I really enjoyed living in Jerusalem.  When I think about it now I realize that there is a lot that have learned in the past couple of months and I’m still sorting through the experiences and data.  When I arrived at JUC Dr. Wright said something during orientation that I think sums it up well.  He said that this semester we would be packing a tool box that we would be unpacking for the rest of our lives, as far as data regarding the historical geography of Israel and experiences and so on.  During the semester the modern political tension really caught my attention.  I watched the entire city stop for Holocaust Memorial day, in order to stand for a moment of silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives and loved ones during the Holocaust.  The whole city of Jerusalem literally stopped.  The traffic stopped.  The pedestrians stopped.  It was a haunting thing to see an entire city come to a complete halt and to hear the wind blowing over the silence, and to see people get out of their cars and just stand in the middle of the street.   I cannot begin to imagine how something like the Holocaust has left a dark stain on the memory and lives of Jews all over the world, but especially in Israel while they are facing modern conflict with neighboring countries that sometimes openly state their desire to see their demise.  On the other hand, my memories of spending time in the West Bank enabled me to see the political, economic, and internal struggles of a people who have been caught in the midst of greed and corruption, both on domestic and foreign fronts, resulting in oppression and bloodshed.  The focus of the semester, however, was to spend a semester in Israel studying its history in ways that are only possible on location.  I crawled through the tunnels that were dug during the Bar Kokhba Revolt by Jews who were trying to hide from the Romans circa 132-135 A.D.  Reading about these tunnels could never compare with crawling through these tight spaces and turning the flash light off for a couple of minutes in order to better understand the conditions of a persecuted people who lived underground for several years.  To be visiting these sites and reading these historical texts and dealing with the question of how we know what we know about these people and their culture and how the material remains that they left behind can help us answer these questions (i.e. what was found in archaeological excavations, etc…) has been such a great experience.  It really gives me a familiarity with the context of the land of Israel (and Jordan) and the history of the Bible that I couldn’t have gained in any other way.  There is a strange sense that I have left lingering in my bones, a certain deep, mysterious, and bittersweet feeling that comes from living in a land plagued with a history that has been full of conflict and oppression, yet also full of messianic hope and expectation.  It makes me grateful to know that history is moving towards resolution, though not from our efforts, but through a means that is much more reliable.

Honeymoon recap

The time has already come and gone for me and Elise to travel around Israel, enjoying each other’s company after being apart for 4 months.  We started our trip at Tel Aviv, then traveled to Jerusalem, Tiberias, and back to Tel Aviv again.  Ben Baird helped us out by giving me a ride to the air port to pick up my lovely wife, and also by giving us a ride back to the hotel in Tel Aviv.  What a great guy!  After, we all went to dinner at this Israeli tapas place around the corner.  It was the perfect way to end the semester with Ben and begin the honeymoon with Elise. 

                The following day Elise and I walked along the beach and talked for a good while.  We wandered down to Joppa and read a bit from Acts 9-11 in the New Testament where Joppa is the setting for some of the events and then grabbed lunch.  Tel Aviv has this really great combination of feeling like a big city, and still having the smaller local beach bum vibe on the coast.  I think it really helped to make Elise feel at home.  After a couple of nights in Tel Aviv, spontaneously wandering around the beach and eating at some great restaurants, we were off to Jerusalem.  We travelled via taxi to the central bus station and continued via bus until we got to Jerusalem.  From the bus station at Jerusalem we took the light rail to Zion square where we had reserved a bedroom in an apartment for a couple of nights. 

                Our stay in Jerusalem had a bunch of hiccups.  When Elise arrived in Israel I was still getting over a bad throat infection and she caught what I had.  By the time we were arriving in Jerusalem it was really beginning to set in.  We wandered around the Old City for a bit and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that afternoon.  On our first full day I had planned to take Elise in to the West Bank to see the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and meet up with some of my friends from JUC.  We had to stop by a local clinic and pharmacy in the morning.  It was nice to get back in to Bethlehem one last time, and with Elise, but I know that being in the West Bank for the first time can be a bit of a strange new thing.  With all the stories on the news and the reputation that the West Bank has for conflict, along with the stark contrast in cultural and economic surroundings, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable at first.  Fortunately, when we got to Roy and Vidia’s house, we were greeted by fellow JUC friends and we had a nice lunch and dessert in a very welcoming environment.  After lunch we went out to the Church of the Nativity and walked through the market, where there was some tension between our group and some locals due to an extremely inappropriate gesture that some random guy thought he could get away with.  The following day we started out early by going up to the Temple Mount.  Fortunately, there wasn’t much of a line at all.  It was pretty amazing to be up on the Temple Mount.  I had studied it so much this semester in my archaeology class.  While we were up there a fight broke out between two guys, both Muslim, but it seemed like a pretty regular thing.  After the Temple Mount we wandered into Solomon’s Quarries and over to the Garden Tomb.  We walked along the Cardo and found an artist colony area that Elise had been looking for, it was a lucky find!  The next day was Shavuot, a Jewish Holiday.  We didn’t expect everything to be closed, even the ATMs!  We ended up walking to the Israel Museum, but it was a really fun walk and we got to talk and catch up some more.  The Herod exhibit was excellent and the Archaeological Wing was also a really fun time, even for Elise!  On the way back we stopped at a nice little restaurant and got some food.  Elise ordered a small mixed drink that had gin and tonic water in it.  I sipped on it and found out that I am very allergic to tonic water.  The following day we went to the Archaeological Park to see the walls of the Temple Mount and then we picked up our rental car and I finally got to show Elise around the JUC campus. 

                After lunch we drove to Tiberias in Galilee.  It was a pretty nice drive, except for the mandatory baggage check at the check point.  It was nice to drive for the first time in four months.  Getting around Jerusalem was a little tricky as I was used to walking everywhere, but I had an excellent navigator (Elise!).  The Sea of Galilee was a little hazy and every day we were there it got a little worse, but the weather was nicer than Jerusalem (which was pretty cold, unexpectedly).  It was nice to be in Jerusalem, but I had planned so much and there were so many unexpected setbacks.  It was good to be in a new area with fewer structured plans for each day.  The room at the hotel wasn’t as nice as we thought it would be, but it was still a pretty good room.  Breakfast was also pretty delicious at this hotel, as was the breakfast in Tel Aviv.  On our first full day in Galilee, we slept in, as it was much needed, and got a late start.  We went to the Tel Dan nature reserve and wandered around.  We saw the best preserved Middle Bronze age Canaanite arched gate and we got to see the Israelite remains of Dan.  The best part was that it was all tied into a wonderful nature hike.  The afternoon was tranquil, just what we needed.  While in Galilee, Elise introduced me to her favorite ice cream bars in Israel.  At first I thought it was strange that she remembered this ice cream from about five years ago, but after trying it I realized that Elise, as an ice cream enthusiast, had a good reason to remember how good it was!  On the next day we hit all of the sites that carried some tradition of Jesus being in the Galilee, and we even visited the boat found and preserved for over 2000 years in the Sea of Galilee.

                Our last stop was revisiting Tel Aviv.  We drove over to the coast, left our stuff at Tel Aviv, and went to Ashkelon so Elise could see where I would be spending the rest of my summer.  After spending a bit of time there we went back to Tel Aviv and returned the car.  As soon as I pulled into the Avis parking lot, an employee backed up into our car.  It was hilarious, although not that the time.  We had been so careful to take care of the car and then as soon as we pull up someone runs into us and it was one of the Avis employees! Hahaha!  The next day we relaxed on the beach and went to the local markets.  There was a lot of really good and really cheap fresh lemonade mixed with mint leaf.  I also got to introduce Elise to freshly squeezed pomegranate juice!  It was so delicious.  Our time passed so fast. I can’t believe that it is already over. 

                We took a cab to the airport and we said our goodbyes and I waiting to make sure that she got through checking the bags alright.  Then we discovered that, unlike in airports in the U.S., you can accompany passengers into the food court and shopping areas.  Elise and I had breakfast together and prayed for a safe flight, asking God to take care of us while we are apart for the next two months.  On the way back I tried to get back to the apartment without taking a taxi, since I had left all my bags at the apartment so I could travel light.  I was surprised to see that there weren’t any shuttles running to Tel Aviv, but there was a train.  It only took me to the edge of the city of Tel Aviv, but when I got off I found a bike rental place and figured I would be adventurous.  As long as I rode in the direction of the sea I thought I could find my way without a map.  Thank God I was right.  It was nice to ride around the city and along the beach.  It was quite adventurous, but everything was so different because Elise was sitting on an airplane flying half a world away.  

It's the "sorry, but I didn't create paragraphs" blog! 4.27.13

Yesterday I got in a rental car with a couple of friends and drove around visiting random places.  We didn’t really have a plan.  It was a great break from the research and writing routine, which keeps me confined to the library.  Although, I have to admit, the library has a great view!  Throughout the day we broke about every rule according to the rental agreement, driving on dirt roads and passing through West Bank on several occasions.  We started out by driving into the Judean Wilderness via the Ascent of Adumim and climbing up to the Wadi Qelt overlook.  The view was still quite breathtaking the second time around.  We continued by driving through Jericho.  The weather was perfect and, at times, it was clear enough to see well across the Jordan River.  It was nice to see Cypros again.  It reminded me of climbing up to the Herodian ruins and looking out over the city.  I think we were all feeling a little surprised at how fast time has passed by, and how soon it’s all coming to an end.  Next we wandered around aimlessly, finding our way into a Jewish settlement village in the middle of nowhere.  There was a sign marked a scenic overlook in the area so we naturally drawn to the settlement.  The guard was pretty nice and let us in, no problem.  It was so interesting to get a sneak peek into the lives of people living in this Jewish settlement, and on Shabbat too!  It was kind of picturesque in a strange Lost kind of way.  We also tried to go to Michmash and Ramalla, but we decided not to after getting a feel for the place and thinking that it might not be the wisest decision to go roaming around in certain places.  We did, however, get to go into Bethel.  We almost drove right onto an Israeli army base and were directed by a guard to turn around.  The ancient site of Bethel was pretty strange.  It was also right next to this very…ummm…how should I say it…well it was a sort of run down trailer park full of Jewish Zionistic graffiti.  It was a place of interesting sites to say the least.  Afterwards we set out in search of lunch, but it was Shabbat and pretty much everything was closed.  Unfortunately we found the only open restaurant in Jerusalem in our proximity…and it was a McDonalds.  The burgers there are ridiculous.  They are all named after American cities and they are about twice the size of burgers at McDonalds in the U.S., if not more!  Then we set out for Tel Aviv.  It was a really nice drive.  When we got there we found that things were quite different.  It was not unlike a large city in the U.S.  There was an obvious beach culture there, which was very different when compared with the very conservative culture in Jerusalem.  Also, everything was open even though it was Shabbat.  We ate dinner at Mexican restaurant that served pork and meat and cheese (so it was obviously not Kosher).  The food was delicious!  After, we watched the sunset at the beach.  I saw a rat scurry along one of the steps that descends to the sandy shoreline.  It was gross, but otherwise the overall tone was quite beautiful.  It was a great way to end the day.  On the drive back we got turned around a couple of times, but it fit with the overall theme of the day: spontaneous wandering.  When we were driving back into Jerusalem we saw some huge bon fires which were taking place because of a Jewish holiday called Lag B’Omer.  One of the fires was reaching for the sky besides a tall building.  It reached up to the third floor!  There were fires all over the city.  It was something to see. 

Jordan Day four

4/14/13

               Today was the last day of our Physical Settings field studies.  It is hard to believe that the semester is almost over.  We started the day out at Karak Castle, a crusader castle at the ancient site of Kir.  I am not the biggest fan of the crusades, so I tried to take in the site for the sake of understanding.  The doorways inside seemed to be lowered so that one would have to awkwardly crouch while entering a room.  Ramy, the Jordanian tour guide that was required by law to accompany us in Jordan, told us it was a method of defense in the event that enemy troops would break into the castle.  The design of the arrow slits on the outer edge of the castle wall caught my attention.  They seemed too crowded to actually hold a bow and shoot an arrow at oncoming attackers.  I was fairly certain that by the time of the Crusades crossbows had been invented, which would have been preferable for such a tight space.  I noticed a V-shaped slit on the floor which led up to the opening in the window looking down at the area in front of the castle.  I discussed its possible use with several other students and we came up with two ideas for its use.  It may have been used as a path to pour hot liquid on climbing invaders, although the slit was rather dainty for such a use, or it may have been used to prop up or slide some device into place.  I had the wild idea that these long narrow V-shaped slits may be used for some sort of sniper crossbow set up.  To my surprise, when I walked further into the castle there was a museum that confirmed my suspicion!

            Afterwards, we drove out to Dibon.  A while back I took a Hebrew Inscriptions class, in which we had to translate the Moabite Stele (and even point the Hebrew text after changing it from the Paleo-Hebrew to the later Biblical Hebrew that appears in the Aramaic script).  Mesha, king of Moab, describes himself in that text as a Dibonite.  It was pretty exciting to be wandering around the tel where such an important text was found, and one I have read! 

            Our next stop was at the Church of St. George.  This is where the mosaic Medaba map is preserved.  The Medaba map dates to the 6^th Century A.D. and contains view of the sacred geography in the ancient world.  It also gives us a very interesting look into the Old City of Jerusalem during that time.  After studying the archaeology of Jerusalem with Gabi Barkai and living in Jerusalem while studying the historical geography of Israel, I have a greater appreciation of what something like this means for biblical studies.  It was quite large compared to what I had in mind.  It is a shame that much of it was not preserved throughout time, but it is amazing that so much of it was!

            Our last stop of our last field study was at Mt. Nebo.  This is where Moses stood just before he died, looking into the Promised Land.  It was a fitting place to end our field studies.  As a class we were able to identify and follow the shape and flow of the land and its important features, demonstrating the massive amount of data we had absorbed during the semester.  Dr. Wright gave a final lecture that demonstrated his masterful ability to weave the data of historical geography together with a pastoral message that stretched far beyond the scope of the classroom.  I don’t think there was a student standing there on Mt. Nebo that didn’t have a pinch of melancholy growing inside them at the sudden realization that an epic journey was coming to an end.  It was a mixture of finality and nostalgia for something that hadn’t ended yet, with the wild card of uncertainty thrown in for good measure.  It was a perfect ending.  

Jordan day three

4/13/13

We got an early start this morning.  Immediately after breakfast we walked down to the site of Petra.  The walk through the entrance and up to the Treasury was an adventure in and of itself.  We passed an Indiana Jones shop, which reminded me of the cinematic significance of Petra, but the shop didn’t seem to have any great Indian Jones paraphernalia.  Beyond the point where an admission fee must be paid there was a winding road with tombs on either side.  As we walked I noticed that there were two roads, one for walking, and the other, separated by what seemed to be the base of a wall, contained different gravel and seemed to be used for riding donkeys/camels/horses.  I encountered my first Nabatean tomb at Petra on that road, although we weren’t actually in Petra proper yet. The design was quite exquisite and what I had heard about this lost city matched well with reality.  The road to Petra then continued on in between two tall uprising cliff faces, creating a relatively narrow passage.  This passage had small water channels carved into both sides of the walls.  These water channels were about elbow height.  When we finally reached the end of the passage, the treasury was standing before us, magnificently preserving a glimpse into the ancient world in a way that almost no other site does. 

            Once we were in the ancient city of Petra, the group began to split up and several of us climbed up to the high place, an area containing an altar used for ritual sacrifice.  The view from the top was truly something to take in.  We sat there for a while, resting from the hike up and discussing where to go next.  The path down from the high place was a little bit confusing.  We travelled in several direction before returning to a junction that we had previously passed by and getting down to the main part of the lower valley from there.  We ended up passing several water canals that appeared to link several fountains in a complex fashion.  So much thought and planning had to have been put into the building of this site.  We passed several ornate tombs descending into a wadi that carried us out into main valley.  There were also some caves that appeared to be living spaces, one of which had a pick-up truck parked inside as if it were a garage. 

            We had intended to climb up to a lookout point called the Monastery, but we had used up much of our four hours at the site and decided that it would be wise not to go so far off and miss the rendezvous time.  We explored almost half way up the ascent of the Monastery and around the Roman ruins before making our way back to the larger main corridor that led back to the Treasury and out to the exit. 

            After eating a refreshing lunch at a restaurant with a great view, we had a long and restful bus ride to Bozrah.  Bozrah was once an important Edomite city, surrounded on three sides with deep wadis, giving the site a sort of desert peninsula shape.  The drop from the city to the bottom of the wadis was quite dramatic, and we discussed the significance of the sites’ strategic advantages.  The tension that existed between the kingdom of Edom and the kingdom of Judea was largely focused on the territory of the Negev.  After the Babylonian exile, the Edomites were free to expand into the Negev.  In fact, several hundred years later they appear in the New Testament, known as Idumeans, inhabiting the Shephelah; some Idumeans even lived as far as Hebron.  The site of Bozrah was only slightly excavated and the overall impression was a very desolate.   

Jordan day two

4/12/13

Yesterday we started the day with a mystery site.  Dr. Wright wanted us to use our powers of observation, even though it was quite early in the morning.  It was a very peculiar site.  The architecture didn’t seem to fit with anything that I could think of very well.  The site almost had a Herodian flare to it.  It was difficult, also, to nail down a specific function for the building.  When we sat down to discuss the site we came up with some interesting ideas, and when Dr. Wright explained the history of the site and the confusion behind its architecture I realized just how strange it really was.  Apparently Hyrcanus built the structure before the Maccabean Revolt, and Herod was strongly influenced by the design and style.  Evidence for this comes from the writings of Josephus, giving the site the name “Tyre.”  It seems to have been a pleasure palace surrounded by water, giving the site an island-like appearance.  The artistic reconstruction that was published in an archaeological magazine depicted something quite extraordinary. 

            Afterwards we went to Jerash, the city of a thousand columns.  On the way in, Jason and I ran into a shopkeeper who had a stringed instrument with Middle Eastern designs on it.  We inquired about the instrument and he picked it up and began to play a simple melody while singing random things about the United States.  It was funny, in a strange way.

            We entered through Hadrian’s arch, which reminded me of the Ecce Homo arch in Jerusalem, as it has similar features and a similar reputation.  The architecture in the city was magnificent.  I climbed up on top of the Temple of Zeus and took some pictures of the Cardo and the sea of columns that surrounded it.  When I finally climbed down I ran over to the theatre just in time to see a bunch of Arab men marching out into the center of the theatre with bagpipes, dancing to the tunes of Christian hymns.  We continued to see more temples and more columns, along with an ancient church and an ancient mosque. 

            Next we went to Amman to see the museum, which was a little disappointing.  There was, however, a statue of an Ammonite king, which was very interesting, some fragments of an important text from Deir Alla, and some very intriguing statues.  The statues were of a figure that seemed to have two heads, perhaps depicting a male and female essence.  A possible interpretation of this find would be that it reflects a common tradition of Genesis, although with a peculiar interpretation.  It may be a depiction of God creating man and woman, and there having been a special unity between them.  According to this interpretation/view of creation, this would explain the male and female genders to be two halves the complete picture of humanity. We then explored the Tel of the ancient city of Rabbah.  The look out over the modern city was especially beautiful.  The weather was just right and the layout of the city, with its houses built into the slopes was perfect atmosphere.  There were several kids at the site flying kites and the scene reminded me of the descriptions of the simplicity of childhood.  The Temple of Hercules had an interesting rocky escarpment jutting up from beneath the floor.  It was a part of the bedrock that hadn’t been leveled, similar to the Dome of the Rock.  Dr. Wright told us a Jewish Midrash about the rock that resides where the 2^nd Temple used to be.  It was a pretty wild story, involving flying rocks and the weaving of several biblical themes.  Afterwards, we continued to walk around through some Byzantine churches and a mosque.  

Jordan Day One

4/11/13

            Today we crossed the border, going from Israel to Jordan.  The whole process seemed a little bit quirky to me.  It was sort of like passing through airport security, only instead of getting on an airplane and experiencing a couple hours of flight time, we got on a bus and took a 50 second ride over the border and stepped out on to Jordanian soil shortly afterwards.  I suppose it is a very normal process, but seeing as this is my first trip outside of the United States (this semester abroad) it left me with a funny impression.

            Before we got off the bus, Dr. Wright made a joke in passing about going to the restroom if we needed to in a nearby building and having our first real culture shock of the Jordan trip.  I thought maybe he was referencing the quality of the building or maybe the cleanliness of the bathrooms.  After I had my passport examined and stamped in Jordan I went into the bathroom and immediately noticed the difference in the cleanliness of the restroom.  However, I was curious, after using the small shoddy urinals, to see the stalls.  I cannot explain why I felt that bit of curiosity, but when I looked into the stall, to my surprise, I saw that there weren’t any toilets!  There was only a hole in the ground and two tread marks beside it in order to keep from slipping while squatting.  At that very moment, in the bathroom of all places, I came to the realization that this weekend was going to be interesting. 

            The drive from the border to the first site took quite a while.  When we arrived at Deir Alla, I kept thinking that there was something really significant about the site, but I couldn’t remember.  I looked in my handbook and saw the page discussing the site and was reminded of the text found at the site.  It was interesting to read it and consider the language, as I could imagine it being a bit complex since it was a very old form of Semitic poetry.  After the lecture on the tell, I tried to look around for something interesting, as there were a lot of pottery sherds scattered all over the floor and in the walls of tell, but alas, I found nothing of interest.

            We were running short on time so we had to skip the stop at Pella, which was unfortunate.  It was another long drive to the next spot, but when we arrived for lunch, I discovered that the wait had been well worth it.  We had lunch on top of the site of Gedara, looking out over the beautiful landscape.  After lunch we explored the site and talked about some of the possible historical connections with the site.  There was a byzantine church and some ornate Roman architecture.  I particularly enjoyed the Roman theatre with the black basalt seats; one row had backs on the seats that were surprisingly very comfortable. 

            The last stop of the day was at Ramoth Gilead.  I tried to look over the maps a bit on the way there, since it was another long ride between the sites, in order to become more familiar with the region and the layout of the land.  We discussed the efforts of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to expand to this point under the reign of King Ahab and his subsequent failure and death.  Overall, these few tells that we visited were very strategic and important.  I really enjoyed seeing a little bit of the land on this side of the Jordan, as well as how things on both sides of the Jordan connected via the important routes of the land between.

An almost silent night

3/29/13

Last night I went with a group of students to the Mount of Olives and read the account of Jesus' betrayal in Matthew.  The Garden of Gethsemane area seemed to be closed so we sat down on some steps nearby and read and prayed.  Afterwards the doors were open and we got to wander around the garden and into the church for a while.  Every once in a while the cars would stop honking at each other and there would be a lull in the noise.  In those moments the evening was so quiet it was almost eerie.  The moon was full and the night was a dark dark blue.  It was certainly a night that left an impression on me.

There and back again, a West Bank story

Today I spent the afternoon in Beit Sahour.  Osama, the regular driver for PAIDIA, picked me up just after the check point as usual.  As soon as I got in the car he apologized for being late and told me that I shouldn't be afraid.  I was a little bit confused as I thought he was just talking about busy traffic or not being able to get to the school on time, but then he went on to tell me that two families living between Bethlehem and Beit Sahour were fighting.  He explained how there are still tribal tendencies in the Palestinian culture and the families that he was talking about consisted of maybe 500 people or more.  Apparently the families were running around in the streets with machine guns shooting at each other.  On his way to get me bullets were flying very close to his car, and he told me that we would have to wait until the police had stabilized the situation.  About every five minutes or so he would call his friend who was a captain on the local police force and ask if it was clear, but we were told to wait time after time.  Later I found out that the entire Bethlehem police force had been deployed in order to try and get the situation under control.  Eventually we were able to skirt around the danger and get to where we needed to be.  Osama said that this was a fairly normal thing in the West Bank.  After teaching and getting through the checkpoint I saw that there weren't any buses heading to Jerusalem and I decided to just walk back.  This was the first time I had walked a round trip.  I enjoyed the walk, but unfortunately I didn't make it back in time for dinner so I walked over to the Old City and satisfied my hunger with falafel.  Good times.

Double update!

3/21/13

I walked to a Hebrew Bible store today in the New City of Jerusalem and ran into Rabbi Moshe.  We talked about comic books for a while and then went on our separate ways.  The guy at the store was pretty rude so I didn’t spend much time there.  I spent most of my day in the library overlooking Gehenna and then went to the music festival in the Old City in the evening.  It was great!  There were all sorts of colored lights being projected along the walls giving the city a uniquely festive and outlandish atmosphere.  There were several stages set up throughout the Old City with different bands playing a variety of music.   Some of the really eclectic Middle Eastern melodies were haunting and captivating and inspiring all at once.  The mixture of the music and lighting, as well as the mood of the crowds in the city was perfect.  It was something so foreign from what I have known, yet beautiful in a way that unmistakably resonated with me.  Afterwards, when I got back to the campus and the available wifi, I sent Elise a picture of the stage at the cardo.  I wish I could have talked to her but she was at work and I was ready to pass out for the night.  

3/24/13

Today was Palm Sunday and I walked the procession from behind the Mount of Olives to the Old City of Jerusalem.  There were so many people there, but it was nice to remember the events of the triumphal entry in to Jerusalem the week before Good Friday.  There were palm branches waving in the air and songs being sung by pilgrims from all around the world and the local people living in nearby villages dancing in the streets with guitars or drums.  Overall we walked for about 4 and a half hours (including the time it took to get there and the time it took to grab shawarma afterwards).  It was a great way to spend Palm Sunday in Jerusalem!  It is kind of strange living here and feeling a bit like a local who is watching all of the tourists come celebrate their holiday in Jerusalem, even though I was also participating in these events for the first time.  

Galilee Day 3 and 4

3/18/13

            It was a full day today.  We went to a total of six locations.  Our first stop of the day was at the Gadot Lookout, where we discussed some more modern history.  Next we travelled through the Huleh Basin stopping at Hazor and hiking around tell Dan.  Then we moved on to Caesarea Philippi to do a little more hiking.  Finally we ascended in elevation on our way up to a volcano, Birkat Ram, and further up to Har Ben Tal. 

The Gadot Lookout was an unexpected start to the day.  It used to be an Syrian military base and was subsequently taken by Israel in 1967.  There were fence posts that lined either side of the narrow road with signs that warn of the multitude of remaining land mines.  Dr. Wright told us a little bit about the sites strategic importance and pointed out some geographical landmarks.  Then he told us a fun little story about an Israeli spy who complained about the heat of the sun and requested to build trees near the Syrian bunkers to provide shade.  When his commander gave in and the trees sprouted up, the spy told the Israeli military to aim their artillery for the trees.  It’s sort of a rumored tale though, so there is no telling whether it really happened or not.  It is, however, interesting how many of the bunkers on the site were stationed right beneath trees.   After story time we got to climb around inside of the bunkers.  That was fun.

            Hazor was huge.  There wasn’t a whole lot to look at that was excavated, but the tell itself was massive.  I was very interested to hear about the caches of texts found at other international sites and how there is a fairly certain expectation that Hazor will yield a similar early archive for the first time in the land of Canaan.  It seems odd to think that when the text archive at Hazor is found it will be more significant than the finds at Qumran as Dr. Wright suggested.  It was also interesting to see basalt (volcanic rock) that was cracked because of burning (cooled lava being hot enough to crack! Imagine that!).  In the lecture Dr. Wright discussed the destruction layer found here at Hazor and how it fits so well with a late date of the Exodus.  I have only read about the issues of the early and late dating of Exodus in general, but this really piques my interest.  If this is the correct interpretation then that would put the Exodus after the Amarna period.  It makes me think of Jan Assman’s book Moses the Egyptian.  I still don’t buy into his ideas, but it reminds me of what he suggested. 

            Tell Dan was such a rich and interesting site.  There was a great nature hike around the area.  All throughout the area we could hear the sound of water rushing into the Jordan river.  It was tumultuous yet peaceful at the same time.  The Ancient Israel section of the tell was huge, especially the gate.  The Middle Bronze Canaanite mudbrick arched gate was so unique.  I was able to see the Canaanite gate at Ashkelon but it wasn’t nearly as well preserved as this one was. 

            Caesarea Philippi was great.  It was fun to climb up to the niches and take pictures.  The cave and foundation for the Greco-Roman religious center to the deity Pan was massive.  It was nearby that Jesus spoke to Peter saying, “upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt 16:18).  It was a strange juxtaposition thinking of Jesus’ words and the religious center devoted to worshiping Pan.  Afterwards we had a really nice hike around the area. 

            Then we went to Birkat Ram and got to hang out on a volcano!  How cool is that!? I couldn’t help but wonder if it would randomly erupt.  It was colder than I thought it would be so close to a volcano.  We also stopped at a demilitarized base, known as Har Ben Tal, that looks out into Syria.  I was reminded of the tragic violence still taking place in the country.  It was, however, interesting to reflect upon the history of the land of Israel coming into contact with the Assyrian Empire in antiquity and how vital this geographic location was then and how it still is today, despite the shift in the technology of warfare.  We also got to run around in the tunnels the military base with a flashlight and peek out of the bunkers facing the Israeli/Syrian border. 

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3/19/13

            This trip has gone by so fast.  On this last day we started out by driving to the nearby En Gev Harbor to take a boat out onto the Sea of Galilee!  It was a great surprise.  Afterwards we went to Kursi, which is the most likely spot for the story of the Gospel of Mark chapter five.  Next we went to Capernaum, a site I had been looking forward to from the start, and the nearby Tabgha area.  Finally, we ended the day at the cliffs of Arbel, overlooking much of the Galilee area and the locations we had traveled to throughout the trip.            

As we pulled up to the En Gev harbor early that morning, I began to imagine how nice it would be to get on a boat and sail around the Sea of Galilee.  Almost immediately after thinking this, I began to wonder whether or not something like that might be included in our fieldstudy, and shortly after my suspicion was verified.  It was a beautiful morning, having the entire body of water all to ourselves (without any water-skis or tourists boats blasting country gospel music).  When we got out into the sea a ways and turned off the engine, there was a moment of silence that felt almost like travelling back in time.  It was quite a unique experience and I was very glad to have class there as well. 

            When we arrived at Kursi, the location that best preserves the memory of the events of Mark 5 and the location known in the New Testament as Gergesa, there didn’t seem to be much there.  Sometimes being at these locations that appear in the Bible really helps to adjust one’s concept of the material culture and the overall physical setting, thus forcing you to deal with the reality of the event as opposed to an artists’ rendition or pure imagination.  It was nice to see how the city and the steep hill fit together along with the sea. 

            Then we went to Capernaum, where the huge spaceship looking observatory hangs over the archaeological remains of the traditional spot of St. Peter’s house.  I was really excited to see the spot because there are so many events in Jesus’ ministry that take place in Capernaum, but the overall focus of the site seemed to be around St. Peter’s house and the remains of  4^th or 5^th century synagogue nearby.  I thought it was really interesting how the synagogue was built on top of the black basalt foundation of an earlier synagogue, probably dating to the time of the New Testament.  The distinction between the earlier and the later synagogue foundation was very obvious.  That was a good connecting point between the physical remains at Capernaum and Jesus.  Peter’s house was interesting to look at, but it was clearly set up for pilgrimage/tourism, which can often be distracting.  Tabgha also remembered many events from the Gospels, and that was a nice little spot to reflect on the ministry and miracles of Christ.

The last stop was at the Cliffs of Arbel.  It was a really fun place to review what we learned and climb into some interesting caves.  The climb down was so much more adventurous than I anticipated.  At one point we were climbing down a very steep face of the cliff without guard rails.  The footing of that part was so narrow and the descent so steep, but there were cords and small handles firmly rooted into the rocks that we could use to safely move along.  Jason and I climbed up to several caves that required a lot of rock climbing and difficult positioning.  I wasn’t so sure about climbing up to some of the caves, but somehow we didn’t break any bones or take any nasty falls so it worked out alright.  It was quite an adventurous afternoon and when it was time to finally climb down and descend, the atmosphere was that of the agricultural lifestyle, as cows and horses grazed the side of the fertile green hills.  

Galilee Day Two

3/17/13

            We only had four stops today on our field studies, but they were some pretty impressive and helpful places to visit.  The morning began with a great view at Mt. Precipice, also known as Jumping Mountain.  It actually rained during the last bit of our time there so we finished our class time in the bus and moved on to Sepphoris.  After Sepphoris we visited the Beth Alpha Synagogue, a site I hadn't heard of before today.  Last, but certainly not least, we finished the day off at the Old Testament site of Beth Shean, which is also the New Testament site of Schythopolis. 

            When we arrived at Jumping Mountain the view was quite beautiful.  I have really grown to love the rocky, limestone-filled landscape of Israel.  The land is so full of old gnarly olive trees and fertile terraced hills.  On clear days the typical horizon is swarms with an interesting mixture of Cenomainian, Senonian, and Eocene foundations, which mold and shape the everyday life of this land.  The wadis bend around the erosion lines like twisting fingers reaching out into the wilderness.  The view from virtually any high point is breathtaking.  Mt. Precipice was no exception.  In the distance Mt. Tabor stood tall and prominent with its head wrapped in the clouds, which were swiftly moving about in the bright blue sky.  The tradition attached with the site, however, seemed a little bit strange to me.  Apparently, local tradition holds that this was the mountain where Jesus was almost thrown off of (Luke 4:29-30) but escaped by jumping off the cliff.  Hmmm…

Afterwards we stopped at Sepphoris, a site just north of Nazereth.  It was fascinating to think of Jesus growing up not far from this major Greco-Roman city and possibly contributing to its construction; he was, after all, a builder.  It had a nice theatre and several mosaics.  I had seen pictures of the so called, “Mona Lisa of Galilee,” but it was quite exquisite to gaze at firsthand.  Sepphoris really seemed to be mosaic land.  If there was a theme park or museum in the ancient world where people came from afar to see a variety of mosaics I would imagine it being something similar to this city.  It was also helpful to stand atop of the nearby Crusader building and focus on understanding the land from a different orientation, as we had done on Mt. Carmel, from Jezreel, and just recently from Mt. Precipice.  The shifting perspective really forced me to look at the land with the concept of a map in mind, but through the true lens of spatial reality. Before leaving we climbed down into the water shaft and walked around.  Unfortunately it had some water in it, which didn’t stop some students, but I preferred not to take off my shoes and trek through the ankle deep tadpole rich mud puddles.  We had already been to a few water shafts and there wasn’t much left to see of that shaft anyways.  The synagogue was really interesting as well.  I wasn’t really aware of the zodiacs included in the 1^st century Jewish mosaics.  I wish we could do more than just speculate as to why they were included in what was typically an aniconic religious tradition, but the lack of textual detail only allows speculation.  It really seems a stretch to think that these images were simply adopted and adapted to fit Jewish theology.  The Beth Alpha synagogue was essentially a more complete attestation of the mosaic style found at Sepphoris.

Beth Shean/Schythopolis was huge!  The theatre was originally three stories!  It felt a bit surreal walking through what seemed to be box seats.  The cardo really helped me have a proper spatial understanding of the magnificence of Roman architecture.  Again, the look out from Beth Shean was very helpful for tracking the geographical nuances of the land.  

Galilee Field Study Day 1

Galilee (Day One)

            Today we stopped at some big name sites.  We went to Caesarea (Maritima), Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, and Jezreel.  It seems as if there is always more to see in Israel.  We have covered a lot of ground already, but there is still so much more that we have not seen, and some we won’t even get to see.  It is baffling to think that I had just looked over all of this implicit detail when reading the Bible, completely unaware of the rich content that knowing the geographical settings has to offer.

Being at Caesarea and thinking about the perspective of ancient Israel and how they would view the Mediterranean Sea, as opposed to the hill country and other land-locked territories was something I had never really taken time to do before.  The concept of the sea being a place of chaos in an ancient worldview isn’t particularly new to me, but it was quite helpful to think about the seafaring culture in the context of the clash between the Philistines/Phoenicians and the Israelites/Judeans.  It was also quite a unique experience to sit in the reconstructed theatre facing the sea and imagine a crowd filling the seats.  It must have been quite a magnificent atmosphere for a play.  The hippodrome was also really interesting.  I kept picturing scenes from Ben-Hur in my mind.  At one point we were sitting on the remains of a structure listening to Dr. Wright talk about the site and there was a moment, when he mentioned Paul’s imprisonment at Caesarea.  Almost immediately I realized I was sitting in the remains of one of the rooms where they kept prisoners.  Once again, I was sitting in scenery that had witnessed some very important events take place.  These field studies have had such a strong impact on how I perceive the events recorded in the Bible. 

            Standing on top of Mt. Carmel was amazing.  Looking out over the Jezreel valley and seeing Mt. Gilboa, Mt. Moreh, and Mt. Tabor off in the distance really helped me to orient myself to the geography of the land and get a real sense of the connectedness of the region.  The history of the ancient Near East seems to come alive in such an active area.  Empires clashed and pushed their way into this “Land Between,” kingdoms were born and crushed, and nations were either refined or obliterated as traffic passed through this valley.  The event that stood out the most, however, wasn’t a story of large nations going to war with each other.  The most prominent story was the most obvious story, the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  It is such an important story for understanding the nature and character of God. 

            Megiddo was quite an impressive city.  I had read about the strategic significance of Megiddo from a military standpoint, but I did not understand how economically important it was until today.  As odd as it sounds, I am beginning to see a lot a value, and take a lot of joy, in seeing the everyday life stuff of ancient Israel.  I find the storage rooms to be very interesting.  I found myself at the bottom of a stairwell at Caesarea today, walking out into the open light and knowing that when I get up to the surface I will be able to look around and see the ruins of an ancient city, but wishing that when I peek over the horizon I might be able to catch a glimpse of what things were like back in the day.  If I could only step back in time for an hour or so I think I would stand around staring at the architecture and lamps and bowls, trying to understand the layout of the land and searching for inscriptions (as I probably wouldn’t be able to get very far with the modern pronunciation of Biblical Hebrew that I am familiar with). 

            Jezreel was beautiful.  I especially enjoyed looking across the field at Shunem and thinking of the story of Elijah, the Shunemite woman, and her son.  The fields were so fertile I couldn’t even make sense of the terrain we were standing on.  It was a perfect spot to take in a sunset after a long field study. 

Shephelah, Negev, Dead Sea field study!

Day 1: Shephelah

It seems like many of the places and memories that I have of the Field Studies are almost being mixed together.  I have been trying to remember where we have been and what we have seen so far.  Today we went to Beth Shemesh, Azekah, Lachish, Ashkelon, and a site where we hiked partially into the Sorek wadi system.  We also had a small stop on the side of the road where some Roman pillars and a milestone marker had been found when digging up the ground to clear a path for the modern road that connected Jerusalem to Gaza. 

Being at Beth Shemesh and going over the story of Samson was so interesting.  It really brought a new dimension to my understanding of the story.  The added dimension wasn’t just seeing the land and having a backdrop in mind for the events, although that was very helpful.  The most illuminating part about standing at Beth Shemesh and seeing the land and hearing the story was having an understanding of the geographical function of the land and understanding the cultural tension between the Philistines and the Israelites.  I had heard that the Shephelah was an important point in the land, one filled with conflict, but I never really understood why until studying here at JUC.  Hearing that concept illustrated with Samson was perfect!

Another great illustration of how vital the Shephelah is was the story David and Goliath.  It certainly wasn’t a new story for me, but, again, there were aspects that I hadn’t been aware of before that really gave me a bigger idea of what was really going on.  It felt so surreal to be standing at Azekah and looking out over the field and general vicinity where these events took place.  I remember telling this story in Sunday School when I was helping out with the youth group back home.  I drew stick figures standing on two very simple hills.  It was all two dimensional, but now I have this very robust imagery and understanding of the Shephelah and the diagonal road that intersects and divides it into the lower coastal region to the west, and the inner region that begins to show more of the hilly topography to the east.

Seeing Lachish was both very exciting, but also a little bit disappointing.  I have seen pictures and models of what Lachish would have looked like before it was destroyed, but I didn’t really know how much of it would be left in the ruins and archaeological remains.  I was expecting there to be more remains.  I understand that Lachish was conquered by the Assyrians and later destroyed by Babylon, but I always hear about how that kind of devastation actually preserves a ton of material artifacts for archaeologists.  I suppose the expectations sabotaged my experience a little bit.  I am sure if I knew more about the site and the finds I would be overwhelmed with all that was found.  I remember reading one of the Lachish letters in a class and thinking that it was so haunting.  The letter mentioned something about the signal fires at Azekah having gone out.  The implication may have been that the Assyrians or the Babylonians, I can’t remember which, had reached Azekah and destroyed the city.  Being at Lachish and remembering this was quite an experience and connection with history.

Ashkelon was so huge! I was waiting all day to see what it would be like and I was blown away!  I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to participate in such a great dig at such a great site this coming summer!

Day 2: Negev

The field study today consisted of visiting Arad, Beer Sheba, Wadi Zin, Avdat, and Maktesh Rimon.  I have really been enjoying the multiple day field study, but I am sure it will still feel nice to be back at JUC, which pretty much feels like home now.  There was a lot of driving today.  I enjoyed it because I used the down time to reflect on past field studies and try to sort through the data in relevant ways.  I really want to digest the information and experiences I have had here and keep them in my memory.

On our first stop at Arad, I was looking forward to seeing the Judean Temple.  I had already read about it and thought about the implications, I just thought it would be really interesting to see it and get an impression of what the site was like in reality.  I remember being quite perplexed when I first read about the plurality of deity worship at this sort of secondary Judean temple.  It was also very interesting to see the Early Bronze Age remains, which were probably connected with the first Pharaoh in Egypt.  While we were at Arad we ran into another group.  I was a happily surprised to run into several friends from my home church in Wheaton!

            Beer Sheba was quite large in comparison to what I thought it might be.  I didn’t know too much about the archaeological remains at the site to be honest, but it was nice to be able to see so many four roomed houses.  There just seems to be a lot more here than at any other site that we have been to – at least the houses were more obvious and clearly visible. 

            The hike through wadi Zin was also a great experience.  There were so many people there that it was hard to feel like I could get lost. I think if I were wandering through that area alone, even if it was clear where I was supposed to go, I could have easily been able to feel the overwhelmingly vast and confusing nature of the desert wilderness.  Still, this was such an exciting and adventurous experience.  I wish the hike could have been longer!

            Avdat was a very interesting site.  I don’t know a whole lot about the Nabateans.  When I hear or read about them it is usually in conjunction with Petra or Herod the Great.  I find it quite interesting that they eventually became Christians, something I had never heard before today!  It is quite amazing to think that they could navigate the desert and take advantage of its difficult terrain in a way that they could run and maintain the spice trade route without having to form a large military.  It makes sense after thinking about it, but it is just so brilliant.  On the site I got to see most of the ruins in passing, but I actually had a lot of fun exploring the still buried remains in the caves.  Alyssa and I found a substantially large system of caves with mostly buried Nabatean ruins inside.  It was nice to get outside of the area that has already been excavated and made accessible via paths, and climb down some steep paths and crawl through tight spaces to find some of the more adventurous spots that are less seen.

            Our last stop of the day was at Maktesh Rimon, a huge crater in the desert.  Standing on top of the Superbowl, a great nickname for the site, and looking out at the wild expanse was inspiring.  It was a great place to ponder the magnificence of God.

Day 3: Dead Sea

            Today we traveled to Masada, En Gedi, Qumran, and a militarized zone.  There was a lot of free time to wander and reflect.  It really set this day apart from some of the other field study days in that I was able to really take in the information, absorb it, analyze it, and begin to make sense of it on site.  I often feel that I need to focus on taking notes, taking pictures, and retaining the brief impression that I have of any one particular site.  The analyzing and making sense of the data doesn’t usually begin until I have some time during the middle of the week to look back on the experience and the notes, as well as the pictures. 

Masada was massive!  The walk up the side of the complex was nice.  I really enjoy walking with Ben even though we take our time and fall behind everyone else.  I know it is difficult for him to do the climbs, but it is a good time to really take in all that is going on and get a few good pictures.  It has also been a good time to just hang out.  I often have to explain to my wife Elise that guys are action oriented; we can’t just spend time together, we have to be doing something.  Really, it could be anything, we just need to be doing something like watching sports or fixing cars or climbing up the side of Masada.  It was also nice that we were able to catch the details about the site without missing much.  Yigal Yadin was brilliant for running the archaeological dig on a volunteer basis, and the contribution of the reconstruction line is also quite helpful.  It is nice to see authentic ruins or remains of ancient cultures, but the partial reconstruction and the ability to see where the two meet is extremely helpful for understanding the larger structures.

            At En Gedi we had two stops: the first stop was on the edge of the Dead Sea.  I was a little bit concerned that the water would be too cold, although I would have still gone in, I simply couldn’t pass it up.  The water, however, was just fine.  It was such a strange sensation to float so effortlessly!  At one point I got some water in my eyes and it felt like my eyes were on fire.  Afterwards we ate lunch.  It was quite nice to have a mini BBQ by the Dead Sea.  The second stop was relatively close at the En Gedi spring.  I really enjoyed seeing the Ibex so close.  One of them came right up to me.  It is strange to think that this spring with living water flowing so abundantly exists in the middle of the desert wilderness. 

            Our next stop was Qumran.  My first impression wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.  It was surreal to see the caves at Qumran, though we could really only see them from far away.  The community living space was a little bit smaller than I thought it would be, but there were so many mikvaot!  When we arrived at the Scribes room I remembered hearing how the people in the community would spend a third of the night studying or writing or something.  It really evoked a sense of discipline, which, I suppose, is quite fitting in relation to some of the community aspects.  I also got to climb way up into a cave at Qumran – not one of the caves that contained scroll fragments, but a cave nonetheless! 

            Our last stop of the day was an out of the way militarized zone that used to be a restaurant.  It seemed like an odd spot to stop at.  In the past it seems like we have always stopped somewhere really nice and epic in the scope its history/scenery/importance.  After hearing about what it used to be and how that tied in with the current political situation, the scene was well set for the imagery of the Dead Sea, used in Ezekiel to convey the hope of a new creation.

Yesterday I walked from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.  Part of the route that I walked was even on the patriarchal highway!  It’s so surreal to be living in Jerusalem and walking between these ancient sites.  It is an experience that I am so grateful to have.  I also felt an oddly satisfying awareness of being disconnected from the cellular tether of the iPhone.  There was a sense of freedom and adventure that I haven’t felt in quite a while.  It reminded me of younger days when my brother and I would walk to Blockbuster to browse the video games.  Whenever we would walk Mike would carry his pocket knife for security when we crossed through the forest (it wasn’t really a forest, but when I was young I thought of this grassy area with a couple of trees as a forest…now it’s a Walgreens).  You know, just in case we came upon some bandits or thieves.  Yeah, maybe we had an overactive imagination, but for a six year old it was quite the adventure.  Yesterday, I got that same feeling.  There were hills filled with ancient olive trees and mountains/giant hills all around.  It was like Lord of the Rings, but only if there were modern cities and roads running through Middle Earth.  I could see Herodian far in the distance and every once in a while we would come across a shepherd and some sheep grazing just a few feet from us.

                When we got to Bethlehem, we passed through the checkpoint and had to walk past the multitude of taxi drivers waiting for work to walk through the gates.  They are probably the most persistent people I have ever met in my life.  After getting through and being questioned and interrupted and all of that jazz, I was able to talk with one of the drivers who finally recognized that we weren’t really in need of a ride.  I asked him how business was, but he didn’t respond right away.  He took another drag on his cigarette and told me that life in the West Bank behind the wall was like prison.  He said he went to college and became a teacher, but there isn’t any work so he drives a taxi and makes enough money for gas and a little bit of food to bring home.  He told me that the people there don’t dream of saving up their money and building a nice house or opening a shop; if they don’t get enough business then they can’t afford to bring enough food home for the day.  He said they are just trying to survive.  The situation here in Israel is so complex I couldn’t begin to try and explain what I have learned.  It certainly isn’t black and white.  At times it is easy to see the plight of the Palestinians and at other times it is easy to see the plight of the Israelis.  I’ve had many very good and very honest conversations with other students here, as well as with some locals and I am, again, grateful for the experience.  Things look quite different on location as opposed to what is filtered through the news.  It’s just complex.

                Davis, my roommate, and I stood around for another 20 minutes waiting for the driver from Paidia to take us out to the main complex.  Paidia is an organization that is interested in education in the West Bank.  I volunteer once a week, helping kids learn English in an afterschool program.  Our driver is named Osama (I guess a pretty common name?) and he is a pretty nice guy.  He finally showed up and it was a little bit funny because the situation seemed so sketchy at the moment.  I don’t think I have seen him in the same car twice since I met him a couple of weeks ago.  He drove up with a friend and stopped on the corner and asked if I was Jonathan and then we got in the car.  Osama was having a little bit of a bad day.  His car kept dying and, apparently, a tour group that he had taken around wanted to go out and explore the desert on their own.  He warned them that they would probably get lost and that he should take them out, but they wanted to go.  They were lost for around 12 hours in the desert.  When we were leaving some of them were still lost in the desert, but Osama said he could find them easily once he talked to the local Bedouin. 

The kids there are learning some basic English phrases, but some of the older kids are so smart!  We try and play games with them so that they can learn in an interactive fashion.  They were really good at hangman!  It’s really great to see the volunteers who show up and help out for several weeks at a time at Paidia.  So far I have met volunteers from the U.S., Germany, Norway, and Australia. 

Afterwards, Davis and I took the bus home from the checkpoint instead of walking.  It was getting dark and what was a nice day turned pretty cold.  We made it back to JUC just in time for dinner. 

One of the best things about coming to Israel to study, as opposed to coming as a tourist, is that I get a chance to take my time with the experience and get to know the data behind the sights I’m seeing.  There have been so many amazing sites connected with biblical history.  Even at this slower pace there is so much to process and take in.  The cities here and the geography of the land are a pretty amazing testimony to the historical accuracy of the events depicted in the Bible.  However, there are several locations/spots here that are, for one reason or another, covered in obscurity.  Sometimes the obscurity is the product of misguided traditions and sometimes it is due to a lack of data.  What really strikes me as impressive about the sites here is that there is so much that we have been able to recover in relation to what you might think possible, considering the history of the land.  One of the most interesting locations that I have visited so far was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  We saw it pretty early on in the trip, simply because of the proximity of the site to the campus.  This is the church that was built around the spot where, according to tradition, Jesus was buried.  This is one of those places that has been debated in the past for its authenticity.  Today, however, the evidence is quite good for this being the correct site.  The large monumental tomb isn’t exactly the spot, but just behind it there is a 1^st Century rock-cut tomb which is very consistent with the burial practices dating to the time of the New Testament events and carries the tradition of being the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (AKA where Jesus was buried).  I even got to walk inside the tomb!  Even if that wasn’t the exact tomb, although it seems likely that it may have been, it is amazing to think that this is the place where Jesus was placed after he was crucified.  This is the place where people came looking for him days after and found an empty tomb.  It brought an entirely new dimension to my understanding of the resurrection of Jesus and the multitude of witnesses who saw him afterwards.  It was quite a poignant place to ponder the broken relationship between mankind and God, and just how far God was willing to go in order to atone for the sin that created that brokenness.  

So much has happened since arriving here is Jerusalem I don't even know where to start.  This little community here at JUC has already begun to feel like home.  Every time I see Jaffa gate, especially when coming back from a long field study, I think, "ahh, I'm home..."  Still, there is an odd tension at this home of mine seeing as I'm on the other side of the globe in relation to Elise.  

I don't think I am going to have culture shock while I'm here and I'm a little bummed out by that.  It may sound odd, but I was pretty curious about the whole experience and now it seems like it may not happen.  I live in Jerusalem, but in American institute with other students and faculty who are primarily American.  Maybe it’s a good thing that I won’t get to experience it.  I don’t really know. 

Today I have been stuck in the library writing my midterm paper for my History of Israel in the Second Temple Period class.  I have to admit the paper caught me a little off guard because it came up so fast, but here it is and it’s due tomorrow.  Good thing I’m almost done.  I think.

I played Ultimate Frisbee for the first time ever last Friday!  It was pretty great!  And!  To top it off, we play in Gehenna…(AKA hell) Hahaha! 

I have really been enjoying the celebration of Shabbat every Friday evening.  The whole campus gets together for dinner and sings songs and we read some liturgical readings, blessings, and prayers.  It’s a weekly celebration, I mean how great is that!?  Really it’s a great time of reflection, prayer, worship, and gathering together to rest and enjoy each other’s company.  It’s quite a beautiful thing.

The field studies have been amazing as well, but describing that in detail really deserves another, much longer blog, so I will let that be for now.

I have fully adjusted to the time change here, although, for a while, I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to happen.  I’ve also adjusted to the area to some degree.  I know where to grab some food if I want to go out, and I know where the nearest stores are and which ones are open all night if I have any midnight cravings or medical emergencies.  I think it is such a unique privilege to be able to live in Israel.  I wanted to visit for so long, but I knew that two weeks would be just too short (the length of most tourist trips).  I can hardly wait for Elise to come and visit so I can show her around.  I only wish I would have a chance to show the rest of my family around.  It would also be great to have a chance to meet up with the SOBC youth group and show them around too.  I guess I’ll have to do that with words and pictures instead.