Negev Jottings

Three days in the Negev! We survived and enjoyed the experience in spite of feeling very weary. God’s wisdom in providing food and rest for the body was certainly evident to me as we awakened each morning feeling like we could do it all over again. We left Jerusalem Saturday morning and our first stop was just a short distance west of Jerusalem at Ein Sattaf where we climbed down to the springs. This area is a finger of the Sorek Valley which turns into the Elah Valley where David met up with Goliath. We found the National Park there packed with Israelis hiking and biking around the area. This was a very steep and rocky descent but viewing the terraced area and seeing a cave where a family might have lived was rewarding. The Romans channeled an aqueduct from this area to help irrigate the land. It was coming back up that just about wiped me out. I made it successfully but from there we visited Azekah and Lachish, with more climbing. The view from the top always makes the climbing worth it. JUC carries lunch for us so we have pita bread and make sandwiches with pickles, olives, hummous, cheese and tuna salad, if we choose. With fruit and some cookie or Israeli pastry we are set. Of course, there is always peanut butter for those who do not choose the Israeli lunch. We also visited Bet Shemesh in the afternoon—the area where Samson lived and attacked the Philistines. The views were wonderful and the area around these sites are built up with developments and agricultural crops.

We finished the day with a visit to Ashkelon, one of the five Philistine cities. We were studying how the hill country of Judea changes to the Shephelah, the flat coastal plain. Ashkelon is a beautiful city right on the water and the students had an opportunity to spend some time in the Mediterranean. Because two of our students had worked at the archaeological dig at Ashkelon some of us followed them around as they explained the site. It is huge. This is now a National Park so families were picnicking and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. Beautiful palm trees and landscaped areas were all over. What a place to participate in a dig and then take a late afternoon swim at the end of each day! Many Russian immigrants have settled in the city of Ashkelon. From there we made our way to Beersheva where we stayed at a very pleasant Youth Hostel. They served us a wonderful hot dinner with three meats. We limped our way to our room while some of the students decided they wanted to check out the mall and get ice cream in Beersheba. Larry and I were asleep by 9:00 pm. Oh for the stamina and energy of youth!

On Sunday we started the day at the Beersheva archaeological site and were so impressed as we looked around and read the stories of Abraham. There is a replica of a four-horned altar found at this site (the original is in the Israel Museum) so several of the students had to have their photo taken laying on the altar and one enterprising student even had a rope with him so the others tied him up to represent what a sacrifice might have been like. Okay, you have to use your imagination! From there we were off to Arad (all of this in the desert area of the Negev) and then to Sde Boker, the retirement home of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel. Ben Gurion believed that many Israelis would want to settle in the desert to help revitalize the land but much to his disappointment most Israelis chose to live in cities in other parts of Israel. Right next to Sde Boker is the great Nahal Zin (wadi/canyon) where we were supposed to do a hike that once you start you have to finish. The bus dropped everyone off at the bottom of the wadi then you walk out by some pools of water and up a 400 ft ladder. Larry and I decided to set this one out and instead walked around the upper areas. The site was beautiful and we could see the students at the bottom of the wadi. We were conserving our energy for the rest of the trip. (: Our final stop was at Mizpe Rimon a beautiful huge erosion crater—the largest in the world—25 miles long and about 6 to 8 miles wide. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon in one sense. Dr. Wright read Psalm 90 from the 1200 ft peak. It’s the type of place where you just want to sit, think, reflect and pray. “It was awesome,” as they say. While we were there we saw a herd of Ibex on the slopes—21 of them. The horns on these creatures are amazing. While Dr. Wright was reading, we watched Israeli jets flying over doing practice runs and some barely skimming the crater. It was while I was sitting there watching those jets that I was reminded again of the turmoil of the Middle East and to think these jets would be used in war if needed. It was a very sobering moment for me. These pilots are young men in their early 20’s and 30’s, for the most part, and have parents and spouses concerned for their safety just like we are for our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Our final day started at Masada on the Dead Sea. This was one of Herod’s palaces and fortresses which Jewish zealots took over following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. Perhaps you have seen the TV movie, “Masada.” It took the Romans over two years to build siege ramps to reach the top of Masada and just before they broke through the wall the Jewish defenders all committed suicide instead of surrendering to the Romans. It’s an amazing site with a fantastic view to the north, south, east and west. We managed to walk up the siege ramp side which looks horrific but there actually are steps next to the siege ramp and we made it up in a little over 10 minutes. There was a race to the top between four male students. The JUC record was 2 minutes and 51 seconds. Josh from Indiana Wesleyan won the race that day in 3 minutes and 12 seconds but they all lost their breakfast when they arrived on top! Larry and I like to enjoy the walk along the way so we take it a little bit slower. We did take the cable car down on the other side.

We had our lunch on the Dead Sea and even grilled hot dogs. Not exactly like the parks in the US but adequate. Some of the students had a brief swim and found themselves feeling very oily when they came out of the water. From the Dead Sea we went to Ein Gedi where David hid from King Saul and we climbed to the lower water fall where Larry and I enjoyed wading in the cool, clear water. Our final stop was at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The flies were giving me fits there and at the Dead Sea. It’s amazing to think about this dedicated group of people who wanted to escape the corruption in Jerusalem and live closer to God in the desert. The remains of their ritual baths, the refectory, and other living quarters can be seen along with the caves where the scrolls were discovered. Such a sense of history here. They are called Essenes by Josephus and Pliny but the term they used for themselves was Yahad (meaning the community). We were two tired and dirty Americans when we got back to the campus. But, praise God for good food and rest which makes us get up the next morning and keep on going.

When we returned to campus we were saddened to learn that Nate and Paige’s dog Jessie was declining rapidly due to her cancer and they had to put her to sleep. It was a very sad day for them but we were thankful Nate was home from the tour to be there and help Paige through this. Alicia, Brad and the grandkids were able to connect with Nate in Dallas last Friday and spend some family time together.

Just an update on our friend, Annie, the artist. She didn’t make it to Shabbat dinner but sent me a note and wants to meet for coffee before she leaves. I’m hoping to see her this week and wonder if she is returning to Belgium. After our Shabbat dinner, the students at JUC had a coffeehouse with entertainment. What a delight to see the various talents from music to readings to silly songs that made us all laugh. We even had three baristas (JUC staff and a student) who made special coffees, chai tea, etc. I was particularly touched by Robyn who showed a video clip of her summer mission trip to Uganda where she worked with an orphaned boy who had a hearing disability. Robyn had planned to go to Uganda in the summer of 2008 and had the money raised but her health prevented her from going. She told us if she had gone then, she never would have met “Moses.” The missionaries asked her to help this little boy because he only arrived at the orphanage in 2009 and they could not really communicate with him. He was sad and by himself much of the time. Robyn shared with us that her mother’s first language was sign language as Robyn’s grandparents were both deaf. She knew some sign language and taught young Moses all summer. The expression on this little boy’s face totally changed to big smiles as he learned sign language and could begin to communicate. Robyn has committed her life to being a missionary in Africa. She’s a student at Eastern University and the one who survived the 10 foot fall I wrote about earlier. God uses these students in amazing and wonderful ways.

My writing is moving forward but a little more slowly this past week. We are off to Galilee on Oct. 23rd for four days. My sister Dorothy is now in Jerusalem finishing her tour and I look forward to seeing her tomorrow (Thursday) and helping to celebrate her birthday. I’m almost finished with the biography of Menachem Begin by Eric Silver. It has given me a better understanding of the Israeli political system and all their various parties as they form a coalition government after each election. If you want the history of the peace talks with Egypt and working with Anwar Sadat, you will find this most interesting.

I have much more to write and share with you but must wait for another day. Reading in I and II Kings right now and find Scripture more alive than ever as each location where biblical events occurred seem to leap out at me.