Day 01 - Yad Hashmonah, Beth Shemesh, Tel Azekah, Beth Guvrin/Maresha

After a quick night’s sleep, a fabulous breakfast, and a minor bus mishap, we headed to our first tour location, Kiriath-Jearim, the Biblical Gardens, located in the mountain area of Judea. This site was originally Yad Hashmonah, a memorial for 8 Finnish people killed by the Nazis, but ended up becoming an archaeological dig site. Before Ronin took us to tour, Pastor Mike  encouraged us to follow the Hebrew example of the Shema (a 3300 year old prayer), to really hear and obey God. We are commanded to love the Lord our God, and we demonstrate our love by our actions and by being doers of the Word.

We learned what types of herbs are in a biblical garden; the 7 species of food farmed; why burial caves; how and who did ceremonial washing using a mikveh; and when John did water baptism the people would have understood the water “cleansing” and the burial from death to life.  We also saw a threshing floor, an olive oil press, and wine press, and their importance for the culture.  We discovered It is the root (netzer) of an olive tree, not the trunk, that reveals its age.

Next we drove to Beth Shemesh, 11 acres in the Shephalah (low hills) region. A major trade route with springs and fertile soil. Joey helped us to recognize some new insights into Judges 13-17, where little by little Samson compromises his vows, defiling himself and even those close to him. With a hardened heart, he didn’t even know the Lord had left him.  We then climbed down steep steps leading into a large cave-like cistern to understand where people would’ve had to go to get water for their daily needs.

We rode to the next location to enjoy a pita picnic lunch. Next up, Tel Azekah (a tel, similar to a hill, but if you dig, there are cities underneath). The Bible provides a lot of physical land marks and descriptions and through archaeological discoveries, it has helped prove Israel’s existence as a nation and historical accuracy of the Bible.  At the top of the tel, we looked over the Valley of Elah, and marveled at the story of David, a shepherd boy, who trusted in His God to defeat the giant Goliath and the Philistines.

We made a quick stop to do some rock hunting and then drove to Maresha, aka Beit Guvrin national park, where underground cities are still being excavated. We went into a cave that would’ve been used as a pigeon farm, and then likely sold for sacrificial offerings.  We went to the “bell” caves, limestone and chalk quarries dug using a unique method of extraction. The acoustic was such that we had to sing praises to the Lord, “Our God is an Awesome God” and “How Great is Our God.”

Finally, we drove for two hours and came to rest our weary bodies at a lovely hotel across from the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea.