The Cyrus Cylinder

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to visit the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art in Washington DC. My purpose in going was to see the Cyrus Cylinder. The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay cylinder that is dated to the 6th Century BC. It was found during a British expedition in 1879 and is mostly intact. On the exterior is written a declaration by King Cyrus the Great. In this declaration, among other things, King Cyrus allows all prisoners that were being held by the Persian Empire to return to their homeland. This object is often nicknamed "The First Human Rights Charter". This find was very important to Biblical scholars. The Cyrus Cylinder represented an external reference to an event recorded in 2 Chronicles 36.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up! - 2 Chronicles 36:22-23

I was thrilled to be able to see such an important historical object. The cylinder is usually housed at the British Museum. However, it is currently on a tour of different museums in the United States. (This is a little ironic. Later this year, my wife and I are planning a trip to London and a stop of the British Museum. While we are there, the cylinder will be over here.)

While viewing it, I was reminded of an important lesson. It takes three requirements to take a picture. First, you must have a camera. No problem, I had my camera with me. Second, you must have something to take a picture of. Again, no problem, the Cyrus Cylinder was less than two feet from my lens. Finally, you must have permission to take the picture. Unfortunately, according to the rather large, armed security officer that seemed to appear from nowhere, I did not have the required permission. Disappointment. I am still forced to use pictures that were taken by friends of mine. The picture above was taken by Ferrell Jenkins when he saw it at the British Museum.

For friends of mine in Houston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles: The Cyrus Cylinder is coming to a museum near you. I hope that you had better luck than I with your pictures.

Why Travel to Israel?

Since I took my first trip to Israel in 2010, I have been asked this question a number of times. Today, on the BiblePlaces.com blog, Seth Rodriquez provides a wonderful answer to that question. I encourage you to read his article. But, to provide a quick summary, Seth states: So why go to Israel? Well, for one thing, the Bible will come alive for you in ways you don't expect.

I completely agree. All of my life, I have read the stories in the Bible. But, to see the actual places where these stories took place was amazing. As I have continued to study, I have come to realize how accurate the writers of the Bible really are. When you see these places, you understand why the writers used the specific words that they used. They were giving an accurate description of the geography of the history they were recording.

The Bible stories are real. At real locations.

Do you have any questions about Biblical geography? If you think I can help, feel free to contact me. If I know the answer, I'll be happy to tell you. If I don't know the answer, I'll be happy to investigate it for you. If I still don't know the answer, we will find someone who does know the answer and ask them.

Tel Burna

Normally, archaeological excavations in Israel take place in the summer months since their activity is primarily driven by university professors and students. However, a couple of days ago, I noticed that a Spring session has started at Tel Burna. Tel Burna is located in the region of Israel that we know of as the Shephelah. During the time of the United Kingdom, this area served as a boundary between the Israelites and the Philistines. Tel Burna is recognized by a number of scholars as the probable location of the Biblical town of Libnah. (Another possibility is Tel Zayit, which sits about 3 kilometers, or 2 miles, due west of Tel Burna.)

How many events can you name that are associated with Libnah? Let us name a few:

Upon entering the land of Canaan, Joshua fought against the city.

Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah. - Joshua 10:29

After the conquest, it was one of the cities given to the children of Aaron.

Thus to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Libnah with its common-land, Jattir with its common-land, Eshtemoa with its common-land, Holon with its common-land, Debir with its common-land, Ain with its common-land, Juttah with its common-land, and Beth Shemesh with its common-land: nine cities from those two tribes; and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its common-land, Geba with its common-land, Anathoth with its common-land, and Almon with its common-land: four cities. All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their common-lands. - Joshua 21:13-19

King Josiah of Judah married Hamutal, who was from Libnah.

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. - 2 Kings 23:31

God killed 185,000 Assyrians who under the command of King Sennacherib very near Libnah.

Then the Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish. - Isaiah 37:8

To find Tel Burna on a map, it is located at 31.629495, 34.873261.

Water Levels at the Sea of Galilee

I have mentioned the water levels around Israel a number of times on this blog. Here are some of the previous posts:

• Good News About Water - July 21, 2012
• Update on the Sea of Galilee - August 26, 2012
• Snow and Rain in Jerusalem - January 9, 2013
• Dead Sea Water Level Goes Up - January 22, 2013
• Dead Sea Follow Up - January 23, 2013

From the above links, you learn that the entire country of Israel had a lot of rain over the winter. Ferrell Jenkins is currently leading a tour in Israel and supplied us with two pictures of the Sea of Galilee. The first picture was taken last September, at the same time I was over there. The second picture was taken earlier today. There is quite a difference in the water level. The water level should continue to rise a little bit more over the next month as the snow melt from Mount Hermon makes its way through the tributaries and eventually into the Sea of Galilee.

The Bible mentions a number of times about the "early and latter rains", which Israel still experiences today. Because if the distribution of water during the year, the inhabitants of this land has always found unique ways of storing water to use during the dry months (April through October).

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Earlier today, I read an interesting article on the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls from the standpoint of legitimizing the Bible. It is a really good article and I encourage you to read it. In the article, there is a picture of Khalil Iskander Shahin, otherwise known as "Kando". I have mentioned him in my post on Qumran, which is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Kando was a cobbler who lived in Bethlehem. In the back of his store, he had a small antiquities shop. He ended up being "the middle man" between the bedouins and the museum curators and scholars at the time.

Today, if you travel to Bethlehem, you can stop in a Kando's. Kando's grandson runs a very nice store which specializes in jewelry, olive wood carvings and of course, antiquities.

While we don't need the Dead Sea Scrolls to believe in the accuracy of the Bible, it is nice to know that there are people like Kando. He recognized the importance of the scrolls which were brought to him and made sure that they were preserved for others to study.

From Nazareth to Capernaum

In Matthew 4, there is a seemingly uninteresting sentence about Jesus. It states:

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. - Matthew 4:12-13

Jesus went to Nazareth (his hometown) and then decides to go to Capernaum. There are a couple of different ways that He could have travelled, but there is one way in particular which is the most direct. Nazareth is about 325 meters (1400 feet) in elevation and sits on the northern ridge of the Jezreel Valley. Capernaum, on the other hand, sits on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at an elevation of 212 meters (700 feet) below sea level. In the 30 kilometers between the two cities, the road drops nearly 550 meters (2100 feet) as it descends to the sea.

The path goes through the Turan Valley and then arrives at the Sea of Galilee through the valley seen in the picture above. The ridge on the left is Mount Arbel, which towers to 181 meters (~550 feet) in elevation, or about 380 meters (~1100 feet) above the surface of the sea.

Once the path reaches the shores of the Sea of Galilee, it is met by the town of Magdala. When Jesus arrived at Magdala, he would have turned north and walked another 10 kilometers (~6 miles) to Capernaum.

Knowing a little bit about geography of the Bible lands can help even the uninteresting verses become, well, interesting.

The Hinnom Valley

The traditional southern boundary of the city of Jerusalem is the Hinnom Valley. If you are a student of the Bible at all, then you can probably list a number of times that it is referenced. While serving as boundary between the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, it also is the location of many terrible acts of pagan worship. The Hinnom Valley comes through the western side of the city before turning east and merges into the Kidron Valley. The confluence of the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys is very near the location of En Rogel, which we read about in 1 Kings 1.

Yesterday, I read a really good article by Kyle Pope from Focus Online about the Hinnom Valley. I invite all of you to read it as well.

Simon the Tanner

In my last post, I showed a picture of St. Peter's Church in modern day Jaffa (ancient Joppa). This church sits on the traditional location where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. In that post, I quoted from Acts 9:26-42. In this post, I wanted to discuss the next verse.

So it was that he [Peter] stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. - Acts 9:43

After Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, he stayed with a gentleman by the name of Simon. In the next chapter, we learn a little more about Simon's house. An angel speaks to Cornelius, who lived in Caesarea, and tells him to go find Peter.

So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” - Acts 10:4-6

From this verse, we learn that Simon's house was by the sea.

As you walk through the narrow corridors of the Old City of Jaffa, you come across a humble door (pictured above) which is marked as the "House of Simon the Tanner".

Often, when you are the Holy Lands, you see churches or markers denoting the "traditional" locations of many Biblical events. Some of the locations are rooted in a thread of fact, so there is some justification to their claim. Others have to scrutinized a little more closely in light of Scripture. (And there are some, which are just plain wrong.)

Is this home in the ancient city of Joppa? Yes. Is it on the seashore? Yes. (The west side of this building is almost directly on the shoreline.) Is this the real house of Simon the Tanner? Probably not, especially given the fact that the architecture is clearly much more recent. Does it sit on the location of the original house? There is no way of knowing.

Regardless, it is interesting. And, seeing this locations, even if they are not exactly correct, help you to understand the Scriptures more.

Dorcas Lived In Joppa

In Acts 9, we read an interesting story involving the apostle Peter and a woman by the name of Dorcas. Dorcas died and her friends sent to the nearby town of Lydda to contact Peter. Seeing how distressed the people were, Peter raised Dorcas from the dead.

At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. - Acts 9:36-42

As is mentioned, this event took place in Joppa (modern day Jaffa). Today, St. Peter's Church (picture above) sits on the traditional location of this story. The church was originally built in 1654, but later destroyed. The current structure was rebuilt in the late 1800s. The church sits high on the tel of ancient Joppa and has a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Your Rod and Your Staff, They Comfort Me

This has been a strange week. In our area, it was Spring Break, so my wife (who is a teacher) and my kids got to relax and do a few things "de-educational". That was good. However, it has also been a sad week. Often, bad things happen when we least expect it. That certainly has been the case this week. Many that I know are hurting right now because of friends and family that are no longer with us. As David was growing up, he spent a lot of time outdoors. He was a shepherd. I can picture him sitting on a hillside at night. He would be comforted by the cool breeze. He would listen to the tumbling stream as it bounced across rocks making its way down the valley. And he would probably stare up at the stars and think about the promise that God had made to Abraham. No doubt, these things influenced David as he wrote the psalms.

Years later, when David was stressed out with the pressures of being king, my guess is that he thought about those simpler times. He probably took comfort in the things in which he wrote. Luckily, we have many of those psalms recorded for us. We can read them when we need comfort.

I've thought about some of those psalms a lot this week.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. - Psalm 23

Repost: Jesus Stayed in Bethany

With all of the discussion in the world this week about Jesus' last week before His crucifixion, I thought that it was a good time to repost an article that I wrote last November. During this week, Jesus' typical pattern was to travel into Jerusalem and spend the day there, but in the evening He would retreat back to the little town of Bethany. Why would He do this? Why not just stay in Jerusalem?

Well, I can think of a couple of reasons. One is obvious, but you'll need a map for the second one.

A View of Jerusalem

Yesterday, Todd Bolen, in his "Weekend Roundup" blog post, included a link to a very high quality picture of the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Having stood on that exact spot and spend many days in Jerusalem, I spent a lot of time looking at this picture, panning to the left, panning to the right, zooming in, zooming out, etc. There are so many things to see, and the quality of this picture allows you to see many things in relationship to one another. Given that many people are thinking about the events of Jesus' trials, crucifixion and resurrection this week, I thought that I would point out some sites of interest from this picture. (NOTE: The smaller pictures in this post are screen captures from zoomed in views of the larger, high-quality image. I recommend opening the larger image in a separate window so you can read through is post. Then, use the smaller pictures to find their location.)

First, let me discuss a location that is not in the picture: Bethany. During the last week of Jesus' life before he crucifixion, Jesus stayed in Bethany. From this picture, Bethany is behind you about a kilometer. Every day during this week, Jesus would leave Bethany, climb over the Mount of Olives and descend into Jerusalem.

While He as in Jerusalem, Jesus would typically go to the Temple. The Temple was located on the large Temple Mount platform that was enlarged by King Herod. Since the late 7th Century AD, the space where the Temple was located has been occupied by a Muslem shrine commonly referred to as the Dome of the Rock. Jesus would spent a great deal of time during this week in the Temple or Temple Precinct teaching those that would listen.

On the night that Jesus was taken into custody, he was with his disciples at the Garden of Gethsemane, which was located east of the Temple Mount, across the Kidron Valley at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Today, the traditional location of the Garden of Gethsemane is occupied by the Church of All Nations, which is used by the Roman Catholic Church. In the picture, you can see the top of the building as it faces the Old City. It is here where Jesus prayed to His Father, was betrayed by one of His disciples and arrested.

After Jesus was arrested, he was led to the house of Annas and then to Caiaphas. The exact locations of these events, is unknown. However, most people feel that they were probably held in what is commonly called the Upper City. The traditional location is now occupied by a Roman Catholic Church called the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (meaning "cock's crow"). The accompanying picture shows a close up of the building from the Mount of Olives. If you zoom in close enough, you can see some First Century steps leading up to the right of the building. Even if these are not the exact locations, you can begin to estimate the distance Jesus had to walk (while in custody) from the Garden of Gethsemane to His first trials before Annas and Caiaphas.

After Pilate condemned Him to death, Jesus was led to Golgotha to be crucified. Once He died, His body was taken down by Joseph of Arimathea and buried in a nearby tomb. Like many other locations, the exact spot of these events are not known. However, the traditional locations place it at the spot where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now resides. It can easily be identified by the blue domes that stand out against the other buildings in the city.

The view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives is a view that everyone should experience. So much history can be seen from this one place. Perhaps at a later time, I will point out other Biblical areas of interest that can be seen from here.

HT: Todd Bolen

The Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit

This morning, while visiting Israel, President Obama had the opportunity to visit the Israel Museum. In particular, he visited an area of the museum called "The Shrine of the Book", where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the caves of Qumran and are some of the oldest manuscripts of the Bible. Earlier today, USA Today posted a video of him visiting the site. This video is rather rare in the fact that cameras are normally not allowed in this area. Having been there a couple of times, I've been "reminded" of the rules by the kind museum employees. I guess I'll need to go get myself elected President of the United States if I want my own pictures!

The Latter Rains

I read a story yesterday of a tour group that was sitting on the southern steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. While they were there, a huge rainstorm came up causing them to retreat to the closest building for cover. As much as the tourists probably did not like it, I am sure that the people living in Israel and the West Bank were very thankful for it. They are in the midst of the period of year of the "latter rains". We read about this a number of times in the Scripture. Here is one example:

Then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. - Deuteronomy 11:14

The early rains fall in October to November and the latter rains fall in February to March. Between the months of April and October, the country of Israel gets very little, if any, rain. So, the rain that fell in Jerusalem over the weekend might be the last rain that the city sees for a number of months.

Isn't it interesting how the truths found in the Bible are still true?

The Ark in Jerusalem

NOTE: This is the final post in a series on locations associated with the Ark of the Covenant. To see earlier posts, just enter "Ark of the Covenant" in the search bar. The Ark has had a long journey. After being built by Moses (and his people) while en route to the Promised Land, the Ark made a number of stops as the children of Israel worked to secure the land. Finally, the Ark was located at the house of Abinadab in Kiriath Jearim where it remained for a long time. Finally, David came to the throne and wanted the Ark moved to Jerusalem.

Along the way, David and his men were transporting the Ark by use of an ox cart. (This, by the way, was not according to God's instruction.) At one point, the Ark stumbled and Uzzah, one of the sons of Abinadab, touched the Ark to steady it. Because of this, God killed Uzzah instantly.

Once in Jerusalem, David put the Ark in the tabernacle.

So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. - 2 Samuel 6:17

Later, once Solomon built the temple, the Ark was moved from the tabernacle to the Most Holy Place in the temple.

And he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there. - 1 Kings 6:19

So, what happened to the Ark? Where is it now? These are questions that are commonly asked, but difficult to answer. In 586BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and one theory is that they may have either destroyed or taken the Ark with them. Another theory states that Jeremiah, being warned by God of the oncoming Babylonian invasion, took the Ark and hid it in a cave near Mount Nebo. Even today, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claim to be in possession of the Ark. In 1981, Steven Spielberg make a feature length movie claiming that the Ark was found in the 1930s by Professor Henry Jones, Jr in the lost city of Tanis.

For hundreds of years, the Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence with His people. For people who obeyed God, the Ark brought safety, security and prosperity. For those that disobeyed God, it brought punishment.

The Ark at Kiriath-Jearim

NOTE: This is the seventh in a series of posts about locations that are associated with the Ark of the Covenant. Previously, we have discussed: the Plains of Moab, the Jordan River, Jericho, Mount Ebal and Gerizim, Shiloh, the Land of the Philistines and the Sorek Valley. The citizens of Beth-Shemesh received the Ark from the Philistines as it made its way through the Sorek Valley. However, they made a mistake and looked into the Ark, for which they were punished by God.

Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. - 1 Samuel 6:19

After this event, they sent to the people of Kiriath-Jearim to take the Ark.

And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up with you.” Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. - 1 Samuel 6:20-7:1

The Ark remained in the house of Abinadab for many years before David eventually took the Ark to Jerusalem.

The ancient city of Kiriath-Jearim is located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the city of Jerusalem. The modern Arab village of Abu Ghosh sits on the location and can be seen just north of the main highway that runs between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is first mentioned in Scripture in Joshua 9:17 as one of the cities of the Hivites. It is also mentioned in Judges 18:12 as one of the encampments of the Danites as they made their way from their allotted territory to the northern location that they moved to.

Years later, as the Ark was leaving Kiriath-Jearim, we have the story of Uzzah being punished by death for touching the Ark.

The Ark in the Sorek Valley

NOTE: This is seventh story in a series of posts following locations where the Ark of the Covenant visited. Other places we have visited include the Plains of Moab, the Jordan River, Jericho, Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, Shiloh and the Land of the Philistines. For seven months, the Ark of the Covenant plagued the Philistines. Consequently, no one wanted the Ark and it was passed between the cities of Ashdod, Gath and Ekron. Finally, they decided that the only way to rid themselves of the tumors was to return the Ark to the Israelites.

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.” So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.” - 1 Samuel 6:2-3

So, the Philistines loaded the Ark onto a cart pulled by two milk cows and sent it down through the Sorek Valley toward the Israelite city of Beth Shemesh. Along with it, they included a chest that had five golden tumors and some golden rats to represent the plague that had been wrought upon them. As the cows and cart neared Beth Shemesh, the people were in the valley working in the fields and saw it coming.

Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the Lord. - 1 Samuel 6:13-15

This section of the Sorek Valley runs basically east to west through the Shephalah. It is also mentioned a couple of other times in the Bible.

• It served as a portion of the boundary between the Tribe of Dan and the land of the Philistines.
• Samson's first wife came from Timnah, which sat in the western end of the valley (Judges 14:1-3)
• Another one of Samson's wives, Delilah, lived in the Sorek Valley. (Judges 16:4)

The Ark in the Land of the Philistines

In the last post in this series, we learned that the Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines in the battle with the Israelites at Ebenezer. Just as the Ark generally brought prosperity for the Israelites, the Philistines' experience was not nearly as positive. First, they took the Ark to the city of Ashdod and placed it in the house of Dagon. The next morning, when the Philistines went to the house, they found Dagon had fallen face first before the Ark. The following morning, the god Dagon had fallen before the Ark and broken into pieces. However, it was worse for the citizens of Ashdod. God struck them with tumors.

Having had their fill of the Ark in their city, they sent the Ark to Gath. Unfortunately, for the citizens of Gath, the results were similar.

Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away. So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them. - 1 Samuel 5:8-9

By this time, the citizens of Ekron had heard of what had happened in the other cities and were not excited about the Ark's arrival.

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. - 1 Samuel 5:10-12

All of these cities were in the region of Israel that we often call the "Coastal Plain". It is a region about 10-15 miles wide between the Shephelah and the Mediterranean Sea.

In the next post of this series, we will look at how the Ark was delivered back to the Israelites and where this took place.

Hilly Jerusalem

Back in high school, I used to run cross-country. And, I used to run a lot of 10 kilometer races. I don't run much any more, but tend to stand on the sidelines and watch my son run. However, I do try to keep up with it. Recently, I read a number of articles about the Jerusalem Marathon. It was held yesterday with about 20,000 runners competing in the races. The Jerusalem Post had a story about the race. In it, they interviewed the winner, Amos Matui from Kenya. I thought his quote was interesting.

Elite Kenyan runner Amos Matui, who won marathons in Singapore, the US state of Tennessee, and in Casablanca, Morocco, also said he expected his faith as a Seventh Day Adventist to carry him over the finish line. “It’s spiritual and exciting to see this ancient city,” he said. “This is my first time in Jerusalem, and it’s hillier than I expected... we hope to have a good emotional and impressive run.”

Yes, Jerusalem is hilly. The older part of the city consists of about 5 different hills with rather deep valleys running between them. In ancient times, these hills made it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It modern times, these same hills are apparently troublesome for marathoners.

Tips For Traveling to Israel

Taking a trip to Israel is a life-changing experience. For those of us who have continually read the stories in the Bible since childhood, the opportunity to see the actual places where these stories took place is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, you need to make the most of it. Recently, Wayne Stiles has written two excellent articles on how to get the most out of your trip. I highly recommend reading them. His first article, entitled "How to Prepare for a Holy Land Tour" discusses a number of items that you need to do before you go. Of the things he mentioned, I'd like to highlight two of them.

First, become familiar with the geography. You have probably seen a map of Israel a million times. There is probably one posted in your Bible classroom at church. But, have you really studied it? You need to. You are about to be there. Understand the terrain. Have a general understanding of where places are and how they are affected by other locations.

Second, get in shape. You are going to visiting places that were originally constructed thousands of years go. Therefore, there are no elevators, escalators or moving sidewalks. There are uneven sidewalks, ancient stone steps and rocky slopes. You need to be able to get on and off a bus with ease, walk moderate distances on uneven terrain and do so in the heat of the outdoors. You don't have to be in perfect shape to go, but you need to be prepared for what is ahead of you. Trust me, it will be worth it.

His second article, entitled "8 Tips to Maximize your Holy Land Tour" discusses things you should do while you are over there. Again, I'll highlight a couple of suggestions.

First, stay hydrated. As I have already mentioned, you'll be doing a lot of outside walking. Depending on when you go, the air could be pretty dry. Normally, I do not get out of the bus without three items: my hat, my camera and a bottle of water. Drink water continuously while you are over there. I know what it is like to be over there and not drink enough water. Trust me, you will be glad that you did.

Second, look for opportunities to see things that are not on your itinerary. Every tour spends a night or two in Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. One morning you are there, get up a little early, walk down to the shore and watch the sun rise over the Golan Heights. It is not on your itinerary, but it will be one of the highlights of your trip.

I know of some friends that are going over there in April. Be sure to read what Wayne has written. His words will help you get the most out of your trip.