Benjamin Study

The day started with a gathering at the bus at 8 AM sharp. The sad news is that George and Martha Johnson will not be joining us for the day. Some intestinal nastiness seems to be making a journey through the ranks. Ron Dobies is back with us looking very much himself. Sally Lund opened us with prayer that pointed us back to God our source and true guide of the trip. Cindy our instructor asked who had devotions today. Deb Kielsmeier said, "The geezer has them at Nebi Samwil." Laughter rolled. Bob Lundberg has been cracking geezer jokes about Gezer (pronounced with a short e).
As we drive out into the wilderness we get our first good look at the Bedouins. These nomadic people have been forced into smaller and smaller areas because land is so precious. Jim Kielsmeier draws the connection with what happened to the native people in the United States as land lust drove further and further west across North America. Their wandering life has become partially settled in encampments of metal shacks and tents. We saw herds of camels, sheep and goats. Shepherds of all sizes moving and leading the flocks.
As we pulled off of the main road on the way to the Wadi Kilt, Johnny our driver navigated the narrow winding turns with heart stopping drop-offs with finesse.
We got out at the edge of the Wadi and saw St. George's Monastery which is still active. There is an aqueduct built by Herod that runs along the wadi and allows in the midst of barren rock and sand an oasis of trees and the beautiful sound of running water. We read some descriptions of the wilderness from scripture: vast and dreadful; desserts and pits, darkness, no one passes this way, parched, thirst, trial and tribulation. In Moses' last speech to the people in Deuteronomy 32 he talks about the wilderness as a "howling waste of a land" the words that are used here are the same ones used in Genesis 1 about the chaos before creation. Wilderness is a part of the good land, Cindy reminds us. It demands silence and solitude and is harsh and fearful. Bob Burns noted that after the Israelites conquered Jericho they had to head into the wilderness in order to get to the hill country of Judea. This must have taken great faith to trust that this was a good land.

Then we began the three mile hike through the Wadi. We traveled on the opposite side of the canyon from the aqueduct. The train was narrow and dusty. Rocks littered the path. The sun pounded on our heads and backs and shoulders. There were few places of shade. A Bedouin named Yoseph and his brother traveled with us with their donkeys helping on the journey hopeful for money for their cheerful service. Cindy found an edge of shade and seated us and taught us the story of the good Samaritan.
As we looked at the merciless landscape around us, we recognized that in land like this we must choose to be neighbors to each other or die. Sally Lund commented that the priest and the levite had ritual cleanliness laws to obey and they let those trump loving their neighbor. Jim Kielsmeier said he had always understood the parable as an invitation to go out and multiply neighbors so that all from the most powerful (priest and levite) to the most oppressed (Samaritan) are offering hesed to each other. Amy talked about how Jesus is the Samaritan and we are the man beat up on the side of the road. Cindy affirmed that he parables of Jesus invite us to choose who we are in the story. Deb Kielsmeier noted that the call is for all of us to be a neighbor to our enemies.
We continued the journey along the barren canyon pick marked with caves, some of which have man made rock walls partially blocking the entrances. Yoseph explained that hermits seeking simplicity could be let down by the monks on a rope to the caves. There is a beauty to this canyon of dust and rock that invites and terrifies. We end at the excavation of Herod's Palace. A once lavish structure of which we can only see the walls. Zacheus' story happened in this region.
We make it to the bus and end up in Jericho where we stop the bus and get some fresh lemonade and ice cream, then we go to Tel Jericho and look at the excavations. Garsten was the first archaeologist to dig and found a flattened wall and mis-dated it to the time of Israel. Kathleen Kenyon dug in Jericho and did a better job of dating the materials, and proclaimed that the Biblical story was false. Most recently Wood has been digging in Jericho and said that Kenyon is probably wrong and has found evidence of an attack around the time that the Israelites would have taken the city. This city is strategically important because three trade routes meet here. There is water and farm land. The Israelites burnt Jericho as a first fruits offering to God and cursed the city. In the city we saw a circular tower that dates 8000 BC from the prehistoric era, which makes it the oldest architectural structure ever found. Jericho claims it is the oldest city in the world. From where we stood we could see the abbey on the Mount of Temptation marking Jesus' wilderness season. We were awed at the palms and flowers of Jericho after the harshness of the dessert. As we traveled on through the wilderness Janice Fantz spotted the three towers of the Mount of Olives. We traveled past Michmash where Jonathon and his armor bearer defeated the Philistines by climbing up and down the wadis.
We arrived a t Nebi Samwil for lunch. Hummus, olives, pickles, carrots, meat and cheese that we stuff into pitas. The fruit is juicy and sweet. The cakes are delicious and the water is icy cold. We go to the roof of the mosque/synagogue and take time for a map-geek moment. We trace the Patriarchal Highway ridge to ridge. We spot the towers of Mount of Olives. Cindy helped us trace trade routes through Gibea, Ramah, and Mizpah. Then Cindy brought to life the story in Joshua 9 and on of the campaign for the Israelites to take the land. She points to hills and valleys where the battles were fought and how Joshua brought to a close the Southern campaign. What is clear is that God must win these battles. On the roof top a student group was shooting a film scene with all the equipment and cameras.
Bob Lundberg led us in the story of Solomon's dream where God offers Solomon anything he wants. Solomon asks God for the ability to serve his people well. Bob asked the group what makes us afraid to ask God for a servant's heart for submission to God's plan. Lisa Burns said for her it was fear of failure. Debbie Ducar shared that she was afraid that God might not take care of her. Amy noted that she was afraid of not being happy. Julia talked about wanting her time to be her own and found it difficult to let go. Michelle said for her it was just not being able to hear God. Bob encouraged us to lay aside our road blocks and to submit ourselves fully to the good plan of our good God.
We traveled to Gezer on the Shephela. The city is dated at 3500 BC and is on the International Coastal highway. it was a dominant, strong and wealthy city. We have letters from vassal Governors reporting to the Pharaoh about the goings on in this areas. Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter, and then is given Gezer as a wedding present in I Kings 9:15-16. The Israelites were called to purify the land when they entered Canaan. This was suppose to happen with Solomon too. We got to look at the ruins of Solomon's Gate.
It is a fabulous example of a 6 chamber gate with a channel for refuce. The city gate was a whole complex which had a judiciary function in the city with the elders doing the judging there. Cindy also lead us to a High Place from the Middle Bronze age which is Abrahams time. It was a rleigious sight for worship and possible a sight for striking covenants between people. These monoliths are talked about throughout the Old Testament as stones set up for remembering These standing stones were important for Israel to not forget what God had done. Cindy encouraged us to think about what are our standing stones.
In the shade of the ancient monoliths we reflected on our day in the wilderness with most peple commenting. Jan Nordell noted how dramatic the difference water makes. Cindy affirmed that the image of water is a rich and deep one carefully chosen by God to describe what connection to him brings us.
We loaded back on to the bus. Dusty and sweaty and weary from our day. Dinner sounded delightful after a shower. The evening came upon us cool and beautiful as we teased and joked with each other about our day. It is hard to describe what it is like to walk into our own histories in a foreign land. It is powerful and it is just beyond our grasp. We are glad for each other as cool places to rest and recount the goodness of the day.