Judah, Philistia, and the Shephelah

This past weekend we had our first three-day field study. The first day was spent exploring Judah, Philistia, and the Shephelah. Highlight sights included Beit Shemesh (overlooking the Shephelah valleys where Samson was born, married, and in trouble); Tel Azekah where we overlooked the plain of David’s fight with Goliath; and Lachish, where Sennacherib attacked and built a huge siege ramp. We ended the day at Ashkelon, where we saw a rare Canaanite arch and swam in the Mediterranean while enjoying a beautiful sunset.

One of my favorite parts of the day was our early morning hike down into the Sorek system. We stopped at a cenomanian limestone cave that was once a house, and discussed the Bible’s description of the ideal life: “Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy…And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beesheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon” (1 Kings 4:20, 25). After experiencing the climate, geography, and resources that these people lived with, I have a new perspective on this verse. Sometime soon I hope to write more about this...it has to do with "pursuing shalom."

Here are Naomi and I, just a bit wet, after crawling through an ancient water system.













Overlooking the Elah Valley, Matt and I re-enacted David's fight with Goliath (can you see my "slingshot"?)