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Favorite Geographical Story in the Bible Results

This was a fun survey for me to review, and I think it was fun for many of you who suggested a favorite story. Most of the choices were unique, but David and Goliath was chosen four times and several others were picked twice: Gideon, Jesus’s temptation, the Good Samaritan, and Jesus at Caesarea Philippi.

Of all the stories chosen, 70% are in OT. The other 30% were all in the Gospels. Of the stories selected in the OT, they were pretty evenly divided between these four groups: Pentateuch, Joshua-Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings, though 1-2 Samuel edged out the others because of the four votes for David and Goliath. Those who chose something in Kings went with a story about Elijah, except for one selection for Josiah and Neco and another for Adonijah’s attempted coup.

Perhaps the most curious vote was for “Enoch’s journey throughout the world,” with a helpful explanation for those of us who might be mystified: “Might not be in most Bibles, but it is in mine.” He or she is right: it’s not in most Bibles!

We should give an honorable mention to Tim Bulkeley for providing not just a suggestion but his own podcast (previously recorded) to explain it. He wrote, “The interplay of peasant (Boaz) and nomadic (Ruth) cultures in their interchange is such fun with her ‘but of course I’m not your servant’ as the key phrase.” The brief podcast provides a simplified summary.

I can’t cover everyone’s choice, so I thought I’d just select one from each of the above sections of the Bible and quote the explanation given. Perhaps this will stir your own thoughts or send you back to the Bible to read the story afresh.

Pentateuch

Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the LORD at Penuel. Why?

When I read Genesis Chapter 32 I can picture Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the LORD there at Peniel (Penuel) and I can almost feel myself sitting there in the background watching as Jacob was able to keep the match up through the night. This must have been an amazing sight to see.

Agreed! This is one of my favorite places to visit in Jordan!

Joshua-Judges-Ruth

Samson. Why?

Well, it’s probably my second favorite after David and Goliath. But, it’s always amazing to stand in Beth Shemesh and read the story of Samson and visualize the events in a new way. It’s one of those first moments in our trips where the Bible comes to life for people. It also brings richness to a very familiar story, in much the same way as reading David and Goliath in the Elah Valley.

Yes, indeed. This stop always gets me behind on the rest of the day because it’s so hard to resist going through the Samson story blow by blow.

1-2 Samuel

Saul fighting the Philistines by Mount Gilboa and all the details surrounding that (1 Sam 28-31).

Why?

It combines so many geographical details and routes around the Jezreel Valley, and even helps to make some significant historical connections (why were the people of Jabesh Gilead so concerned about Saul?) If you count chapter 30, it even has interesting details about the Negev area. Lots of interesting things happening, geographically.

All kinds of fascinating places here, including En Dor, Jezreel, and Beth Shean! Tour groups need to add an extra day to spend in this area.

1-2 Kings
Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and his race to Jezreel. Why?

From some vantage points you can see just about all locations and imagine the entire event unfolding before your eyes.

This is another story where I insist on reading the whole passage no matter how windy (or rainy) it is on top of that monastery’s roof!

The Gospels

The woman at the well. Why?

Messiah revealed at locale where previous covenants made, i.e., fulfilling the promises. So much to absorb being there. My favorite place in the land.

Great connection here! This story doesn’t “move” from one place to another, but the geographical background is so rich.

This was fun. I have another idea for next week, so plan to stop by on Tuesday to share your favorite!

Tagged Survey

Seven Fascinating Facts about Crossing the Jordan River

I had the opportunity to read a pre-publication draft of an article that David Z. Moster has written on crossing the Jordan River in antiquity. I found it a fascinating study, and I asked him if I could share some of his excellent research with you, and he kindly agreed.

1. The annual flow of the Jordan River today is 2% of what it was 60 years ago, before a number of major dams were constructed.

2. In the biblical period, the Jordan River was shallow and easy to cross in the north, and deep and difficult to cross in the south.

Abel Meholah and Jordan River aerial from northwest, ws052916285

The Jordan River near Abel Meholah, just south of the Beth Shean area. Photo by Bill Schlegel.

3. When William F. Lynch sailed down the Jordan in 1847, the depth at the Sea of Galilee was 2.5
feet deep and 7 feet deep at the Jabbok River.

4. In 1854 an expert swimmer was unable to make it across the river near Jericho because the river was too wide and the current too strong.

5. The PEF identified 41 fords between the Sea of Galilee and the Jabbok River but only 5 fords between the Jabbok and the Dead Sea.

The greatest density of fords in the north was in the vicinity of Beth Shean where 15 were found in one 3-mile (5 km) stretch.
All five fords in the south were near Jericho.

Jordan River with Sheikh Hussein bridge near Beth Shean, mat15248

The Jordan River with the Sheikh Hussein bridge near Beth Shean. Photo from the American Colony and Eric Matson Collection.

6. Before the Roman period, the only way to cross the Jordan was by fording. In later periods, bridges and ferries were built.

7. The only tribe to span the Jordan River was Manasseh, and that was in the northern section, a fact which corresponds with the topography noted above.

The article will be published as “Crossing the Jordan River during the Biblical Period: North vs. South” in the upcoming ARAM Periodical 29 (2017) entitled “The Jordan River.” David Moster’s research is available on Academia and he blogs at The 929 Chapters. Thanks to David to sharing his work with us!

Jordan River, Allenby Bridge guard house in flood, mat04344

Allenby Bridge guard house during flood of Jordan River. Photo from the American Colony and Eric Matson Collection.

Tagged Jordan Rift

Reader Survey: Favorite Geographical Story in the Bible

This should be a fun one to read the results: what is your favorite geographical story in the Bible? By that, we want to know which story, with a geographical angle, most captures your imagination. I’ll suggest a few examples to get you thinking about more possibilities.

David and Goliath is a ready favorite, with the two armies encamped on either side of the Valley of Elah and the young boy running down from Bethlehem with Lunchables for his brothers (1 Sam 17).

The Good Samaritan grips us as we envision the wilds of the wilderness and a band of hoodlums attacking a lone traveler (Luke 10).

The war between Asa and Baasha is less well-known, but it captures the back-and-forth dynamic on the Benjamin plateau (1 Kgs 15).

The swine dive at Gadara is a subject of regular debate, and I’ve spent much of last week preparing for publication what I hope to be a significant contribution to the discussion (Mark 5).

Or how about Jehoshaphat’s march into the wilderness, leading his army in ~~brandishing their weapons~~ praising the Lord (2 Chr 20).

There are so many wonderful possibilities. Let us know what your favorite is and we’ll share the results on Thursday!

(Email readers may need to click through to respond.)

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Tagged Survey

First-Century Synagogue Discovered in Galilean Village

A first-century AD synagogue has been discovered in eastern lower Galilee at Tel Rekhesh (Tell el-Mukharkhash). The synagogue was apparently in use until the village was abandoned during the Bar Kochba Revolt. Ynet News has the story:

Last Tuesday, an excavation team discovered, just ten centimeters below the peak’s surface, a synagogue from the first century AD. The find contained a huge and impressive room nine meters high and eight meters wide with walls lined with benches made of limestone blocks. Diggers also discovered one of the two foundational pillars supporting the synagogue’s roof.
[…]
“This is the first synagogue of its kind in the Galilee villages,” Dr. Aviam explained. “In Migdal, for example, there is a synagogue but that is a big city. Here we are talking about a magnificent agricultural area about four Dunam [1 acre] in size where buildings are decorated with frescoes and stucco articles. Jewish families lived in the estate but due to the fact that the nearest synagogue was four kilometers away (a distance deemed too far from a community according to Jewish law) the owner of the estate built the synagogue for himself and for the dozens of workers in his employment.”
[…]
Dr. Aviam told Ynet that the remains of objects were found which could definitely be dated back to the first century AD. Prior to the recent discovery, archaeologists already suspected the presence of a Jewish community on the peak.
Indeed, one of the main reasons that the researchers were able to extrapolate that the estate belonged to a Jewish community was the absence of big bones or remains. Indeed, pig was a staple part of a community’s diet in which Jews did not reside.
Further proof that Tel Recheš was an old Jewish community was the existence of many stone utensils. According to Jewish law, stone utensils cannot become impure, unlike other tool such as metal and glass. The preferred material of choice for cooking among Jews toward the end of the Second Temple era was stone.

As the article notes, Tel Rekhesh is not easily accessible to visitors. The 11-acre site is located about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Mount Tabor and about 7.5 miles (12 km) southwest of the Sea of Galilee. Yohanan Aharoni identified it as biblical Anaharath (Josh 19:19), a city also mentioned in the records of Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, as well as in the Amarna Letters.

HT: Joseph Lauer

Tel Rekhesh from the west
Photo by A.D. Riddle

Tagged Discoveries, Galilee

Weekend Roundup, Part 2

A stunning (!) 36-foot mosaic floor depicting scenes of ancient chariot races in the hippodrome has been revealed outside Nicosia in Cyprus.

Human skeleton remains of a teenage boy dating back to 11 BC have been found on Mt. Lykaion, a site honored as the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus.

The discovery of some rare artifacts in Perge has led to the creation of a special room in the Antalya Museum in Turkey.

After two years of occupation by ISIS, previously unknown Assyrian artifacts in the Syrian city Tal
Ajaja, or ancient Shadikanni have been found looted or destroyed.

A report by Live Science documents the death of children killed as a result of looting in Egypt.

A statue of Zeus lost in the 5th century has been re-created using a 3D printer.

Cal Thomas recommends the new “Ben Hur” movie, opening on Friday.

Ben-Hur the video game is available for free download for Xbox One.

Todd Hanneken has received a $325,000 grant to fund his use of Spectral RTI for the Jubilees Palimpsest Project.

“The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) is proud to announce the completion of our digitization project at the National Library of Greece (NLG).”

Wayne Stiles considers the value of biblical geography for apologetics.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis, Agade, Charles Savelle

Mosaic depicting chariot races excavated in Cyprus
Photo by the Associated Press

Tagged Greece, Mediterranean Islands, Movies, Museums, Syria, Technology, Turkey

Weekend Roundup, Part 1

In work to construct a mikveh in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered a Roman bathhouse and below that a cistern connected to the aqueduct from Bethlehem.

Hundreds of Roman fresco fragments from a large building, dating to the 2nd century, have been excavated in Zippori National Park (Sepphoris).

A journalist gets a rare chance to visit Mount Ebal and its “altar.”

A site proposed as one of the Gilgals of the Bible is in danger because of the establishment of a new garbage dump.

Nadav Shragai asks why the media ignores illegal Muslim activity on the Temple Mount.

A new music video by Michael W. Smith was filmed entirely in Israel and includes some beautiful drone footage.

The Baptist News interviews a zooarchaeologist who excavated in the Philistine cemetery of Ashkelon.

A collection of Dead Sea Scroll fragments owned by the Museum of the Bible have been published in a book edited by Emanuel Tov, Kipp Davis, and Robert Duke.

It’s not just the words, but where they were spoken, argues Wayne Stiles.

Dan Warner is on the Book and the Spade this week talking about his excavation of the Canaanite water system at Gezer.

Seth Rodriquez appreciates the support he received for his trip to teach biblical backgrounds at the
Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe and he reports on his time there.

HT: Joseph Lauer, Ted Weis, Agade, Charles Savelle

Mount Ebal altar from northwest, ws092213002

Proposed altar on Mount Ebal
Photo by Bill Schlegel

Tagged Galilee, Jerusalem, Museums, Samaria, Shephelah, Temple Mount