Slideshow

 

Below is a slideshow of a weekend at JUC. We start off with Shabbat dinner and vespers (short worship service with praise songs and a message) than go straight to sleep - the next day is a field study, a long day on the road hiking and learning and entertaining ourselves at rest stops and every point in between. This weekend we went out to the lands alloted to Benjamin, hitting up Jericho and its archaeological remains (there are about 25 cities of Jericho built right on top of each other. It became a tel - a large unnatural looking hill created from cities built on top of the ruins of previous cities that have collapsed). Jericho dates back 10,000 years and enjoys claiming the title of being the oldest city in the world - my skeptical mind keeps adding "that we know of so far". We also stopped at the ruins of Gezer, Herod's winter palace in Jericho, saw the Kelt Canyon in the Great Rift Valley, HIKED through the Wadi Kelt into Jericho, stopped by the Nebi Samwil (traditional, but not actual, tomb of the prophet Samuel), and played with the dirt from Bedouin fields. Many Bedouins in Israel are beginning to settle down, getting involved in agriculture rather than constantly moving around. We stopped by a Bedouin field to examine traditional ground markers - just stones stacked on top of each other at the corners of each field, and feel the dirt that makes for good farming in comparison to the chalky, dry, sticky dust of the wilderness. 

 

 

Shabbat dinner at JUC (photo thanks to Dr. Stone)

 

Kelt Canyon / Judean Wilderness - I absolutely love the theological elements that come along with the wilderness. It was a place of fear and chaos to the Israelites because it meant difficulty and very possible death. It represented pre-creation to them, the opposite of order and peace. Yet the prophet Jeremiah praised it as a place of richness and peace, where he could hear God and learn to depend on him. Elijah fled from Ahab into the wilderness where God revealed himself in a gentle whisper. Our professor pointed out the number of Biblical figures who spent time in the wilderness - from Abraham, to the Israelites, to Jesus. The wilderness is a place where God forms humans into people that he can use. He takes them all through the wilderness and many of them come out stronger because of it.

 

Would you like a camel ride? How about a necklace? At least take a scarf - they'll tie it on your head before you can tell them you have no money!

 

Bath-house of Herod's winter palace in Jericho - met some Bedouin kids who were fascinated with Charley.

Took an hour long hike through the Wadi Kelt down to Jericho. These cliff walls are filled with natural caves that the desert monks used to live in in an attempt to get away from the distractions of the world. Some of the monastic communities still survive here.

 

Prof. Alexander explaining Bedouin farming practices

 

Sifting the beautiful tera rosa soil

 

The ruins of Gezer. This city was constantly changing hands because it was indefensible but served as an excellent lookout for other cities. The city's layout is identical to that of two other cities, suggesting a strong, centralized government - points to Solomon.

 

View from Gezer of the Aijalon Valley, if I had taken a picture in the opposite direction from this same spot you would see the Mediterranean - all of Israel is visible from just one spot. Great look-out location.

 

Standing stones near Gezer - little is known about these stones except that they are very, very old. As in, pre-Abraham. Possible pagan.

So naturally we want to know how many JUC students we can fit on top of one.

 

Sunsetting on my head. Good day - long day - time to eat dinner, take a shower and watch Star Wars with friends.