Day 01 - Shephelah: Yad Hashmonah, Beth Shemesh, Azekah, Bet Guvrin (Bell Caves)

Good afternoon from Israel! Today was our first full day.  We started with an amazing breakfast at our hotel, full of traditional Israeli foods.  We had a busy day and saw four important sites.  

We traveled from our hotel in Neve Ilan, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, to our first stop at Kiriath-Jearim. Neve Ilean means “place of trees” and Kiriath-Jearim is where the ark of the covenant was kept for 20 years. While overlooking a beautiful valley, we read through scripture in 1 Samuel and Deuteronomy, and discussed the question, “Who is God to you?” When things are going well, are we still in relationship and communication with Him, or do we only reach out when we feel we are in need? When the Israelites forgot about God, we see in the scripture that He continues to work in them. We talked about how we can find resilience and even joy in the midst of trials, when we can’t understand God’s path or when it feels like we’re waiting for prayers to be answered.  In this site, we were also able to see and learn about the traditional olive press, the watchtowers that were built to protect the vineyard and store the harvested grapes, and also traditional burial sites from the time of David, including a tomb with a rollaway stone, similar to where Jesus’ body would have been laid.  

Our second site was Beth Shemesh, which means “House of the Sun”, and was a gate city to Judah and the entrance to Jerusalem. We overlooked the Valley of Sorek, where Samson was born. We discussed what it would be like for Samson, a Jewish Nazarene who was supposed to follow certain vows, to be born in a place known for producing wine. Samson’s name means “of the light” and he was supposed to be living into that name. We talked about what it is like to stand out as a Christian, to be set apart from culture due to a distinct identity in Jesus, and how we can seek out community and mentors in life to support us. 

We then needed our flashlights to climb down into a cistern, which would have collected all the water for the tel (the community or city).  Being inside the giant cave gave a whole new meaning to the story of Joseph, where his brothers threw him into a cistern to die, and where he could have overheard them from below as they decided to sell him.  

Jeremiah 2:11-13 says, “Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. 

Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 

for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. “

This was a reminder that we are often prone to seeking what is convenient or easy, rather than pursuing God’s will of what is best in our lives. 

Our next stop was Tel Azekah - the border between the Israelites and the Philistines. We read through the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel and looked at the Socho Valley where David faced Goliath.  It is estimated that Goliath was between 7 and 9 feet tall, and wore chain mail that weighed over 125 lbs. The Philistines were prepared with armour, having already overtaken Gath, while the Israelites would have basically had farming tools to fight with. David himself was the youngest brother, a shepherd who was only supposed to be running food back and forth to his father and brothers on the battlefield. Although Saul dressed David like Goliath, we discussed how David killed him with only a stone and a slingshot, something that was familiar to him to fighting off animals and protecting the flock. We discussed how God has given each of us unique strengths and gifts - sometimes we need to be brave enough to step out in uncertainty to discover our gifts - but that God uses each of us in unique ways, despite how we feel weak or inadequate or unprepared. 

We also stopped at the Colombarium Cave, which was used as a dovecote for raising pigeons. The pigeons were often the least expensive animal used for temple sacrifices, and this particular cave held over 2,000 pigeons. The students were very excited to crawl through a small tunnel to exit the cave. 

Our last stop was the Bell Caves in Bet Guvrin National Park, which was beautiful. The team discussed who is with them in community, and who holds them accountable when they are in a cave.  We sang a few songs together before we got back on the bus to head to our next city.  We are heading to the Nevo Hotel near the Dead Sea for the night.

A few highlights from our students:

Henry Eldersveld- “My favorite part of our first day in Israel was exploring numerous Biblical sites including the valley where David and Goliath fought. While at these sites, I was trying to build a mental image in my head in hopes of deepening my experience of reading the Bible when I return home.”

Elsie Jackson- “My favorite part of the day was the bell caves! As we explored the caves, we sang worship songs and it was a moment to feel God's presence surrounded by people who we are growing in this journey with.”