The Herodian, one of Herod’s fortresses located just south east of Bethlehem is where Herod was buried. Herod is also known as the greatest builder of his time. Structures include the Temple Mount, the fortress at Masada, Caesarea, his palace in Jericho, and the Herodian in Bethlehem. During the end of Herod’s life, Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, right under the shadow of the Herodian. When Herod heard that the Jews had found a king born in Bethlehem, he ordered for all the boys two years old and younger to be killed. Herod’s entire life was spent in paranoia. Herod was said to have the power to move mountains (Herodian). Yeshua says to his disciples, “…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains” (Matthew 17:20) probably referring to the Herodian. But what is left of his reign today? Herod’s reign is over and all that is left to tell his story is in ruins, but Yeshua, King of the Jews still reign’s today!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Beit Lechem (Bethlehem)
Bethlehem which means “house of bread” is on the border between the wilderness and the hill country. By understanding the geographical region of Bethlehem we can understand the biblical accounts that occur in Bethlehem. David a shepherd boy tending his flocks near Bethlehem and the story of Ruth gleaning from the field of Boaz, all tie into the geographical location. When Yeshua is born in Bethlehem there are shepherds out in the fields (Luke 2:8). I also hold to the opinion that the time of year for the birth of Yeshua is around the time of Succot in the fall (late Sept. early Oct.), just after the last harvest according to the agricultural calendar. In Luke 2, angels of the Lord appear to the shepherds, proclaiming the birth of Messiah. The angels came to the lowest “class” of people. Westerners often portray shepherds as a group of middle aged men, but in Israel shepherds are more often than not young boys and girls. “The angels praised god saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests’”(Luke 2). The streets of Bethlehem today are probably not much different than the time of Yeshua, small and crowded because of the census that was issued of the entire Roman world (Luke 2).
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Natalie Turner
Benjamin Field Study
During the months after the wheat and barley harvest in Israel, farmers allow shepherds to bring their sheep and goats to graze in their fields. This time of year is right around the festival of Succot, in the months of September and early October. As we were traveling through the Valley of Aijalon up the Beth Horon Ridge Route, we met a boy named Joseph who had come all the way from Arad in the Negev (south) with his flock of sheep and goats. There are so many biblical truths that come from the image of a shepherd and his sheep. The Bible is deeply enriched if we understand who the shepherd is and how he keeps watch over his sheep. The first is from John 10: 27, it says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” I watched this biblical image unfold right before my eyes. The young shepherd boy, Joseph, called to his sheep, they heard his voice and began to move in his direction. I once heard it said, through one of my professors, that if I would have tried to call the sheep, just like the boy had, the sheep wouldn’t have even listened, because they know the difference between the voice of a stranger and the voice of their shepherd calling them. Shepherds are also professional “rock-throwers.” They direct their sheep by taking a stone and throwing it out in front of the flock, indicating to their sheep in what direction they want to move. Again I watched as the boy Joseph took a stone from the ground and threw it out in front of his sheep, herding them. 1 Samuel 16:11 reminds us of David a young shepherd boy received God’s calling, “…now the youngest (David) is tending the sheep.” Later, God used David’s skill of “rock-throwing” to defeat the Philistine giant, Goliath. “Reaching into his (David’s) bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine (Goliath) on the forehead, and he fell face down on the ground” (1 Samuel 17: 49). Just like David, God doesn’t ask us to do something that he hasn’t already prepared us for.
Benjamin Field Study
During the months after the wheat and barley harvest in Israel, farmers allow shepherds to bring their sheep and goats to graze in their fields. This time of year is right around the festival of Succot, in the months of September and early October. As we were traveling through the Valley of Aijalon up the Beth Horon Ridge Route, we met a boy named Joseph who had come all the way from Arad in the Negev (south) with his flock of sheep and goats. There are so many biblical truths that come from the image of a shepherd and his sheep. The Bible is deeply enriched if we understand who the shepherd is and how he keeps watch over his sheep. The first is from John 10: 27, it says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” I watched this biblical image unfold right before my eyes. The young shepherd boy, Joseph, called to his sheep, they heard his voice and began to move in his direction. I once heard it said, through one of my professors, that if I would have tried to call the sheep, just like the boy had, the sheep wouldn’t have even listened, because they know the difference between the voice of a stranger and the voice of their shepherd calling them. Shepherds are also professional “rock-throwers.” They direct their sheep by taking a stone and throwing it out in front of the flock, indicating to their sheep in what direction they want to move. Again I watched as the boy Joseph took a stone from the ground and threw it out in front of his sheep, herding them. 1 Samuel 16:11 reminds us of David a young shepherd boy received God’s calling, “…now the youngest (David) is tending the sheep.” Later, God used David’s skill of “rock-throwing” to defeat the Philistine giant, Goliath. “Reaching into his (David’s) bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine (Goliath) on the forehead, and he fell face down on the ground” (1 Samuel 17: 49). Just like David, God doesn’t ask us to do something that he hasn’t already prepared us for.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Day in Jerusalem
The Temple Mount which is now controlled by Muslims, was the place of worship for Yaweh, God of the Israelites. Herod the Great is known for his reconstruction of the Temple Mount in 20 BCE. Today the Temple Mount can give us a rough estimate of the size of this construction during the days of Yeshua. Having never been on top of the Temple Mount before, I was amazed by its size. I was not expecting the mount itself to be that large of a distance from its northern side to its southern side as well as from the eastern wall to its western wall. Although the measurement of today’s Temple Mount does not measure up with Herod’s Temple Mount, it still provides us with a more realistic picture of its immense size. The Dome of the Rock is another story. We stood below the Golden Dome and looked up at its enormous size, only to realize that the temple built by Herod was significantly superior.
Mark 11: 12-18 records when Jesus clears the temple of its buyers and sellers. From my understanding, the buying and selling within the temple was not an uncommon thing. For the most part this market place would have been conducted in the area of the Royal Stoa. However, we know from other sources that this market place was moved out into the gentile court, for whatever reason. Gentiles were only aloud to worship in the Gentile court and here were all these distractions, people buying and selling, while they were trying to worship. Then enters Yeshua who says, “…My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations ‘(including the Gentiles) (Mark 11:17). How dare these chief priest and teachers of the law interfere with a Gentile worshiping God. As I stood on the Temple Mount, we were able to guess at where the Gentile court would have been. Although we weren’t allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock, it was neat to think how close we were standing to where God had dwelled, but now God dwells in us.
The Burnt House of Kathros and the remains of the home of a high priest, possibly the high priest who tried Yeshua, were interesting visits. These structures were very large and we could also see remnance of tiled mosaics on the floors that give us the idea, these people were very wealthy and most likely someone of importance. Most of these homes wouldn’t have looked much differently than our homes in America. The miniature model of the high priest home included a court yard which is significant when we relate it to the passage in Luke 22, “…seizing him, they led him away to the house of the high priest…and Peter stood in the middle of the courtyard…” Whether or not this is the exact home of the high priest that tried Yeshua, it gives us an idea of who and where this event was taking place. The Garden Tomb was also another interesting stop. Skull Hill in this case was definitely outside the city wall and probably in a place where travelers would have passed by when entering the city. The person being crucified would been at eye level with the people passing by, and most likely completely naked. Excavations have found a tomb not far from the site which by some is thought to be the tomb where Christ was buried. It dates to the first temple period. However, John 20 says, “…there was a newly hewn tomb which no one had ever been laid.’ The problem here is that if this tomb dates to the first temple period, then there is no way it would fit the description of Yeshua’s tomb. Our tour guide also points out that there is a place for the rolling stone. Again, this area extends further and appears to be a place for water. There was however the finding of a cistern and the remains of a wine press. If this was a garden, the cistern would have been used for watering, and since there is remains of a wine press, we can assume the garden was a ‘vineyard’. John 20, “And at the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden…” We cannot be sure of the exact location of Yeshua’s crucifixion and burial.
Mark 11: 12-18 records when Jesus clears the temple of its buyers and sellers. From my understanding, the buying and selling within the temple was not an uncommon thing. For the most part this market place would have been conducted in the area of the Royal Stoa. However, we know from other sources that this market place was moved out into the gentile court, for whatever reason. Gentiles were only aloud to worship in the Gentile court and here were all these distractions, people buying and selling, while they were trying to worship. Then enters Yeshua who says, “…My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations ‘(including the Gentiles) (Mark 11:17). How dare these chief priest and teachers of the law interfere with a Gentile worshiping God. As I stood on the Temple Mount, we were able to guess at where the Gentile court would have been. Although we weren’t allowed to enter the Dome of the Rock, it was neat to think how close we were standing to where God had dwelled, but now God dwells in us.
The Burnt House of Kathros and the remains of the home of a high priest, possibly the high priest who tried Yeshua, were interesting visits. These structures were very large and we could also see remnance of tiled mosaics on the floors that give us the idea, these people were very wealthy and most likely someone of importance. Most of these homes wouldn’t have looked much differently than our homes in America. The miniature model of the high priest home included a court yard which is significant when we relate it to the passage in Luke 22, “…seizing him, they led him away to the house of the high priest…and Peter stood in the middle of the courtyard…” Whether or not this is the exact home of the high priest that tried Yeshua, it gives us an idea of who and where this event was taking place. The Garden Tomb was also another interesting stop. Skull Hill in this case was definitely outside the city wall and probably in a place where travelers would have passed by when entering the city. The person being crucified would been at eye level with the people passing by, and most likely completely naked. Excavations have found a tomb not far from the site which by some is thought to be the tomb where Christ was buried. It dates to the first temple period. However, John 20 says, “…there was a newly hewn tomb which no one had ever been laid.’ The problem here is that if this tomb dates to the first temple period, then there is no way it would fit the description of Yeshua’s tomb. Our tour guide also points out that there is a place for the rolling stone. Again, this area extends further and appears to be a place for water. There was however the finding of a cistern and the remains of a wine press. If this was a garden, the cistern would have been used for watering, and since there is remains of a wine press, we can assume the garden was a ‘vineyard’. John 20, “And at the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden…” We cannot be sure of the exact location of Yeshua’s crucifixion and burial.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Hezekiah's Tunnel
2 Samuel 5:8 "On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft..."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Wine Press
We spent the afternoon in the Biblical Gardens at Yad HaShmonah discussion the biblical picture of the vine and its branches. John 15:1-8
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Day in Jerusalem-Walking the Old City
Natalie Turner
Jerusalem (Introductory Walk of the Old City)
This morning we left for Jerusalem to walk through parts of the Old City, including the Christian, Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim Quarters. We first entered through Jaffa Gate (Sha’ar Yafo) from the west. We spent a short amount of time discussing the significance of a city gate. Many times throughout the Bible we see the gate being a place of meeting/judgment. Kings and leaders of the city would sit somewhere near the entrance of the gate to meet with the people in order to discuss their recent issues. Several examples from the Bible include Boaz, David, and Lot.
Just inside Jaffa gate, Herod built a large citadel to protect his city. Although the remains of the citadel from the time of Herod are mostly built over, you can still see the remains of the structure of Herod’s citadel. Herod had two citadels built to protect the city, one was the Antonia near the norther wall of the Old city and the other was David’s citadel just inside Jaffa Gate.
We walked through the Christian Quarter of the Old City which is narrow streets lined with mostly Arab shop keepers trying to sell you things. Walking down these streets is like walking through a movie set. There are so many people and so many things to buy! We made it to a shop keeper named Shabban who helped us exchange our money from American dollars to Israeli shekels.
Jerusalem (Introductory Walk of the Old City)
This morning we left for Jerusalem to walk through parts of the Old City, including the Christian, Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim Quarters. We first entered through Jaffa Gate (Sha’ar Yafo) from the west. We spent a short amount of time discussing the significance of a city gate. Many times throughout the Bible we see the gate being a place of meeting/judgment. Kings and leaders of the city would sit somewhere near the entrance of the gate to meet with the people in order to discuss their recent issues. Several examples from the Bible include Boaz, David, and Lot.
Just inside Jaffa gate, Herod built a large citadel to protect his city. Although the remains of the citadel from the time of Herod are mostly built over, you can still see the remains of the structure of Herod’s citadel. Herod had two citadels built to protect the city, one was the Antonia near the norther wall of the Old city and the other was David’s citadel just inside Jaffa Gate.
We walked through the Christian Quarter of the Old City which is narrow streets lined with mostly Arab shop keepers trying to sell you things. Walking down these streets is like walking through a movie set. There are so many people and so many things to buy! We made it to a shop keeper named Shabban who helped us exchange our money from American dollars to Israeli shekels.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Jenna, Alyssa and I went for a walk around the villages surrounding Yad HaShmonah. On our way back we saw all these people trying to get into the premier of Big Brother (Israel). We asked if they would let us in and sure enough they gave us tickets! We couldn't understand a thing they were saying but it was lots of fun! We met some Israelies and they said we should voote for Iran a male model! So, we did!
Monday, September 1, 2008
The plane ride over to Israel was a little more than 15 hours...so we got a little bored and decided to make a video. Our total travel time for today was 24 hours from the California to Newark, NJ all the way to Tel Aviv. And now I have jet lag, which I hate. I'm about ready to die through class this afternoon, but now at 11 o'clock at night I can't seem to make myself fall asleep. Well, I better get to sleep because tomorrow is our first day in Jerusalem-city of peace. We are all so excited! Hope you enjoy the video, it was very well rehersed as you'll see.
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