Better understand the story

Our day began with breakfast at our various host homes and then volunteer work at three different schools in Beit Shemesh. We painted, cleared a garden, helped in the school library, and spoke English with the students among other things.

We ate a picnic lunch in a nearby forest and then made our way on windy roads to Zanoah, a city belonging to the tribe of Dan and mentioned in the Samson story (Judges 13-16). It offered us a clear view of Beth Shemesh and the Sorek Valley beneath us.

Our last biblical site was the ancient site of Beth Shemesh where we descended into a massive cistern designed to hold rain water for the city. This was a great visual for understanding the various mentions of cisterns in Scripture. We also were able to better understand the story of the transport of the ark of the covenant from the Philistines back to Israel in 1 Samuel 6, as the ark came to Beth Shemesh!

After a tour of a local art garden we went back to our host homes for wonderful meals and conversation before resting up for our last day.

Pastor Andrew Gilmore