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Israel Study Tour - The Forge (Pine Cove)
March 15-27, 2015
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David & Bethlehem
Today was a day that many of us have been looking forward to on the trip. We’ve been exited about seeing some of our most favorite Bible stories in their locations and learn about them and today we got to do just that!
Our day started at Beth Shemesh with the story of Samson and Delilah. We learned that our desires can be hard to resist if our eyes are not focused on the Lord. It was so special to us to be able to have the Soreq Valley in view right in front of us as we learned the different components (and lessons) of that story.
Beth Shemesh
A border city between Judah and Dan, Beth Shemesh was given to the Levites. Beth Shemesh was the most important Israelite city in the Sorek Valley as it watched both east-west traffic through the Sorek Valley and north-south traffic along the “Diagonal Route.” Recent excavations have shown a thriving city here from the Middle Bronze Age through the Iron II period.
Then we made our way to Azekah – the ancient gate city that guarded the Elah Valley. There, of course, we took some time to read the story of David and Goliath and learn that real courage is not something that we muster up from inside ourselves. Instead it is a direct byproduct of our faith in God and His Word to us. We just cannot describe what it feels like to be reading a story like that and look up from your Bible and have the setting of the story right there in front of you.
Tel Azekah and Elah Valley
The Brook Elah is famous for the five stones it contributed to the young slinger, David. Some surmise that David chose five stones instead of the one needed in case he needed to face Goliath’s four brothers.
Afterwards, we made a quick trip over to the caves of Adullam where we had the chance to crawl and shimmy our way through one of the many caves in that region. It was a very unique experience and a good picture for us to help us see what David was writing about in Psalm 57.
Once we finished in Adullam, we headed to David’s birthplace of Bethlehem. We visited the Church of Nativity that is built over the place where most people believe Jesus was born. We also had the chance to do some shopping and support some of the local Palestinian Christians in the city.
It was a great day and we are looking forward to a BIG day tomorrow. :
Shalom,
By Matt Lantz
Bethlehem
Biblical scholars believe Bethlehem, located in the "hill country" of Judah, may be the same as the Biblical Ephrath which means "fertile", as there is a reference to it in the Book of Micah as Bethlehem Ephratah.[17] The Bible also calls it Beth-Lehem Judah,and the New Testament describes it as the "City of David". It is first mentioned in the Bible as the place where the matriarch Rachel died and was buried "by the wayside" (Gen. 48:7). Rachel's Tomb, the traditional grave site, stands at the entrance to Bethlehem. According to the Book of Ruth, the valley to the east is where Ruth of Moab gleaned the fields and returned to town with Naomi. It was the home of Jesse, father of King David of Israel, and the site of David's anointment by the prophet Samuel. It was from the well of Bethlehem that three of his warriors brought him water when he was hiding in the cave of Adullam.
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