Second Temple Shephelah

Just a quick post to recount the last field study of the year (excepting Jordan).  

This last Thursday (the30th)  the Second Temple Class, accompanied by our professor, Dr. Yigal Levin, went into the Shephelah for a day trip.  Though I've spent nearly two semesters here now, and though the shephelah is vitally important for Judah, I've only spent part of a day there  in all of our field studies (not counting the day at Lachish), so it was nice to go and catch a few places that we've missed along the way.

Our day started at Maresha/Marissa/Beit Guvrin.  Technically, Maresha and Beit Guvrin are different sites.  Maresha is the tell that was occupied until Hellenistic times, and then the city moved down the hill and became Beit Guvrin during the Roman era.  It's an important site, for many reasons which I don't feel up to ennumerating at the time, nor would you probably enjoy it if I did.  At any rate, much of the remains in the area are underground - man made, often bell shaped caves.  Some were carved and used as columbariums, some as olive presses, others as cisterns or storage area.  They probably also played a strategic role in the Bar Kokhbah rebellion.  There are also some tombs with beautiful paintings of animals, both mythical and real, dating to the Hellenistic period.  The original paintings are mostly destroyed, but thanks to some photographs and paintings of the paintings, they have sort of been "restored" and are visible today.  We also visited an amphitheater at Beit Guvrin.

The next stop of the day was Mizpeh Mishoah (I think), a sort of look-out/fire-watch-tower area.  Good view, good lunch.

After lunch we stopped at nearby Khirbet Etri, a Jewish village of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, a bit off the beaten track.  There was probably a synagogue there.  We crawled through another fun little tunnel.  

We paused along the road and walked along a Roman road for a short time.  

Our last stop was, well, I'm not quite sure of the name, at least in historical terms.  The sign said Mata Forest.  I think it's mostly a picnic site.  There is the remains of a one building visible, dating probably to the Islamic Era or later.  An any rate, the building just happens to be on a beautiful mosaic floor, from a Byzantine "wayside chapel." The mosaic had been defaced during the time of Islaam, and then rebuilt in a haphazard manner.    This is also the traditional site of Goliath's tombs.  So we all threw three stones at the tomb.  

I really haven't done that great of a job recounting the day, but it was really enjoyable.  Beautiful day, vineyards, fields, and flowers.  Rocks, caves, and sunlight.  Interesting history lessons, coming at the end of a class on Second Temple history.  Who knew that history could be so enjoyable?  :)  It was good.