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Israel Study Tour with Grace Bible Church Ann Arbor
February 7-17, 2020
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Where is Israel?
This obvious question is not easy to understand. Israel is situated at the intersection of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. Being at the crossroads of three culturally diverse regions, Israel was providentially located in a strategically important area for trade and commerce. The GBC Israel 2020 team of 43 people gained a better understanding of the region today.
While not as cold as Michigan, standing outside for hours in 40-degree rain and fog can chill you to the bone! The day started off in the Biblical Garden (Kiriath-Jearim) where we learned about the cultural context of the agrarian society the Scriptures were born out. One lesson was dispelling our Western images of a “promised land flowing with milk and honey” as a land full of cows and bees. Milk in ancient Israel would have come from sheep and goats and honey from dates.
Next, we climbed to the top of a Tel at Beth Shemesh which you may remember was the land of Samson. Here, Pastor Ty challenged us to look into the personal Tels of our lives to consider what others may discover if they dug into our layers including finances, web browsing, and relationships.
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.
At Tel Azekah, we overlooked the battlefield where David and Goliath met. We often think of this story of an underdog beating a giant. In reality, it was about our God proving truth over idol gods. As the rain made the pathway slippery and muddy, we walked to the brook where David likely picked up five stones for the confrontation with Goliath.
Azekah
Azekah (Heb: עזקה, ʿazeqah) was a town in the Shephelah guarding the upper reaches of the Valley of Elah, about 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Hebron. The current tell (ruin) by that name has been identified with the biblical Azekah, dating back to the Canaanite period. According to Eusebius' Onomasticon, the name meant "white" in the Canaanite tongue. The tell is pear shaped with the tip pointing northward. Due to its location in the Elah Valley it functioned as one of the main Judahite border cities, sitting on the boundary between the lower and higher Shephelah.[1] Although listed in Joshua 15:35 as being a city in the plain, it is actually partly in the hill country, partly in the plain.
The final stop was a bonus where we visited an underground historical site that was excavated in 1989. Bet Guvrin / Maresha dates to the 3rd century BC. Our group explored a dovecote where pigeons were raised for food, offerings and fertilizer.
We are ending the first day at the lowest point on earth. More about that tomorrow. We are safe, all is well!
By the way, Israel officially is in the Southwest corner of Asia.
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