Excavation of the Ophel continues

April 27 I was looking at the Ophel Excavations that are under the direction of Dr. Eilat Mazar. When I saw the tarp, I decided I would make a photo in hopes of learning something new in the future. The future is now.

According to The Key to David’s City, a web site devoted to the work of Herbert W. Armstrong College in Jerusalem, Dr. Mazar officially reopened the excavations on April 22.

In this continuation of the second phase Dr. Mazar will continue uncovering what she believes is a royal complex belonging to King Solomon, dated to the 10th century B.C.E., located at the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. As she works to expose more of this massive structure, the excavation will continue “to follow the remains of the First Temple Period along the line of the City Wall,” she told us.

The Key to David’s City web site has posted several nice videos explaining some aspects of the archaeological work at the site. The Gallery includes some excellent photos.

My photo below shows the area of the new excavation.

Area of new Ophel excavations. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

We called attention to the Ophel Excavations 2012 here.

Jothan, king of Judah (740-732 B.C.), is said to have built extensively in the area known as Ophel.

He built the Upper Gate to the LORD’s temple and did a lot of work on the wall in the area known as Ophel. (2 Chronicles 27:3 NET)

Churning to make butter

Churning Butter

When I was a kid in the rural south, churning was done in a heavy duty ceramic pot. Butter was made by moving the stick (which had a sort of paddle attached) up and down.  I did not live in Colonial times, but the churn we used looked very much like the one shown in the picture to the left. Ours was a bit taller, I think.

The practice of churning to make butter has been around for thousands of years. It is mentioned in the Wisdom Literature of the Bible.

For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife. (Proverbs 30:33 NAU)

The ESV consistently uses the word pressing, from the Hebrew mits, three times in that verse.

For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. (Proverbs 30:33 ESV)

The NET Bible probably best conveys the meaning of the text by the use of churning, punching, and stirring up.

For as the churning of milk produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. (Proverbs 30:33 NET)

The photo below shows a pottery churn from Beersheba, now displayed in the Israel Museum. The sign associated with the churn says,

The churn, used for making butter from milk, first appeared in the Chalcolithic Period [6,500–5,500 years ago] and became an important symbol of the time. To speed up the churning process, a rope was tied to the handles, and the churn was rocked back and forth.

Chalcolithic pottery churn from Beersheba. Israel Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

During a visit to Petra, Jordan, in 2008, a group of people were portraying the costumes and activity of earlier Bedouin. Many of the customs portrayed are the same as those we read about in the Bible.

In the photo below the man is rocking a churn made from an animal skin.

Bedouin churning butter in an animal skin at Petra. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Finally, here is a photo that I made at Haran in southeastern Turkey, once the home of Abraham (Genesis 11:31 – 12:4), showing a churn made from an animal skin.

Churn made from animal skin at Haran. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The land of Gennesaret and the travel route west

The Sea of Galilee is called the “lake Gennesaret” by Luke (Luke 5:1). The area on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee is called the “land at Gennesaret.” In the view below we see the land of Gennesaret and the Via Maris. The travel route here leads to the Beit Netofa Valley and the sites of Khirbet Cana, Sepphoris, Nazareth, Yodfat (Jotapata), and Ptolemais (Akko). Yodfat was fortified by Josephus during the Jewish revolt against Rome. Josephus, commander of the Jewish rebels, surrendered to the Roman Emperor Vespasian at Yodfat.

Mount Arbel and the Plain of Gennesaret. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Many of the miracles of Jesus were performed in this area.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured. (Matthew 14:34-36 NAU)

A new tool for tour leaders

Near the end of January when I received my copy of The Satellite Bible Atlas, I decided that I would secure a copy for each member of my April tour group. Arrangements were made to have the books delivered to my tour operator in Jerusalem so that they would be available for use by the group at the beginning of the tour.

Ideally, it would be good for tour groups to meet together for classes prior to the tour. I have never been able to do this because my groups have come from many states, and sometimes a foreign country.

The first morning of touring I had the driver stop on the kurkar ridge along the Mediterranean Sea a few miles north of Netanya while we handed out the “surprise” books and explained them to the tour members. I asked them to turn to the maps that showed the area where we would be traveling that day. This procedure continued throughout the tour.

By the end of the tour the group members were talking about how the SBA would help them in their studies when they returned home.

On the last day of the tour we stopped by Yad HaShmona where Bill Schlegel works with the IBEX (Israel Bible Extension) program. Bill met our group and gave us a brief geographical orientation of the location and the importance of geography in the biblical story. From Yad HaShmona one can see the site of Kiriath-jearim (see here) to the east, and the coastal plain to the west. Todd Bolen includes a brief description of Yad HaShmona at BiblePlaces.com (here).

Bill Schlegel autographs a copy of The Satellite Bible Atlas for Ferrell Jenkins.

I can highly recommend the use of the SBA in connection with tours anywhere in Israel. Details about the publication, and how to order your own copy, may be found here.

The Satellite Bible Atlas is not to replace a standard Bible atlas such as the Zondervan Atlas of the Bible by Carl Rasmussen, or The New Moody Atlas of the Bible by Barry Beitzel. In fact, get all three. You will find each of them useful.

Wool and flax used in weaving

Proverbs 31 describes the Capable Wife as one who looks for the wool and the flax to use in weaving.

She obtains wool and flax, and she is pleased to work with her hands. (Proverbs 31:13 NET)

In the reconstructed house at Qatzrin (in Israel’s Golan Heights), wool and flax are waiting to be spun, and then made into clothing.

Wool & flax were used in the making of clothes in Bible times. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The two other texts where wool and flax are mentioned together are in the prophet Hosea. Israel, in her unfaithfulness to the LORD, is described as getting here wool and flax, along with other household goods, from her lovers (Hosea 2:5). The LORD makes it clear that he is the source of her supplies.

Therefore, I will take back my grain during the harvest time and my new wine when it ripens; I will take away my wool and my flax which I had provided in order to clothe her. (Hosea 2:9 NET)

Jesus wore a tunic (Greek, chiton) that was woven in one piece (John 19:23). The chiton was a garment worn next to the skin by both men and women.

We have posted several articles about weaving at the following links:

• Weaving in Bible Times.
• The distaff and the spindle.
• Weaving exhibit at the Hecht Museum.

The Bet Qama discovery

Numerous discoveries are made in Israel during the process of building a house, a road, or some other construction project. It becomes necessary to call the Israel Antiquities Authority so that an emergency excavation can be conducted.

Israel has a wonderful toll road (Highway 6) running from Galilee to the Negev. During preparatory work to extend the highway to the south, a settlement covering almost 1½ acres was uncovered in the fields of Kibbutz Bet Qama (Beit Kama) a few miles north of Beersheba. Shmuel Browns, Israel guide and blogger, attended a briefing by the IAA earlier in the week. He describes the discovery:

The site seems to have consisted of a large estate that included a tower, a church, residential buildings, presumably an inn for travelers, and storerooms, a large cistern, a public building and pools surrounded by farmland. Also found was a stone with a Byzantine cross in secondary usage.

Browns think this would be a good candidate for a monastery. He has granted permission for us to share this photo that he made during the IAA briefing.

The IAA reports on the Beit Qama discovery. Photo by Shmuel Browns.

Take a look at the blog post with a half dozen nice photos by Shmuel Browns here.

The Press Release by the IAA may be read here.

I see that Carl Rasmussen has posted a blog here about the 5th century synagogue that was discovered during construction work in 1993 at Sepphoris. This site is only 3½ miles north of Nazareth, the early home of Jesus.

There is still a lot to be uncovered in the Near East. See my post about “Know but mostly unknown” here.

The priest’s servant used a three-pronged fork

When the tabernacle (the temple of the LORD, 1 Samuel 1:9; the house of the LORD, 1 Samuel 1:24) was at Shiloh, the priests became corrupt. First Samuel 2 recounts the practices of the wicked sons of Eli.

The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.  (1 Samuel 2:13-14 ESV)

Three-pronged forks, like the one mentioned in this text have been found at a number of archaeological sites where sacrifices were offered by the Canaanites to their gods. The trident pictured here is from Akko (Acco), and is said to date to the 14th-13th century B.C. It appears to have had a wooden handle that would fit into it.

Bronze trident and tongs from Akko (14th-13th Century B.C. Israel Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

For more information about Shiloh and the biblical events that took place there, see here.

The “wild goats” of the Old Testament

Wild goats (Hebrew ya’el) are mentioned in a few Old Testament passages (1 Samuel 24:2; Job 39:1; Psalm 104:18; Prov. 5:19). This animal is often identified with the Ibex.

The ibex, a type of wild goat, is still found in Southern Palestine, Sinai, Egypt and Arabia; it was known also in ancient times, as is evident from rock carvings. (Fauna and Flora of the Bible, 46).

The wild goats are associated with En Gedi on the shore of the Dead Sea.

Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. (1 Samuel 24:1-2 NAU)

The Ibex may also be seen at En (Ein) Avdat (Avedat) and Mitzpe Ramon in Israel. The photo below shows one of the young Ibex on the run at En Avdat

Young Ibex on the run at En Avdat. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The next photo illustrates how well the Ibex blend in with the terrain in which they live.

Ibex at En Avdat in the Wilderness of Zin. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The last photo shows the sure-footed Ibex seeking out the high places.

Ibex in the wilderness of Zin near En Avdat. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The reference to the hind or deer (Hebrew ayyalah) in Psalm 18:33 (Hebrew 18:34) indicates a different species, but the analogy is the same. Both Hebrew terms are used in Job 39;1.

He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me upon my high places. (Psalm 18:33 NAU)

He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. (Psalm 18:33 NET)

If you would like to see another photo of the Ibex at En Gedi, click here.

Personal Note: A few friends who have missed the blog have contacted me to see if I had returned home and was doing o.k. The answer is yes, and yes. After being away for three weeks I needed some time to recoup, tend to personal matters, and get my photos organized. The subscription price remains the same. Thanks for your concern.

Rivers in the Desert – Wadi Zin

Rivers in the Desert is the title of Nelson Glueck’s 1959 history of the Negev. These rivers also may be seen in the Judean wilderness and in the Sinai. Thomas Levy followed up on some of Glueck’s research in a Biblical Archaeology Review article in 1990.

If one travels in the desert during the summer months he will see a dry, desolate bad land with only an isolated tamarisk tree or shrub where the last water of the winter rain flowed. In the winter it can be different. Israel has two dominant seasons: winter and summer. The summer is dry and the winter is wet. The early rains begin about mid-October and continue till the late rains of early April. See Deuteronomy 11:14 and Joel 2:23.

Levy reminds us that “Nahal, incidentally, is Hebrew for a dry river bed or valley that flows at most a few times a year. In Arabic, the word is wadi. The two words are used interchangeably in Israel today.” The wadi is similar to the arroyo of the American southwest.

While traveling south of Beersheba, yesterday and today, we crossed the Wadi Zin (Joshua 13:21ff.) at least three times in each direction we traveled.

Here is what the Wadi looks like when it is dry.

Wadi Zin near Avedat in the Negev of Israel. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

And this marker on the highway shows travelers the depth of the water when the wadi is flooded. The person in the photo is six feet tall. The marker goes to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet), and the pole is higher.

Marker to let travelers know the depth of the water in the Wadi Zin. Photo by Dan Kingsley.

For more pictures, including rivers in the desert during the rain season, see here.

Meet the Camel Family at Abel-meholah

This morning we drove south from Tiberias through the Jordan Valley. At Abel-meholah, possibly the home of Elisha the prophet (1 Kings 19:16), we saw about a dozen or more camels on the hillside. I was impressed with this group of seven that stayed together apart from the others.

Camels at Abel-meholah in the Jordan Valley. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Camels are first mentioned in the Bible in the time of Abraham (Genesis 12:16).

Tonight we are at Mitzpe Ramon, a little town that overlooks the Maktesh Ramon. This Maktesh, the largest on the face of the earth, is located about 50 miles south of Beersheba in the Negev wilderness of Israel.