Jezreel Valley

This weekend was the much anticipated Regional Explorations Field study! The nine of us in the class, one spouse, our bus driver, and Dr. Wright spent 3 days exploring the far reaches of the Jezreel valley. This class is almost the pinnacle of our studies in the historical geography program. The seminar next semester is the real pinnacle, but this prepares us for that. We spend the class basically learning how to research various topics and issues in historical geography, and then putting together coherent presentations on what we learn. This trip was our final.

For those of you who know nothing of the Jezreel valley, let me give a brief introduction.

Well, I'll attempt to be brief. It might not work.

I have to start with Israel. In the history of the world, the region that we now call the middle east has played a huge role. I think it is fair to say that almost all "world empires" that have arisen have vied for control over as much of the "middle east" as they could grab. Many of these empires even originate in the middle east. Israel was never really one of these empires, but the land of Israel was always fought over. This is because Israel (and to some extent Jordan) contain the best routes for getting from one area of the middle east to another. In days when airplanes didn't exist and boats were rudimentary at best, land routes were all there was. There were various routes that could be used, depending on your purposes and where you were headed, but in the end, most of the routes ended up going through the Jezreel Valley.

The Jezreel Valley is a roughly arrow shaped valley in Israel, north of Samaria, but south of Galilee. It is surrounded by various hills and mountain ranges, but there are 7 passes in and out of the valley: Jokneam, Kishon, Shimron/Shimon, Tabor, Harod, Dothan, and Megiddo. Since there are 9 people in our class we added the Nazareth Ridge and the Acco Plain and we were each assigned one to research and present our findings at two sites in or related to our regions. Here's a map of the region. The green flags are sites we visited, the balloons are other important sites that we saw but didn't stop at. The purple lines are approximations of the routes we talked about, and the red line is the boundary of the West Bank.

Rather that detail exactly everything we saw and talked about (and probably bore you to death) I'm going to include a number of pictures from the weekend to give you a taste of some of the things we saw.

Climbing up the tell of Jokneam. The road you see is coming from the Jokneam pass and heading off into the Kishon pass.

Here are all the girls in the class, sitting on a random couch on top of Helkath.

Today's "Rushing Torrent of the Kishon."

Party time at Acco! Probably part of Eid-ul-Adham.

Sunset at Acco.

One of the crazy little fish jumping all over at Acco.

We stopped briefly at a possible location for En Dor (the little mound right in front of Mt. Tabor).

On top of Mount Tabor (traditional site of the Transfiguration).

Coming down the road from Tabor...hoping not to die! :)

Starting to feel like spring in the Jezreel valley - green grass and flowers!

Sun shines through the clouds as we look at the valley from the top of the Nazareth Ridge.

Sunset by Hannathon.

The Harod Spring, of Gideon fame.

My site on Mt. Gilboa, from where we could see (almost) into the Dothan Pass.

More flowers!

When we got lost a little man appeared to point the way. (How do we go up??)

The forest of Gilboa reminded me of Montana. I even found a Christmas "tree" to bring home!

Our wonderful class and professor (and Mindy!) on Megiddo.

Finding firewood on a hill by Megiddo...which also reminded me of Montana.

Last "site" of the trip, looking at Gath-Padalla and the entrance to the Dothan Pass.

Hopefully this gives you a taste of some of the things I got to see over the weekend - both educationally valuable and beautiful.

One Year Ago

It's been a year since my Grandmother went home to be with Jesus. (Technically a year and a day, but what with time changes and communication breakdowns, I didn't hear of her death until the next day, so I choose to remember it today.)

As I think about her life and her death, especially in conjunction with the Thanksgiving season, I am reminded of how much I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for a godly grandmother who strove to raise godly children and then in turn encouraged and supported them as they worked to raise their children. What a legacy to leave! I am thankful that she is no longer in pain, but is home, rejoicing in the presence of her savior. I am thankful that someday I will see her again.

I am thankful for my amazing family (most of whom were directly impacted by my Grandmother). We all live so far apart, but that makes the short times we have together so much more special. Too often I take them for granted, but I'm pretty sure that I have the best family ever.

I am thankful for the friends I've made at JUC over the past year who have made being away from home and family a little easier.

I am thankful for this opportunity to study in Israel for two years. I have learned so much. It has truly been a life-changing experience.

God is good. Whatever our lot, in life or death, pain or pleasure, God is good.

Western Wall Tunnels, Part 3

I should premise this post with a bit of a disclaimer. These issues are ones that I've thought about a lot since coming to Israel. They keep coming up. However, I am still learning and processing my thoughts on the subject, so this will be simply a writing out of some of those preliminary thoughts with the inclusion of some thoughts from other people.

The previous two postings should prompt us to ask, as Christians, what should our view of the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock be? What should our reaction be?

Currently, there are numerous different views on the subject, but I think they can be grouped loosely under two headings: those who believe Christ will return as the world slowly gets better and those who believe Christ will return after the apocalypse. The former group isn't all that concerned with the temple, so this post will focus on the later group.

Of course, everyone in Christianity longs for the return of Christ and many are constantly looking for ways to hasten that return. If the apocalypse must proceed the return, then some conclude that we must hasten the apocalypse. If that should indeed be our goal, then the Temple Mount is a brilliant place to start. Current beliefs about eschatology in modern evangelicalism generally require the presence of a Jewish Temple for the end of days. If said temple is to be built, most likely the Dome of the Rock will have to go. Indeed, several 'Christians' have already attempted such destructions, with less than brilliant results, as you can imagine. Other, more moderate Christians, wouldn't go quite that far. Instead they focus on helping Jews prepare to build a third temple, donating money, assisting in the breeding of a red heifer, etc. They would probably still support the destruction of the Dome, but they aren't quite ready to effect it themselves. Other Christians are even more passive when it comes to the Third Temple - they are excited at the thought that it might be built someday, but are content to let it take care of itself.

Muslims, of course, are not terrible excited by Christian support for Jewish temple, at any level.

What do Jews think? That is a question with an interesting answer. The Jews who are preparing to build the temple generally seem to welcome support. They'll take the money and not care about the source. However, this does not mean that they like Christians, or that other Jews/Israelis like Christians because of our support. America has supported Israel for a long time, largely based upon a strong Christian bias in favor of Israel. After all, in their eschatology, Israel's existence is a necessary precursor to The End and Christ's return. However, this very reason for our support of Israel and of their temple is what makes them a little leery of our goodwill. Think about it for a minute:

Christian: "Hey, I want to help you build your temple!"

Jew: "Um, well, that's kinda weird, but nice, I guess. Why do you care?"
Christian: "Well, you see, the Antichrist can't be revealed as the Antichrist unless there is a temple for him to defile."

Jew: "So...you want me to build a temple so it can be defiled?"

Christian: "...um...."

Jew: "Okay, well, we'll let that go for the moment. Why is this Antichrist guy so important anyway?"

Christian: "Oh, well, see, after he defiles the temple he's going to persecute and almost destroy the Jewish people."

Jew: "So now you want me to build a temple so my people can be annihilated?"

Christian: "Well, almost annihilated. But then Christ will return and bring world peace!"

Jew: "I suppose that would be nice, but I don't believe in your Christ so that doesn't give me much hope. Basically it sounds like you are helping to hasten me towards doom. I think I could do without that sort of support, thanks."

Of course, as Christians, we look to the promise from Romans 11:26 "all Israel will be saved" and trust that somehow the end will bring about the ultimate redemption of Israel. We must understand, though, that this is not how it looks to the Jews, especially considering the historical persecution they received from Christians.

This does not automatically mean that we should not support the building of a temple, but it is something to consider.

Perhaps this would be a good point to consider what the Bible says that Christians ARE supposed to be doing on earth. After all, we were given a bunch of specific jobs. For example:

1. Matthew 28:19 tells us to make disciples of all nations.

2. Hebrews 12:14 tells us to pursue peace with all men

These are the first two things that came to mind, and they are themes repeated throughout the Bible. If we stop with only these two commands, several problems with our support of the temple are already clear.

To start with the command to make disciples, we have already discussed the attitudes of both Muslims and Jews towards Christian support of a Third Temple. Basically, it doesn't seem to be drawing them in, making them desire to be Christians. In our desire to hasten the end of the world, we seem to have forgotten what we are actually supposed to be doing. In addition, it could be argued from Matthew 24:14 ("And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.") that the one hint we are given about how to hasten the end has far more to do with making disciples than with building a temple.

The second command is equally problematic. If we truly want peace in the Middle East, it must be recognized that building a temple in Jerusalem is not going to do the trick. It's more likely to spark a third world war. Some might argue that the peace will not come until after the war. That may be, but even if so, I don't think it is our job to start a war in pursuit of peace. Ultimately, peace will only come through change hearts, and Jesus Christ is the only one I know who can change hearts. If we really want to pursue peace, evangelism and discipleship are our best bet.

This is, of course, not an exhaustive treatment of the subject at hand, but it is long enough to start. As always, I welcome relevant comments, insights, and questions. :)

Western Wall Tunnels, Part 2

The people who run the tunnels are, perhaps, a bit biased, a quality rarely found in Jerusalem. (Yes, that was sarcasm. Everyone in Jerusalem is biased. Especially when it comes to this small piece of real estate.) The tunnels are, of course, run by Jews, Jews who would probably favor the building of a third temple, should that ever become possible. While this is probably a common desire in Judaism, it is by no means universal, even among religious Jews. For example, my professor, Rabbi Moshe, is very uncomfortable with the idea of a third temple, and with the political and religious stance of the people who run the tunnel, with good reason, I think. In Classical Rabbinical Literature, the temple and cult system have been replaced by prayer and Torah study. This was done out of necessity - after 70AD there was no temple, nor any hope of rebuilding one, and if Judaism was to survive, changes had to be made. Of course, the changes made, though pragmatic, were backed up with arguments typical of the religious leaders of that day. Verses like Hosea 6:6 "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." and Micah 6:6-8 were referenced, pointing out a theme that played throughout the Hebrew Scriptures: God never desired the sacrifice alone, His real concern was the heart behind the sacrifice. Other Rabbis argued that revelation was progressive: God first asked Israel to offer sacrifices to Him because they would have sacrificed to something. Then, once the faith had progressed and the One True God was known, sacrifices were no longer needed and worship of God changed as the Temple was destroyed.

Thus, for some Jews at least, the temple is no longer necessary, or even desirable, especially considering the current political situation.

It has to be faced. The Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock is a hot spot. Jews and Christians are after it, Muslims control it, and at the slightest hint of a change in the status quo, everyone is up in arms. This fall the situation has been tense, with Muslims taking what we might consider relatively minor issues as a huge threat. Rocks are thrown, Israeli police are sent in, Muslims get even more worried...It can be a vicious cycle. For Jews who truly want peace in a world where the very breath of a rumor about a temple can spark another intifada, there is little incentive to want a third temple.

I think I will save further comments for another blog post. For now, here are some pictures and explanations of what we actually saw on our field study.

Here Rabbi Moshe shows us a model of the hill upon which the mount was built, both before the platform and with the platform. Right now a very disproportionate Second Temple is on the platform.

Here is another model of the Temple Mount. There is again a disproportionate Second Temple model on top of the mount (probably due to the pro-temple bias of the organization). The western wall can be seen, with the plaza and buildings that are along it today.

Here we are, walking through a tunnel along part of the platform wall. You can see on my right part of a very large Herodian stone. I don't have the exact figures, but I believe the largest of these stones weighed around 600 tons. How such a stone could even be moved, especially with the technology of the first century is beyond my imagination.

These are candles lit in the area which is "opposite the foundation stone and the site of the Holy of Holies." There is a synagogue in this tunnel complex, but apparently only men are allowed in, so the women pray in this area.

Back outside the walls I got a picture of the plaza. (The Dome of the Rock is on top of the plaza, off the left side of the picture.)

Here's a view of the area at night, from sort of a south-west direction.

Western Wall Tunnels, Part 1

This last Thursday evening I went, with my Rabbinical Thought and Literature class and our professor Rabbi Moshe, to the Western Wall Tunnels. For those of you unfamiliar with this site, let me give you some background information.

You will doubtless remember from long forgotten Sunday school lessons, that David (and Joab) conquered Jebus (Jerusalem) and made it his capital. (Hint: for a refresher, see 1 Chronicles 11.) This is the area today known as "The City of David," on the Eastern Hill, located between the Kidron Valley and the Cheese-maker's Valley. Of course you also remember the story a little later of the plague that God sent on Israel that stopped when David offered sacrifices on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24). Keep in mind that threshing floors are high points, and the closest high point to Jerusalem was directly north (the upper part of the Eastern Hill). Add to this 2 Chronicles 3:1 ("Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.") and we have the beginning of our story in the beginning of the temple. The majority view is that Solomon's temple (the first temple) was built due north of the City of David, under the area where the Dome of the Rock is now.

Of course, between Solomon's time and our own there are dozens of layers of history. The first temple was destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC. It was rebuilt ("Second Temple") by Ezra, and was finished about 516BC.

Then Herod the Great came along and decided that temple needed improvement. It was, perhaps, the most ambitious building project he ever undertook: it wasn't finished until 60AD, over 60 years after Herod's death. It was, at least, a stunning complex of buildings when finished, one of the wonders of the ancient world. However, in the planning stages, Herod was not content to merely use what nature had supplied. No. The hill upon which the current temple stood was not big enough for the grandiose structure he desired to erect. So he began by expanding the hill, fashioning vaults and filling in earth, creating a platform grand enough to hold a glorious temple.

That temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Today, all the remains is the platform, upon which the Dome of the Rock now sits. The only piece of the original hill that is still visible is the rock inside the dome, from whence it draws its name.

(Note: at this point I should mention that there is still some amount of scholarly debate over where the temple actually was, and if the structure which is today called "The Temple Mount" ever actually held the temple. However, the case stated above seems to be the majority view, so for the sake of this blog post, we'll assume they are correct.)

I suppose it is reasonable that the Jews would revere the platform upon which their most holy site had stood, but why the Western wall (which, by the way, they never called "The Wailing Wall")? The answer, of course, lies in classical rabbinic literature: "The Shekinah is in the west." Probably because the Holy of Holies would have been on the western side of the structure, the western wall of the structure is now the most revered.

Which brings me (finally) to the tunnels. When the Jews first gained control of Old Jerusalem and the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock area in 1967, one of the first things they did was bulldoze an area west of the Western Wall, giving Jews the opportunity (and the room) to visit the wall for the first time in years. However, they only cleared a relatively small area, compared to the length of the wall. The tunnels start just north of that plaza and continue on, exploring the extent of Herod platform, under the modern homes and places of business of the people of the Arab Quarter. Parts of these tunnels are open to tourists (by appointment) and that's where we went.

Now that you have enough background information, I'm going to pause for the night and continue these thoughts in a second post tomorrow.

Welcome to my life!

So, I happened to watch an episode of Top Chef where their challenge was to make a meal for 300 airmen, with the supplies and kitchen equipment on the base, and I thought, "Welcome to my world." That's pretty much what I do daily at camp. Except with a lower budget, less equipment, fewer people, and less cumulative experience on my side. Most of the challenges they compete in I wouldn't even know where to begin, but with this one, well, I could relate.

In other news, I recently found out about a site with a number of online books. I haven't read much for fun for a long time, and they had some shorter books that I'd been wanting to read, so in the last couple days I've read Manalive! by G. K. Chesterton and Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse, both of which I recommend, for very different reasons. Here is one quote from each, respectively, which made me laugh.

"Imprudent marriages!" roared Michael. "And pray where in earth or heaven are there any prudent marriages? Might as well talk about prudent suicides.

Jeeves: "Yes, sir. Each time he endeavours to formulate a proposal of marriage, his courage fails him."

Wooster: "And yet, if he wants this female to be his wife, he's got to say so, what? I mean, only civil to mention it."

Jeeves: "Precisely, sir."

Today is a good day.

So far, at least.

Mostly because I finally got the package that my amazing former roommate (Katie) sent me. So, Katie, here's a shout-out to you! :)

Here's all the loot. :)

Here's me, testing out the loot.

And here are the two of us, BMW's that we are! :)

Love you, Katie!

A Day in the Life of a JUC Grad Student

Disclaimer: While all of these events are unlikely to occur on any ONE given day, they are things that I am likely to see or experience at any given time.

1. Walking to school in the rain. Up hill. Both ways. Not even exaggerating. Oh how I hope it snows this winter!

2. Night-time field studies to the Israel Museum. This includes

a. Catching a taxi near the school with three other people, trying to haggle for a decent price, and hopefully managing to end up at the Israel Museum by 6pm

b. Once the whole class trickles in, in groups of four, entering the museum (at least the part that is open) and the proceeding to stand and/or sit outside for well over an hour. Fortunately it had stopped raining. Still cold.

c. Looking at the Second Temple period model of Jerusalem. It is a pretty sweet model, I have to say.

d. Reading about odd Rabbinical-type-people. Like Choni the circle-drawer. Or about the disagreements of Shammai and Hillel.

e. Sitting inside in warm, comfortable chairs, and watching an interesting movie about the community at Qumran. And by interesting I don't really mean "informative" but more "rather odd."

f. Going inside the Shrine of the Book and seeing artifacts from Qumran, including several Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

g. Trying to catch another taxi home...walking to the bottom of the hill to try to find one that will give us a better price...and saving maybe 12 NIS in the end, in exchange for walking further.

h. Gathering my things from school, and then walking home. Up hill. At least it wasn't raining, and the walk did warm me up.

3. Playing board games as part of my upper level graduate class...

...Yeah, I suppose I should explain this. For this week, we were each assigned a country or region (Edom, Moab, Ammon, Syria, Phoenicia, Israel, Judah, Philistia, and (my region) the raiders of the Greater Negev). We were to research sort of the political and economic type pressures and desires of our area during the 9th century BC. What was their resource base? What were they trying to gain? Who were they trying to trade with? Who would be natural enemies and who would be natural allies? All that sort of thing. In class we laid things out on the map and talked about what DID happen during the 9th century and why, as well as what COULD have happened (and maybe did happen during a different time period).

4. Watching beautiful sunsets from the roof of a building built on the remains of a tower from the Hasmonean period.

5. Trying to take care of and keep track of several visitors coming and going and coming again in my flat...and also trying to keep track of the coming and going of my flatmates.

6. Cooking. Lots of cooking. Including experimenting with new-to-me foods, such as quinoa and kohlrabi.

And that's all for tonight! Tune in next week for more adventures in the life of a JUC Grad Student! *cue music*