young adults! I love every one of them!!! I look forward to seeing them on campus next year or staying in contact through Facebook.

Shalom for the last time!

Bev

The most significant find of the season...

Carly topped off the season with, "the most significant find" according to the main archaeologist Amni, she found a seal with ancient writings on it. Dr. Mullins thinks the writings on it might be something numeral, however until specialists look at it, nothing can be confirmed....but either way, way to go Carly. She thought she had found a rock at first...little did she know she was looking at 3,000 year old writings!

The Weekend and Beyond

Last weekend was very relaxing for some and quite a lot of driving for others. As you've seen in the pictures that Scott has put up on the blog, a number of students headed to Petra, which was quite a trek. But, they all say it was worth the sights and adventures they experienced. The other contingent of students went to the Sea of Galilee and had a very relaxing and restful time on the shore and in the water. A small group of us stayed at the kibbutz and went swimming in the pool here on Saturday and then visited the Sahne Pools down the road on Sunday. They are a number of pools fed by natural springs, banked by grass, palm trees and other trees to make for a very refreshing afternoon pastime. We floated, we swam, and we sat by the side of the pool while the tiny fish nibbled our feet, relieving us of dead skin that needed sloughing off! Doesn't that sound inviting??!!

We are back into the excavation portion of our trip. Most of the students are enjoying it; others, not so much. It is very dirty and very labor-intensive. And some of us have not had the joy of discovery that others have had. There are definitely discoveries being made: intact small juglets, larger jars, loom weights galore, walls (as Scott has shown in his pictures), figurines, and one small mold of a figurine which was possibly used to make those figurines that have been found. But, it does take stamina and a willingness to endure great physical activity without much promise of any reward. So...yesterday I decided I'd rather stay in an air-conditioned room back at the kibbutz instead of sifting buckets of dirt, checking it for artifacts, and hauling the sifted dirt in wheelbarrows to the dumpsite. So, today I found myself sleeping in, having to show up at the excavation office at 8:00 a.m., working with others, tagging artifacts as they come in from the field and chatting amiably. It was great!

I will probably get one more blog out before we head to Tel Aviv on Saturday to fly home. This has truly been a trip of a lifetime. But, we are winding down and thinking of home and loved ones. Those are such wonderful words!

Shalom.

Bev

Week 1 of the Dig photos (and petra!)

Petra, the Monastery

Petra the Treasury

Petra, the Treasury, with our group in it

Scott At the Dig

Steven at the dig

The dig site, Area C, where Steven and Allison were working

Area C -Where Scott, Rachel, and Jordan were working. The highest point is the top soil, The first indent on the left is a wall that runs N/S, and the little step is another wall running E/W, t he last step at the bottom is how far away we are from the floor of the complex

Wide shot of Area C

And the Dig Goes On...

We've now had four days in the field at Tel Rehov. It is fascinating just what is coming out of the earth in some parts of the tel. My area is not having too many finds...small pieces of pottery sherds, bone fragments, seashells and flint. Other than the great find Karly discovered on Tuesday (see previous blog), it's been slow in our area. I've visited the other areas and they seem to be having great success with their finds. During the pre-dinner hours each day we wash the pottery that we have found the previous day and then sort them for cataloging later in the dig office. We also have the privilege of listening to lectures on Tel Rehov and other aspects of archaeology by very prominant people in the field. If you'd like to find out more about the digsite, log onto rehov.org where you'll find information about where we're digging.

The students are looking forward to the weekend, when many of them are taking off for nearby distinations, such as the resort we stayed at when we were at the Sea of Galilee last week (En Gev). Others are planning a trip to Petra. Me, I'm relaxing at the kibbutz here, borrowing a Jane Austin book and taking it slow. That's my idea of a great weekend!

I'll keep checking in, when there is news to tell.

Blessings and Shalom!

Bev

Excavating: Awesome and Exhausting!

This is our second day of excavating Tel Rehov. We arrived at the kibbutz where we're staying on Sunday afternoon. The kibbutz is at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, not far from Beth She'an where we studied the ruins of that tel last week. The kibbutz is very shady, lots of space, and has a grocery store, which the students like! The south end of the kibbutz sits at the foot of Mt. Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan were killed and the Philistines carried off the Ark of the Covenant. Everytime I look up, I imagine Saul fighting the Philistines and I wonder just where on Mt. Gilboa the battle took place. But, it really doesn't matter...just living for the next two weeks at the foot of that landscape where this well-known Biblical event took place is wondrous in itself!

We woke up bright and early (well....early at least!) on Monday morning at 4:30 a.m. to get out on the tel right before the sun came up. We were given our assignments as to the area we would be working in, and promptly went to work. I'm in Area A with Callan, Jessica, Karly, and Jesse. The others of our group are in Area C and Area D. Area C is a treasure trove of artifacts...you walk around that site and just observe all the different kinds of pottery they are taking out of the earth. There are HUGE storage jars just sitting in a couple of the rooms that have been excavated. Then, I watched yesterday as they pulled a cute, little juglet from the ground. It was completely intact except for a small hole in the side (possibly where a pickaxe hit it as they initially broke up the ground for excavation). If you like this sort of thing (and I do), this is amazing! Monday was exhausting as well as exhilerating, simply because we weren't used to the early hour and to the physical labor (hoeing dirt into buckets and carrying those buckets to a dirt pile to the side of the site). By 12:15 p.m. we wearily climbed aboard the bus to take us back to the kibbutz, completely covered from head to toe with a layer of fine dust all over us. I have never been so dirty in all of my life! We were talking about how we all looked like Pigpen from the Snoopy cartoon....as we walk, we stir up clouds of Israeli dirt everywhere we go! I stumbled into my room, took a shower immediately and promptly took a nap! I think I had a bit of heat exhaustion as well, since it was close to 105 degrees yesterday. But, drinking more water and rest revived me and we had a BBQ out on the lawn with everyone (including the archaeologists and the Israeli students) celebrating the 4th of July.

Today (Tuesday) was easier than yesterday, having acclimated ourselves a little to the environment. And we had quite a little excitement in our Area A! I was standing at the sifter (shaking a bucket of dirt through a sieve to find artifacts - pottery sherds, animal bone, seashells, and flint) when Karly showed a small object to our lead archaeologist, Haggai, and asked if it was anything. He took one look at it and said, "This is the greatest find in our area up to this point!" It was an oval seal with pictures and some kind of writing on it. The archaeologists immediately took measurements and obtained samples of the ground around where the seal (or scarab, as they called it) was found. I took a picture of Karly and the seal with my camera as well. Then the lead archaeologist of the whole excavation, Dr. Amihai Mazar, came to the site and exclaimed over the find. He made Karly feel very important as the discoverer of this most interesting artifact. They will be sending the object to a specialist to find out what is actually written on it. Haggai told me to look out for the impression of that seal in my sifter, since there may be some evidence of that around the location of the find. My most important find today was olive pits! There were dozens in the sifter and they were gathered without actually touching them since the carbon from my body would damage these ancient pits. I had to use my trusty trowel to fish them out and deposit them in a specially-made container. So, I was in the pits today! :)

I am able to use the computer in the excavation office, so hopefully I can get online every couple of days or so. I'll keep you posted as to other finds. It looks promising!

Bev

Pictures

So i was slacking a little bit...but here are some pictures!

Caesarea Philippi (Northern Galilee)

Sea of Galilee (sunset)

Megiddo

The Ladies (in Galilee...somewhere)

Jordan River

Capernaum

Caesarea Maritima (Mediterranean Sea)

Boat ride across Galilee

Arbel Cliffs (overlooking the Northern part of the Sea of Galilee)

The last day with the whole group

On Thursday (July 1), we embarked on our last bus tour with the full group we've been with since we came to Jerusalem. This group consisted of people from all over the US, not just APU people. We've gotten to know them, learn Hebrew songs with them, joked with them and trudged up Masada with them. They have truly become friends. It will be sad to say good-bye to them at the certificate ceremony tonight. But, I get ahead of myself...here is what we did with them on Thursday:

We headed out to the Ephraim and Manasseh areas of Israel. Ephraim is the heartland of the early settlement of the Jews in Israel, dating back to the time of the judges. We started our tour of the area with Mt. Gerizim, the place of blessings (as opposed to Mt. Ebal just north of it, which is the place of cursings). Afterwards, we stopped at a Samaritan museum with a presentation by the head of that museum. He's the grandson and the son of the former two high priests for the Samaritan people. He gave quite an in-depth overview of who the Samaritans are and what they believe. He told us that his people are currently the bridge between the Palestinians and the Israelis; that the Samaritans want peace above all else. There were many artifacts to look at, and a replica was displayed of the most treasured item in their possession: a beautiful Torah scroll. He also mentioned the community needed more girls to continue their lineage. I think he was offering to our female students a chance to come be a part of them! None of our girls took him up on his offer. But one of the girls said she would keep it in mind if nothing panned out for her in the states!

After this, we had lunch at a cafe/market right down the street from the museum, and also had a devotional from one of the group. This member of the group was overcome with the burden for the Samaritan people and talked about their religious practices and long history of being a people of God. But it is the appearance of salvation without knowing the One Who is our true salvation - Jesus the Christ. They believe He lived and was a good example, but He is not the Messiah. Our group member's heart was burdened for them and for all people who don't know Him as the Messiah. We are surrounded by such people in Israel. One other member of the group shared about her father who had had a stroke almost two years ago. At that time, she was crying out to God, so sorrowful that the dad she had known all her life was not the man he is now. The Lord showed her that the yearning she felt for her father and the feeling of loss she was experiencing was the same yearning the Lord has for us. He wants so much to have fellowship and closeness to each of us; to be our Abba in the truest sense of the word! We bowed our heads in prayer. A few others led out in prayer and we sang "As the deer panteth for the water." It was a God moment; a divine appointment for many of us that blessed us tremendously. God is so good!

We then went on to Shiloh where Dr. Mullins pointed out where the place of worship probably would have stood and where Samuel might have had his dwelling. I picked up a few pottery sherds along the way and Dr. Mullins identified them as Middle Bronze Age (age of the patriarchs) and Late Bronze Age (Canaanite rule in the area and Moses and the Exodus). Amazing! The timeframes on all that we are looking at and studying is mind-boggling!

After Shiloh, we were headed back to Jerusalem. About 20 of us had not yet gone to the Holocaust Museum (Yad VaShem). So, the bus dropped us off at the museam and we took a city bus back to JUC afterwards. The museum was very troubling and thought-provoking. We have all seen pictures of the Holocaust, but this was much more detailed. The one place that made me gasp was the Children's Memorial. You walk in the building and everything is dark. There are a few lighted pictures on the wall of children in the concentration camps. You round a corner in the dark and there, before you, are thousands of points of light in the darkness, with a voice naming these points of light; children who never had a chance to live. As I stood there, the voice named a boy, stating he was 12 years old. That's about the age of my oldest grandchild. It makes you weep.

Last night we had a time of worship in the garden behind the buildings on campus at JUC. Just as the sun was setting and the breeze was blowing we started singing. Our voices wafted over the Hinnom Valley, just as the music from the wedding I wrote about earlier had done. Students read scripture and others prayed. It was a sweet time and one I will never forget.

We are coming to the end of our time at JUC. It's been a remarkable experience and the facts and figures I've learned will, hopefully, stay with me. But, what I will miss the most are the people I've met. They are wonderful people. If you don't know already, our APU students are amazing! I love every one of them!

I'm not sure if I will have internet access at the kibbutz we're going to for the archaeological dig. This starts on Sunday. Hopefully, I will be able to continue to send out blogs. But, if there is not a handy computer, I'll need to borrow one of the students' laptops. So, my blogs may be more sporadic.

Until next time...

Bev

Where do I begin??

I guess I begin on the first day of the 4-day bus trip to Galilee. Sunday, we headed out from Jerusalem early in the morning and our first stop was Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. As we walked through the different areas of the old city, built by Herod the Great in 22 BC, Dr. Mullins and Dr. Smith gave us background information on aspects of life at that time, and other times when it was occupied in the Byzantine period and the Crusader period. There was the theater, the amphitheater, the Hippodrome, the Herodian Harbor, the Crusader wall and moat, and Herod's palace. As with every place we've visited, we identified Biblical events that occurred there. We read the account of Paul and Cornelius in Acts 10 and Paul defending himself to Festus in Acts 24.

After Caesarea, we traveled north to Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and asked the people, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (IKings 18:21). We stood at the top of the Carmelite Monastery and looked over the place where it was likely that God displayed His power over the prophets of Baal. I gave a short devotional to the group (as many of us have done over the course of these last three weeks), asking them to choose who they will follow as they make decisions each day. I gave an example of one of our group who was needing direction from the Lord and she had received direction that very day!

At this spot we were also able to see the vast Jezreel Valley, very fertile land with many types of crops growing throughout the valley. From our vantage point on Mt. Carmel we could also see Mt. Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan were killed by the Philistines, and Mt. Tabor which is the possible site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. We passed through Nazareth and could imagine the boy, Jesus, running through the hills and valleys around His hometown. Since my grandson's name is Jezreel (which means "God plants"), I took many pictures of this valley. This is also where the final Battle of Armageddon is to take place as noted in the Bible.

We traveled on to Megiddo which has had 25 different levels of occupation. Twenty-five times Megiddo has been destroyed and 25 times it has been rebuilt! It stands at a very strategic crossroads between Egypt in the south and Mesopotamia in the north. Other tels we visited and explored were Hazor, Dan, and Beth She'an.

The place we stayed for three nights is called Holiday Resort, run by the Kibbutz at En Gev on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. For our group, the first sighting of the Sea of Galilee was awesome. We were hot and tired and the water looked so inviting in the 106 degree weather we were having. Once we checked into our rooms, many of us ran down to the beach and jumped into the lake. It was marvelous! Now this felt like a vacation! The housing was separate bungalows that we shared with one or two or three other people. There were kitchens, but we didn't need them because the dining hall had incredible food and even linens on the tables! What luxury! The students were delighted with the accommodations and the fact that the lake was right outside their doors! They had a ball each evening.

Last night (Tuesday), we took a boat ride from Tiberias to the dock just north of our lodging. The crew of the boat put on Jewish music and Dr. Kay Smith (our other leader) led a number of students in a Jewish folk dance around the benches as we traveled across the lake. We also stopped the boat in the middle of the lake and one of our group read the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Looking out onto the still lake, we could imagine Jesus performing that miracle. Or we could also see Him walking on the water and beckoning Peter to come and join Him. Or cooking breakfast on the shore for His disciples after His resurrection and before He ascended into Heaven. The Sea of Galilee is a special place and I know all the members of the group hold it dear to their hearts. We will never forget our time there.

We also visited other sites around the lake, such as Kursi (where the healing of the demoniac took place), the Franciscan church at the north end of the lake where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus talked with the people, He provided examples that they knew from their everyday lives. For instance, He talked of being salt, and the city of Magdala, which was close to this location, had an industry of salting the fish that was caught in the lake. Jesus also talked about being a light that isn't hidden under a basket, but instead is set out like a city on a hill, for all to see. He may have been referring to the city of Hippos which was on the east side of the lake, on a hill right next to our lodging. Other sites visited was Chorazim (a city cursed by Jesus) and Capernaum (a city that Jesus probably stayed in more than any other town during His ministry), and Tiberias (Herod Antipas' capital after moving it from Sepphoris).

There was so much to see and so much to learn. We climbed up tels and climbed down stairways into cisterns and water systems. We looked out over valleys and visited sacred sites where churches now stand. We hiked into the hills to see an amazing waterfall at Caesarea Philippi, where Peter declared that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matthew 16:16). We "felt" Jesus close since this is where He walked and taught and lived His life and ministry. We identified places that go with so many stories of the Bible and really experienced what it was like in Jesus' day. I just wish I could describe it better! You'll have to see the pictures...we've got lots!

Until next time...

Shalom,

Bev

Off on another short jaunt

Yesterday (Friday) was a free day, and it was marvelous! The weather was beautiful, with breezes and clouds floating by to give shadow, but also warm sunshine. People took advantage of the great weather and studied for today's exam out in the garden. I was reading outside and was entertained by a clarinet player from across the Hinnom Valley, playing traditional Jewish music. Looking across the valley to the Menachim Begin Heritage Center, there was a party in progress (possibly a wedding), with music, people dancing, and wonderful male vocalists singing Jewish songs. It was delightful! We also were invited to the home of the dean of Jerusalem University College, Dr. Paul Wright. He and his wife, Diane, have a beautiful home at the top of the JUC main building, overlooking Jerusalem. They provided us with cookies, punch, and caramel popcorn. They also shared how they came to Israel (15 years ago) and how it has been living in this country. We were blessed to get to know them a little and ask questions about JUC.

Today (Saturday) is a low-key day, prepping for the exam. One of the students (Rachel) and I took a walk to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. A man sitting by the wayside offered his services (for a price, of course) to be our guide around the church. That was helpful, since we weren't sure what we were seeing. So, he told us about the different Stations of the Cross, where Jesus was stripped of His clothing, where He was nailed to the cross, and where the cross actually stood. We bent down to actually feel the depression where the cross was dropped in. There was a large line of people waiting to see the tomb, but our resourceful guide persuaded some people to let us in towards the front of the line. Rachel and I were reluctant to cut in line, but he assured us there was no shame in doing so. So we stepped in, but felt like the Ugly Americans! The church is overseen by five different Christian sects: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Syrian, and Coptic. Each Christian sect has authority over certain sections of the church. But, the keys of the church are held by a Muslim family and have been the keeper of the keys since the mid-1800s. Each morning a member of this family opens the door to the church and then closes it at night. The church was built by Helena, the mother of Constantine, who had the hill (Golgotha) removed in order to build the church around these holy sites. The Byzantine church was destroyed and what we walked through today is from Crusader times.

Tomorrow (Sunday), we set out on a bus tour of Galilee. This one will be for four days, returning to JUC on Wednesday, June 30. I heard that internet access is very expensive in Galilee, so I will refrain from blogging until we return to Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Shalom,

Bev

Negev Field Study Pictures

Well since Bev did such a good job summarizing the trip, I will again merely supplement her comments with some pictures...

The Group at Cave 11, Qumran

Dead Sea

Masada

Most Holy Place in a Temple

Wilderness of Zin, that we hiked from the bottom up

Bell Caves

Arad

Ashkelon, Mediterranean Sea

A Land of Diversity

We've arrived home (JUC) safe and sound...feeling muscles we never knew existed. We have now traveled the lower two-thirds of Israel since we arrived in this amazing country. We've visited numerous sites where stories of the Bible took place. Nothing can compare to reading the account in scripture while standing on the site where it actually took place! Looking around, seeing the lay of the land, and imagining the people of the Bible living out what we have come to cherish in the Word, is a very impactful experience.

On our first day out on this recent 3-day bus trip, we didn't need to imagine the story - we saw it enacted right before our eyes. Dr. Mullins asked for a volunteer to head up the re-enactment of the David and Goliath story. Scott Cody graciously took on the job. He gathered those who wanted to participate, gave them the script to study, and when we arrived in the Valley of Elah, this very talented troop performed the one-act play superbly. We saw the hills where the Philistine army was encamped and the hill where Saul's army was positioned. It was not hard to imagine where Goliath taunted the Isrealites day after day, and where David stood up to him and ultimately defeated him.

When we climbed a nearby mountain overlooking the Valley of Elah to get the broader view of the land, I picked up a pottery sherd on the path. Dr. Mullins said it was the base of a pot from the time of the United Monarchy. I was holding a piece of pottery that was 3,000 years old!

Next stop was Bet Guvrin where we toured the Bell Caves (caves cut out of the ground in order to use the rock for building materials), a Columbarium (dove-cote), and an olive press. In one of the dwellings, we entered the basement and began singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Blessed Assurance." The acoustics were better than a cathedral! The music that came only from our voices was amazing, transporting us straight to the Throne of Glory!

We then headed for the coast at Ashkelon and took a much-needed rest, splashing in the Mediterranean or relaxing on the beach. As the day drew to a close, we traveled inland to Arad where we spent the night in the Blau Weiss Youth Hostel.

The second day we toured Tell Arad which was an Israelite fortress with a Canaanite city situated below it on the plain. We also toured Be'er Sheva (Beersheba) and after lunch a group braved the heat to climb from the bottom of the Wadi Zin (in the Wilderness of Zin) to the cliffs above where the rest of us were waiting for them in our nice, air-conditioned bus. Dr. Mullins also pointed out the kibbutz where David Ben-Gurion retired, after leading the country as Israel's first Prime Minister. Dr. Mullins added that when Mr. Ben-Gurion died there was a copy of Hal Lindsay's book, "The Late, Great Planet Earth" propped up on his desk. That meant something to me since that book brought me back to the Lord in 1972. It's interesting how things connect with our lives. I'm hoping Mr. Ben-Gurion took the words of that book to heart, just as I did! We also visited Avdat, a Nabatean stronghold. The Nabateans were pagans whose capitol city was Petra. Herod married a Nabatean princess and later divorced her to marry his brother's wife. This marriage was condemmed by John the Baptist who later was beheaded for his outspokenness. The Nabateans later became Christians and transformed their pagan places of worship to Christian churches.

Yesterday found us at Masada. What an impressive example of engineering and perseverence on the part of Herod the Great! Photos do not do it justice. The skill and ingenuity of transforming this piece of rock into a fortress and lavish palaces is incredible. Long before Herod's handiwork, though, scholars think that when the Bible talks about David and his men going to the "stronghold," that place was actually Masada, but without all the amenities that Herod added later. After surviving the descent from Masada via the Snake Path (I thought I was going to die!), it was time for some fun. We hopped on the bus and took a short 15 minute drive to the Dead Sea, where we floated (what a bizarre feeling at first) and we coated ourselves with the mineral-rich mud on the shore. After washing it off, the skin felt like a newborn baby's skin. We had a BBQ at the picnic area of the Dead Sea and then headed for Qumran. This place is a wonder, since the scolls found in the caves above Qumran are the earliest manuscripts of the Old Testament that we have. Some are 1000 years older than the manuscripts used to translate our present day Bible before these scrolls were discovered in 1952. If you haven't already done so, please visit the "Treasures of the Bible: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Beyond" exhibit being displayed at APU right now, through July 19. If you can't make it to Qumran, the next best thing is to take a tour of that exhibit. Our group also was privileged to go inside one of the caves where the scrolls were housed (cave 11). It was awesome to see exactly where they were discovered!

We headed home to JUC after that - a full three days of wonder, learning, and inspiration...not to mention the commaraderie of our group! And I do need to give tremendous kudos to Dr. Mullins. This man is a treasure trove of information about the sites we're visiting. He's very engaging and no question is too outlandish. He truly is a scholar of all that we are surveying on this trip!

Today (Friday) is a free day with jaunts into the city, catching up on email, or just relaxing on the JUC campus. Tomorrow is another exam for those who are taking this course for credit. Your prayers would be appreciated!!

Blessings,

Bev

A little rest, a little study, a little shopping...then on to our next destination!

Sunday was a free day. We did laundry; we did sightseeing; we did shopping; we slept! For most of the group, it was also a study day since the first exam of the course was today (Monday). All over the campus, you could spy students studying by themselves or in groups, on their laptops or hunched over pages of notes. Others of the group (like me) are auditing the class and, therefore, were exempt from taking the exams. We read, we walked into downtown Jerusalem to sample the Israeli cuisine, we shopped, we went in search of jazz. Today, I didn't venture off the campus - no walking - and my feet and back loved it! I'm saving my strength for our next adventure: The southern part of Israel - the Hill Country of Judah, the Shephelah, the Philistia Plain, and the Negev.

We leave early tomorrow to visit sites such as Ashkelon (swimming in the Mediterranean - yes!) and Beersheba. We will spend the night in Arad and visit the Wilderness of Zin on Wednesday. On Thursday, we round out our short excursion at the Dead Sea (being very buoyant!), the fortress of Masada and En Gedi (more swimming). We return to Jerusalem and Jerusalem University College (JUC) that afternoon. We received background information for these areas in geology, geography, agriculture, trade routes, and correlations with Biblical events from Dr. Mullins this afternoon. We're good to go, taking along our sunscreen, our hats, and our water bottles because it's HOT down there!

I hope to continue to post blogs while away from JUC, but if I am not able to access a computer for the next three days, I will pick up the journalistic thread on Thursday night or Friday (June 24 or 25).

Shalom,

Bev

Day 6

The wilderness...this would have been the area that Jesus would have wondered around in for 40 days

A sycomore-fig tree (like that with the story os Zachaeus)

The Mediterranean Sea (on our free day, Myself -Scott, Morgan, and Marcus made it out and swam in the ocean!)

Jericho (Remains from past times)

Dr. Mullins Explaining the remains at Jericho

A day of personal reflection and stories from the Bible in their exact locales

Saturday, we traveled through three geographic zones, from Jericho in the east to Gezer in the west. Different group members read the stories of the Good Samaritan, the healing of blind Bartimaeus, and the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer when they fought the Philistines single-handedly. After each story was read, another member of the group asked us to apply the particular story to our own lives and to refelct on what it means to be a Christ-follower today. Knowing the meaning behind the parable of the Good Samaritan, marveling at the miracle with Bartimaeus, and reliving that heroic and trusting deed on the part of Jonathan, encouraged us to step out and take action in our own lives!

We traveled different terrains today from the wilderness (where Jesus spent 40 days right before He began His ministry) to the fertile land on the coastal plain. It just brought home how we each encounter so many different circumstances and how we are to handle them: trials and triumphs, frustrations and breakthroughs. Putting our trust in the Lord and following His guidance is the ONLY option as we traverse this life.

Then I want to share about a dinner conversation with two young women on Saturday night. They have their whole lives ahead of them and they are totally sold out to the Lord. They want to know His will and they are willing to make changes and do whatever it takes to be closer to God and in alignment with His Spirit. These are not the only students I've heard talk this way. I'm blown away by their commitment, their passion, and their openness to the leading of the Lord. What a great bunch of young people! I am so proud to know them!

Until next time,

Bev

Pictures for the Places around Jerusalem

Jesus' birth place

Place of Jesus' Ascension

Herodium (the big circle thing in the middle was a tower, that would have been twice as tall)

Gethsemane

Church at Gethsemane

Fun fact of the day: some scholars translate the word “inn” differently. That same greek word is the same word that is used to describe the upper room that Jesus and his disciples had their last passover meal. So some scholars suggest that this upper room would have been the upper room to Joseph’s relatives big house, and since the house was full of relatives, it was full...so in an attempt to get some peace, mary went down to the basement stable to do her business...(and hence them still being at their house 2 years later when the Maggi arrived).

We live in a small world!

OK. We had just exited the Church of the Nativity and our leaders told the group that they could go shopping for an hour before heading back to Jerusalem. Some of us weren't interested in doing that. Our activity showed just how small our world has become. We watched a World Cup game being played in South Africa between Germany and Serbia (Serbia won 1-0) with the sports announcer speaking in Arabic while we were seated in a Palestinian coffee shop in Bethlehem, Israel drinking cappuccinos and eating pastry! Let's see ... how many nationalities and/or cultures were represented there in one hour's time? Amazing!

Other highlights of the day:

• Pine trees ... everywhere! They're on Temple Mount; in open land between Bethlehem and Jerusalem; in the middle of the city and on hills overlooking the city. I LOVE hearing the wind in the pines and at Jerusalem University College, we hear it every night. When you think of Israel, you think of olive trees, palm trees, cypress trees, and fig trees - but not pine trees. But, they're here in abundance!
• At the Pater Noster Church on the Mount of Olives, there is a beautiful courtyard where they have The Lord's Prayer mounted in tile on all the walls in practically every language you can imagine. One of our group set up his camera on a tripod and took the most amazing photo. The morning sun was shown in sunburst effect right over the cross on top of the church. Awesome!
  
• While on the Mount of Olives, we could see approximately where the Upper Room was located in Jerusalem and we identified the Garden of Gethsemane close to where we were standing. It was just incredible to see clearly the route that Jesus and His disciples might have taken after they celebrated the Passover meal and walked through Jerusalem, navigated around the Temple Mount and ascended the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed and was arrested. The Bible truly comes to life here!
• One of the pictures I took today was from the Mount of Olives, looking westward to the Golden Gate in the eastern wall of the Temple Mount. This gate has been walled up and cannot be used to enter or exit Jerusalem. The rest of the picture encompasses the olive grove below the wall and the tombstones of Christians at the foot of the Mount of Olives. When Jesus returns for His own, those dead in Christ will rise first to meet Him in the air, right at the Golden Gate where Jesus will ultimately return triumphantly when He establishes His Kingdom!
• The singing of Amazing Grace by another American group in the Church of the Nations. I joined in.
• The singing of O Little Town of Bethlehem in the Church of the Nativity.
  

Another full day in the land of the Bible! I hope you're getting a sense of what we're experiencing here in just the first four days in-country.

Bev

Pictures for the New Testament walk

The wailing wall

the group (minus kay..she took the picture, thanks kay :)

the empty tomb

the place of calvary

dome of the rock

...and I thought yesterday was awesome!

Today was one of the most memorable days of my life! That's quite a statement (and even a bit melodramatic!), but it's true. As we entered the Temple Mount from the southwest, the heat and the sore back faded to nothingness as I gazed upon the expanse where the Jewish Temple once stood and where Jesus walked, taught His disciples, and healed people. What a moment! I just stood there with my mouth open, looking around me. It was incredible!

Other places visited today were the Upper Room, the Western Wall (a Bar Mitzvah was in progress), and the Davidson Center where a re-enactment of what it must have been like to be a Jew back in Jesus' day and come to Jerusalem for the first time for one of the festivals (e.g., Passover). We also visited the Wohl Museum where archaeological excavations have unearthed a huge complex of rooms that are identified as The Herodian Quarter just west of the Temple Mount. Scholars have suggested that this building could very well have been Caiaphas' house, where Jesus was taken after His arrest. It was quite impressive with mosaic tiles on the floors and frescos on the walls. When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D., this building was part of that destruction. We were also privileged to stand at the Hulda Gates on the south end of the Temple Mount. This is where Jesus would have entered the Temple Mount. Excavations have discovered numerous ritual baths (mikva'ot) in front of this main entrance to the temple. Dr. Mullins commented that it seems likely that when 3,000 people were added to the early church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), these ritual baths would have been the place where they were baptized since no other venue in Jerusalem could have accommodated that many people.

I do need to mention that each day this week we have been in class for 3-4 hours, either in the morning and then out on our walking tours in the afternoon, or vice versa. Dr. Mullins has prepared us well for what we are experiencing in and around this most inspiring city!

Tomorrow we go on our first field study, ready to board the bus by 6:45 a.m.! Stay tuned for more exciting revelations!

Shalom and blessings,

Bev

PIctures to Add to Bev's Comments

sooo the pictures are not uploading :( i've been trying to upload them for like a half hour now, so here is plan B...i have them up here for now:

http://web.me.com/scottcody/Site/Photos.html

Words cannot adequately describe...

what we saw and experienced today. We passed through the Old City again today. Where you would least expect it, amongst the busy shops and walkways there are ruins and excavations showing actual walls that were constructed as far back as the 8th century B.C. We stood over the remains of the walls that the Romans destroyed in 70 A.D. The walls were at least 10 feet thick! We then walked to the City of David, the 10 acre piece of land that David and his men conquered from the Jebusites. We stood above the city, looking up to the Temple Mount in the north and the city's parameters to the south, with the Kidron Valley on the east and the Central (or Tyropoeon)Valley on the west. The sight was overwhelming. It's one thing to see pictures of Jerusalem; it's quite another to actually be standing on the ground that might possibly have been King David's Palace! We could even hear David playing his lyre! The events and the people that we read about in the Bible came alive as we stood there. It was truly amazing!

Then we walked to the source of the Gihon Spring in order to traverse Hezekiah's Tunnel that was built by King Hezekiah in the 8th Century B.C., in order to create a secure water supply for the city of Jerusalem should the city come under siege by an enemy. The water in the tunnel was at times up to mid-thigh as we sloshed through the cold, but clear, running water. The tunnel was dark so we had flashlights. It was only shoulder width and at times we had to duck so we wouldn't hit our heads. At other times, the ceiling of the tunnel was 4 to 5 meters above our heads. The fact that the tunnel was hewn out of limestone with just iron axes by the men who wielded them from opposite directions, coming together in the middle, is a miracle in itself. Feeling those close walls and the darkness enfolding us was a bit unnerving, but then we'd hear someone laughing or calling out to one of the other 45 people in our group and it made the 45 minute walk quite interesting! When we emerged from the tunnel, we came upon the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man. This pool was only discovered in the last five years.

Stay tuned for further escapades with this fun-loving group. The reason why we are larger in size than just those of us who came via APU (21), is because there are other groups here at Jerusalem University College. They come from all over the US and they have become new friends!

Shalom!

PIctures to Add to Bev's Comments

The Via Dolorosa

The dome of the rock

Marcus being...marcus

The wall that we climbed on

A day to remember ... for aching muscles!

Today, Dr. Mullins led us on a walking tour of Old Jerusalem. Actually, he acquainted us with the recent history of Jerusalem - back to Suliman the Magnificent 450 years ago, who built the walls that are in place to this day. Then, we climbed the stairs to traverse the walls from the Jaffa Gate on the west side of the Old City to the Damascus Gate on the north side. We got an eyeful and an earful as Dr. Mullins explained what we were seeing and what had occurred over the course of the centuries in and around the Armenian Quarter and the Christian Quarter. Had a great view of the Dome of the Rock and the Mount of Olives. We returned to Jerusalem University College by way of the Via Dolorosa. Another group of pilgrims was singing as they made their way through the Stations of the Cross along this route. They even had a fellow carrying a cross. When we returned to our domicile, we were wiped out. The stairs along the upper ramparts of the wall are treacherous and VERY steep. And they seem to never end! I remarked that they should sell t-shirts in the shops that read, "I survived walking on the walls of Jerusalem!" This afternoon, we were in class from 1:00 to 5:00. Many of us had to fight to keep awake. Sorry, Dr. Mullins! Tomorrow we walk Hezekiah's Tunnel! Should be cool....literally, since it's out of the Middle East sun! Bev

We are alive!

So we arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday around 3 and we got to JUC about 5:30. After dinner a few of us went out and walked through Jerusalem around the Western Wall. Today we will be taking a tour (Lead by Dr. Mullins) through the "Old City" Jerusalem, so that should be exciting.

This is a picture from JUC looking South West over Jerusalem

Here are a couple of the girls with the Israeli Army (Army guy on the left said: "hit me up on facebook" as he wiggled his eyebrows towards the girls (what a creeper)

The western wall {of the Old City, not the place of prayer}(this section is approximately 450 years old, built under the Ottoman Empire

More of the wall.

Until next time, Shalom.

The Trip

It is the night before the trip, and I am trying to stay up late so that I can sleep on the plane...15 hours...how excellent. We will be flying into Tel Aviv, and from there a two hour bus ride to Jerusalem University College (why it needs university and college in its name, I simply do not know), where we will eat dinner. We will be leaving on on Sunday the 13th at 1pm and arrive there on Monday the 14 2pm...yummie. Jerusalem time is 10 hours ahead of pacific coast time, so keep that in your bonnets for scheduling purposes. Talk to you all soon.

Just got out of our last class before leaving the states on Sunday. The classes were very informative and we were able to get to know our fellow adventurers a little bit. After anticipating the trip for a number of months, everyone is very excited about actually setting out on this journey!

First Class

Just met all the people in our class. They seem like great people!