Impressions from the Promise Land

My impression reports for Historical and Geographical Settings of the Bible, with Jerusalem University College

Week 1

Field Day 1: The Old City

            It is true by saying that we are coming back to our own city. Jerusalem, the city of God, the city where God’s people gather, I had familiar feeling when I entered JUC this morning. The atmosphere of JUC reminded me of the Buddhist monastery where my grandma resided during her later years. The temperature, the serenity, the long pathway before the entrance, the plants, and the old buildings are just like the New Territory of Hong Kong, which occupied part of my childhood memory. Thus, the Old City is not strange or that new to me, but more like coming back to my ancestor’s town.

            Standing outside the Western Wall of the Old City from the rooftop observation, I felt as unspeakable as the Jewish who are wailing at the remnant of our religious heritage. The most depressing thing was that Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish, and that 97,000 were captured and enslaved. The fire spread quickly and was soon out of control. The Temple was destroyed on Tisha B'Av, in the beginning of August, and the flames spread into the residential sections of the city.

Nevertheless, the wailing that started in 70 AD has lasted until today to many Jews. I saw this as an ironic scene that God set before the Jewish eyes. Once they had the Temple to sacrifice, but they turned it into a market of exchange. Now what sits on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Rock just right on top of it. That not only makes the Jews wail for their desperate hope for the Messiah and rebuild of the Temple, but the religious conflict with their Muslim neighbors. The tension will not be solved until the true shalom that will come when Jesus’ return and his tabernacle descent from heaven.

Field Day 2: OT Jerusalem Walk

            City of David, seeing the city packed very tightly reminded me the living condition in Hong Kong. I used to live with my parents and sister in a small apartment for a long time until I graduated from college. I believe David would have to live in harmony and intimately with his people in the town. When he became the king of the monarchy, he remembered the tabernacle of God, and he wanted to build God a temple in Jerusalem.

            Hezekiah’s Tunnel was recorded in 2Kings 20:20 “As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?” It was very impressive to see and for some people walk in the tunnel that was built two thousands years ago. It shows God even used Hezekiah to spear the lives of his chosen people in time of hardship.

Pool of Shiloah (Siloam) was another magnificent project in addition to the Gihon Spring located in the southern part of the City of David with several water systems. These include Warren’s Shaft, which featured a stepped tunnel and vertical shaft to provide protected access to the city’s water supply during times of warfare; the Shiloah water channel, which ran along the east side of the Ophel Ridge and conveyed water to the valley to the east for irrigation purposes; and Hezekiah’s Tunnel, cut 558 m. (1831 ft.) through the bedrock of the ridge to convey water from Gihon Spring on the city’s east side to the Siloam Pool on the southwest (2 Kgs. 18:13-18; 20:20). That is the pool Jesus said to the man who was blind from birth, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” (Joh. 9:7).

Field Day 3: NT Jerusalem Walk

The Upper Room, I was especially linked with this site because I wrote an exegesis page on John 14 about Jesus farewell discourse with his disciples. It was the place with much significance. After Jesus ascended, his disciples gathered here, “when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James” (Acts 1:13).

Jerusalem Archaeological Park contained many findings from the City of David. One thing that I pay attention to there is the Second Temple’s image on the coin. It represents how the glory of God has left the temple because it was much smaller than the previous temple and God’s people were not worshipping there wholeheartedly. Furthermore, Herod the Great built his palace higher than the temple over a platform also on the Temple Mount. It is a sad picture to see the chaos happened in history.  

Another depressing scene to see is the collapsed on the paved street are stones of the western wall that were hurled down by the solders of Roman Legion after he destruction of the temple on the 9^th of the month of Av, 70 CE.

The Robinson’s arch, the stone that bore a Hebrew inscription: “to the place of trumpeting to…” In the second temple days this stone probably marked the place at the top of the southwest corner of the Temple Mount where the trumpeter announced the inauguration and the close of the Sabbath. The stairs from the South to the Temple Mount, 2 pilgrims gates on left and 3 supplies gates on the right.

The Bethesda pool, Basilique Byzantine, Archaeology has enabled a pool at Bethesda in Jerusalem to be identified as the scene of one of Jesus’ miracles. This was the healing of the paralyzed man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the water is stirred” an event believed to have curative powers.

The Gospel account says Jesus told the man, “Stand up, take your mat and walk”, and immediately he was made well.

Via Dolorosa, although no one knows what path did Jesus walked with the cross for me it was meaningful to remember the suffering that Christ took to save me. The 14 stops of the Way of Grief" (Via Dolorosa in Latin) is located within the old city of Jerusalem. It starts from the place where he was tried and convicted near the Lions' gate on the eastern side (Muslim quarter). It ends in the crucifixion place, Golgotha, where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located in the west side of the old city (Christian quarter).

  

Field Day 4: Benjamin Field Study

I get to know what a crazy king that Herod was at the Herodium, who makes me to relate to the first emperor of the unified China, Emperor Qin who built the Great Wall. Herod was a crazy murderer as well as a crazy visionary builder. The “Massacre of the Innocents”, following the visit of Wise Men from the East to pay homage to the baby Jesus, is recorded only in Matthew’s Gospel. Other sources record that the murderous Herod had two of his sons strangled, executed one of his 10 wives for treason, killed numerous in-laws and on his deathbed ordered his eldest son beheaded. Herod, who ruled Judea on behalf of Rome from 37 to 4 BC, was also a man of great architectural vision. His projects included the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the desert fortress of Masada and the city and massive harbour works at Caesarea. He chose the site of Herodium because it was near the scene of a crucial battle victory against a bitter rival, Antigonus, the last Hasmonean king.

Dominus Flevit is another moving site for me because of the compassion that Jesus has shown to Jerusalem with his tears. This poignant incident occurred during Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, when crowds threw their cloaks on the road in front of him and shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Looking down on the city, Jesus wept over it as he prophesied its future destruction. Enemies would “set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side . . . crush you to the ground . . . and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” (Luke 19:37-44) Within 40 years, in AD 70, Jesus’ prophesy was fulfilled. Roman legions besieged Jerusalem and, after six months of fighting, burnt the Temple and levelled the city.

The Sanctuary of Gethsemane, in respond to the Jesus prayer, “My Father, if it be possible, let his cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt” a poet named MB wrote this, “O Jesus, in deepest night and agony you spoke these words of trust and surrender to God the father in Gethsemane. In love and gratitude I want to say in times of fear and distress, ‘My Father, I do not understand you, but I trust you.”

Week 2

Field Day 5: Jerusalem Approaches Field Study

Jericho, the lowest place on earth 1300 feet below sea level and oldest city with 10,000 years of history. After Jerusalem, Jericho is the most excavated site in Israel.  Charles Warren in 1868 sank several shafts but concluded that nothing was to be found (he missed the Neolithic tower by a meter!).  Germans Sellin and Watzinger excavated 1907-13, Garstang 1930-36 and Kenyon 1952-58.  An Italian-Palestinian team excavated for several years beginning in 1997.

Tel Gezer, situated near the International Coastal Highway and guarding the primary route into the Israelite hill country, Gezer was one of the most strategic cities in the Canaanite and Israelite periods.  Gezer is a prominent 33-acre site that overlooked the Aijalon Valley and the road leading through it to Jerusalem.  The tell was identified as biblical Gezer in 1871 by C. Clermont-Ganneau who two years later found the first of many boundary stones inscribed with the city's name.

The most amazing thing at Tel Gezer is the series of ten standing stones were uncovered in early excavations of the site (they were found laying down and re-erected by archaeologists).  Poor excavation makes these masseboth difficult to date, but most archaeologists believe they are from about 1500 BC, in the heyday of the Canaanites.  Some of the stones are more than three meters high.  The stones may have represented a treaty alliance (cf. Exod 24) or have been a cult center (cf. Lev 26). What Macalister identified as a Maccabean castle is actually a beautiful monumental gateway from the time of Solomon, similar to those at Hazor and Megiddo.  The date of this gate is confirmed by the presence of a destruction level underneath it (from the unnamed pharaoh who gave the city to Solomon) and a destruction level not long after its construction (by Shishak in 925 BC).  Biblical history is dramatically confirmed by these archaeological findings. 

Field Day 6: Southern Arena

            After tracing the conquering routes of Joshua during the last two bus trips, I can feel how desperate the Israelites wanted to settle in the promise land. Some people from the tribe of Judah settled in the Hill Country. They lived in the cinomanian cave, with good terre sora soil, spring, and everything they needed to live. I can imagine that was a peaceful period that they built the family and society. As the Psalmer praises God, “

            As good days do not last long, during the Judges period Israel involved in many conflicted with the Philistines and the Canaanites. 

Field Day 7: Biblical Negev and Greater Negev

            During the end of the second week I was very tired and the hike in Negev was an experience of wilderness and desert. However, I found some interesting information about the Negev. The Negev, meaning “South” in Biblical Hebrew, extends from Beersheva in the north to the port of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba in the south, with Jordan on its eastern border and Egypt on its southern border. The Negev has a deep history. It is the area where the Jewish nation’s forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, looked after their flocks. It is filled with dirt, rocks and canyons, as well as breathtaking landscapes, waterfalls, caves, archeological sites, cities and craters. Covering an area of 4,600 square miles, the Negev comprises over half the land mass, or 66% (over 6,700 square miles) of the State of Israel. Its elevation ranges from a height of 3,400 feet above sea level to 1,150 feet below sea level. Five different ecological regions fall within the area of the Negev. These range from the “Mediterranean Zone,” with fairly fertile soils to inferior soils where little can grow without special soil additives. People originally thought the Negev was virtually uninhabitable, but as Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion realized “The Negev offers the greatest opportunity to accomplish everything from the very beginning.”

Some Critical Facts about the Negev:

The Negev is mainly inhabited by Jews and Bedouins. 14.3% of Israel’s population currently resides in the southern part of the country. This includes 14.6% Jews. (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2007)

For centuries the Negev has been ‘home’ to Bedouins, who in recent years have increasingly settled into more permanent homes and left their nomadic lifestyle. Much of these buildings have been done illegally. 

Many Arabs want to use the Negev to divide Israel and connect areas of the Judean and Hevron Hills to Egypt and Gaza.

The growth rate of the population of the Negev has been negative since 1996 and continues to decline. National priority has been given to the Negev. The aim is to increase the population in the region from 535,000 in 2005 to 900,000 by 2015.

Many of the current IDF bases from the center of the country are expected to move to the Negev. This will have a positive influence on the development of the region.

Field Day 8: Masada, Dead Sea, and Quran

            Quran, I believe it is one of the most favorite places for Old Testament scholarship since 1992. Before the great discovered of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts are dated 1000AD, but the Quran manuscript pushed it way back to 2-3BC.  

            The most memorable activity in the Holy Land is definitely the Dead Sea where the natural magic power unlike all other seas. It is known in the Bible as the "Salt Sea" or the "Sea of the Arabah," this inland body of water is appropriately named because its high mineral content allows nothing to live in its waters.  Other post-biblical names for the Dead Sea include the "Sea of Sodom," the "Sea of Lot," the "Sea of Asphalt" and the "Stinking Sea."  In the Crusader period, it was sometimes called the "Devil's Sea."  All of these names reflect something of the nature of this lake. The Dead Sea, unlike the Sea of Galilee to the north, does not figure prominently in the biblical narratives.  Its most important role was as a barrier, blocking traffic to Judah from the east.  An advancing army of Ammonites and Moabites apparently crossed a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to attack King Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 20).  Ezekiel has prophesied that one day the Dead Sea will be fresh water and fishermen will spread their nets along the shore.

Field Day 9 and 10: Samaria, West Bank

Sacah-
Cinomanian limestone
Cave, terre sora soil, stratified, sura-limestone, bedrock, waterretaibung, spring, dweeling place, Winter rainly season, animal dung, to stay warm, yeast cleaning after the winter, plowing, sowing, celebrate when they can, wheat, grains
Men are fighting and farming; 
Women doing everything else
as Proverb 31 is demanded by
very pragmatic life, their goal is to
stay alive, land and children are the two most important things.
Sons in heritage life is protected, sexual life is protected,  preserve who get the land. 
Marriage is for economical and social, sutiving and fighting together
tracel is hard strong leaders keep them together

Solon door-two ways in the sorek wadi system
Shephelah
Shiloh, Hebrew meaning, safe and tranquil, was the place where Joshua was portioning the land of Epgraim. Here is the acient central cultic site for the cannanites, israelites, Byzantines, and later Muslim. It located at a good geographical site, west of the Patriarchal Highway, isolated, surrounded by low hills and wider v-shape valleys.

Samaria, later called Sabate in Greek, the modern day Sebasia,
is the third capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel during Ahab's reign. It has good defensive position while open easy access to the west in order to trade with the Phonecians and Philitines. Although Ahab was successful in view of economic, political, and military, the way that he brought the foreign gods to the people of the Lord made he evil in the eye's of God.

Week 3

Field Day 11: Hazor


Hazor is the third Six Chambers Gates fortified city that Solomon built after Gezer and Megiddo. Hazor was a 200 arcds city dated back to 3 millennium BC. We discussed the Haram issue here, God's commend to burn everything in the city (Jos.11:11). As Christian I still struggle to understand the killing of the innocent people. In Duet. 7, God commanded Israelites to devote them to complete destruction. First we can understand it as the
things that Israelites captured were not for them to have, but to burn or set apart to God, Horamalate, means religiously forbidden for you. The second interpretation suggested by Trinity Seminary scholar Younger that the book of Joshua should be read as other Ancient Near East conquest narratives.

The second issue that brought up today is the church's message and work for the conflict in Syria. What Gospel can be peach to them, and how peace can come
into the reality. As I look at what Jesus has done with the conflict between Romans and Jews, he offered a new way: not to escape and not to kill, but to lead the Way to be a blessing. He loved and served, healed and fed, taught and died. He is the way, the turth,and the life. His Kingdom is not on earth but in heaven. The Church is to be light and salt, transforming lives, influencing the societies, and making different in the world, as we continue to preach the kingdom of God and anticipate
King Jesus to return and reign.

Field Day 12: Sea of Galilee

            In the morning, the Sea of Galilee is calm. We left Ein Geiv, Kibbuts, to the shore. I learned that Jesus had a very strategic plan for the gospel to spread from Magdala, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, named as the Gospel Triangle. 
I felt it as unbelievable as most Jewishs on the day that Jesus, as a techtan, read Isa. 61 and said to his villagers that today these words fulfilled. Without accepting Jesus as the Son of God, I can never believe a man can heal the sick, restore people
lives, and impacted the world really up side down. His twelve disciples are coming from all sorts of backgrounds with different agendas. John and James who were John the baptist disciples originally representing the Essenes. Simon who renames Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen from Caperaum representing the Jews avoided paying tax to Mattrew who collect up to 80% tax at Caperaum. These men originally had different interests and even conflict with each
others. However, I am amazed how Jesus bonded them together and gave them commends to work collaboratedly and love each other. They are the new tribes of Israel, and we are continuing their mission as body of Christ to the end of the earth.

Field Day 13: Mt. Arbel

            At the Mt. Arbel, I finally understand the reason Jesus was giving the Great Commandment there. Geographically, Mt. Arbel is located on the west side of the Sea Galilee. At the edge of the mountain cliff Jesus can point to the towns on the west among the Gentiles where Hippus, Roman Polis, and pagan worship was happening in Decapolis. On the north of Sea Galilee, the plain of Bethsaida would represent the half gentiles and half Jewish territory where international trading and traffic interceded. On the west of Sea Galilee, Jews were living under harsh and oppressed condition under the reign of Roman. Jesus gave his disciples commandment to make disciples among all nations. Indeed, from the Mt. Arbel we, JUC bus 2, can clearly see the Gospel triangle and understand that the shalom of Jesus will one day binding Egyptians, Syrians, and Jewish to worship together on the promise land.