Philistia, the Negev, Dead Sea

Sorek Wadi

Day 1: today we had started our Shephelah, Philistia, and Negev field study. So as the started we trek along the hill country of Judah to our first stop at Staaf. This site was amazing in the early morning with all the fog on the hilltops. It was like a scene from horror movie with the think fog, but thankfully it wasn’t and we had a great hike down the Sorek valley to a point where a village used to be during the middle Bronze Era. We were drawn to the peaceful noise of the reservoir ever filling with fresh spring water. It was just cool to imagine what this type of village perched on the hillside overlooking an amazing view, would have looked, smelled, heard like. Also while walking around the hillside just learning about the history of the village; what made me visualize this was the still-in-use field terraces with olive trees or other crops growing; and all of this had to be done and still done by a single plow and a donkey, no modern farming equipment here. The group continued on, briefly stopping at the strong flowing Sorek wadi.

The second stop our group travel to with our fearless leader was to Beth Shemesh. We climbed to the top of the tel and learned about the ruins of the city that had its foundations coming from the Days of the Kings.  This site was also a major border city between Judah and Philistia; where I learned that this city was a good guard to protect the city of Jerusalem from the Husan Ridge Route. Also what was quite interesting was learning about this area in the involvement of Samson. Born in Zorah, across the valley on the other hill to the east. His attempt to gain a wife had gained him many enemies from the surrounding towns of Timneh, Socoh, Ashkelon, and Gaza. Samson was a very promiscuous and violent man who had married the Philistine women and kills their men, for 30 garments after a bet and so on. After our lecture of the region and the tel, we had some free time to spend on taking pictures, as we were taking part in that activity we noticed there were a herd of sheep and the Bedouin shepherd were in their tent, because it was raining. It was really cute to see all the little lambs hunkering down together keeping warm and close to the doe sheep.

Driving on we came to the ancient tel of Azekah, this site was the southern gateway into Jerusalem. Which was the land between the land between where there were two main aspects the to the regions people feared it, for it can cause enemy invasion or others wanted it for the great trade opportunity and wonderful agriculture it provided for the region. This city was a busy bustling trade center in its hay-day before the Assyrian army came and razed the city to he ground.

Our last lecture site was at the tel of the ancient and significant city of Lachish. The site is on the end of the Diagonal Ridge Route, which was the starting point into the Negev. The Judean King, Hezekiah during the time of the weak Assyrian kings, heavily fortified the city. Hezekiah built double walls and strong gate systems with three gatehouses. Also King Hezekiah posted his chariot corps in the city. When the Assyrians had a strong king like, Sennacherib they had pushed on into the Levant and try to conquer the land so they may be able to conquer Egypt. But Lachish was in the way and so Sennacherib had his enemies’ bodies as his flags and came to the city where he had ordered his men to build a ramp close to the gate and used it as the main way of attack, while the Assyrians built their ramp, the Judean militia in the city built a counter ramp. Which failed and the Assyrians took the city in 701 BC. The site was starting to be excavated by James Lesley Stanley, who had asked the local Arabs for help but he somehow offended them and so the killed him.

Tel Lachish

The Great Sea at Ashkelon

Tel Arad

Day 2: Negev

Today was an awesome day with immediate cold and strong wind to a beautiful warm trip. Our group first trekked over to the ancient tel of Arad; which we learned about the Iron Age remains built as an Israelite fortress up on the hill and on the bottom were the remains of the Early Bronze remains which just to think of it was built 5000 years ago, in 3200 BC which was around the time of the Old Kingdom in Egypt. I was quite amazed that this settlement was on 25 acres with around 2800 people in this desert.  Also inside the Iron Age remains there was a sanctuary where the Israelites worshipped YHWH but is believed to have worshipped Baal and Asherah for fertility. But as all things come to an end, the fortress was attacked and destroyed by the Babylonians after the destruction of Judah on their way to Egypt.

            We then traveled southwest to the ancient city of Beersheba. This site was perhaps one of my favorite sites with reconstruction line and the mud bricks showing what this city might have looked like with the four- room houses and the warehouses that were used for supplies and goods for trade next to the gate and the square. This was also that prominent city during the days of Abraham where in the region the city-states ally themselves to the Bedouin tribes as a form of symbiotic relationship to have beneficial purposes with protection and economic benefits. For example, Abraham was a herdsman, a nomad, who came to the city-states of Shechem, Bethel, and other cities asking for protection, and resources in exchange of protection. I had also learned about the horned alter, which was horned for a purpose to tie down the sacrificial animal and to also signify the horns of God, as a way of protection to the people from the world, the horns of God is seen as a defense from evil.

            We had continued our journey of the day to the Ben Gurion Institute to take some free time visiting the tombs of the Ben Gurion and his wife, driving again we took our a another side trip, hiking the Wadi Zin. Which was amazing, we were walking the Eocene canyons of the wadi with the water running and shrubbery around was a nice image of the wadi oasis in such a hard dry region. I was also thinking that this was the site of so many caravans came to rest and other travelers and armies get their rest from the days march/travel. Also what the group learned is that the Nabataeans had many wells in the desert and if a traveler was not known the wells was covered very well. We drove on to Machtesh Ramon, which is the largest erosion crater in the world. This crater is at minimum 8 miles wide and 25 miles long. The rock on the bottom of the crater is from the Jurassic period, which is roughly 65-75 million years ago; with basalt, pumice, and limestone. Also what was cool in such a hard, and desolate area is that there are 1200 species of wildlife.

Tel BeerSheba

Graves of the late President Ben Gurion and his wife

Hiking Wadi Zin

Day 3: Dead Sea

“Brave and loyal followers! Long ago we resolved to serve neither the Romans nor anyone other than God Himself, who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind. The time has now come that bids us prove our determination by our deeds we have never submitted to slavery, even when it brought no danger with it. We must not choose slavery now, and with it penalties that will mean the end of everything if we fall alive into the hands of the Romans God has given us this privilege, that we can die nobly and as free men and leave this world as free men in company with our wives and children.

(Elazar Ben Yair)” By Josephus in Jewish Wars

Today, was the third and last day; we had made our first visit to the plateau fortress palace of Masada. This amazing feat of engineering and architecture shows how “great” Herod was, with all his ambition and huge ego. From million gallon tank cisterns to palace spas and baths on the edge of the plateau overlooking the Judean Desert Wilderness ad the Dead Sea. The quote above shows us that the people of Israel, the Jews. Just like the fortress can and will stand and fight against all odds even though disaster happened. This ancient memorial gave rise to the new Israel; just an awesome thing to think about. I was also impressed with how the Romans built this huge ramp from the bottom to the top with the rubble and lumber from the forest miles away, and Jewish captives with arrows and boulders being hurdled at them built this. Also learning about how a general during the Israeli War of Independence retired and became an archaeologist who excavated this site and made it one of the top tourist sites in all of Israel; and also this site has great national pride to it. When the IDF fighter planes pass by they tilt the wings in honor of those who died for the Jewish freedom.

From this awesome site we took a break in the day to have free time swimming in the Dead Sea and having a birthday lunch with hot dogs and chips for Steven. I really had no clue that this body of water was this salty, around 35 percent salinity. Swimming and feeling the body as this oily feel and just burning the open sores and your eyes, anything. Also the salt rocks were very sharp and I was not smart on wearing my down. But the experience of it all is totally worth it and I had fun, as did the other students. Also we learned that over the years the water level has been dropping about a tenth of an inch every day. And that in the 1900s the water level was close to the cliffs where the road is now, I just hope is not gone completely in the future. We had also learned that along the Dead Sea and the Rift Valley there are Migratory Bird Refuges from birds in Europe migrating to the south; but the bird do not travel over the Sea because of the toxic fumes.

We then continued our “free time” to En Gedi in the Wadi David, which was beautiful a kind of oasis in such a harsh and desolate region. I can understand now many of the Bible stories that are talking about he living water and God being the rock; we were set free for some time and all over the place were these little varmints, call conies or rock badgers which are quite interesting and they are able to climb tress. But the waterfalls and the soft noise of the rushing water is what really got me. I would’ve loved to stayed here for much longer and just enjoy the day. But as usual we went on to Qumran where Bedouin tribesman found the famous Dead Sea scrolls in 1947. It was really cool to be able to see the caves and the ruins of this town that was for Jews who wanted seclusion in this harsh environment. Also it was nice to be able and see the place where Dr. Michael Wise did a lot of his research. We then stopped at and old restraint on the former coast of the Dead Sea where the bus was stuck for some time and we got some more free time just hanging out. All in all this was so far my favorite day of any field study.

View of Masada