Jerusalem, the Kidron, and Mt. of Olives

Yesterday’s post featured a photo of a hen with her chicks, imagery used by Jesus Himself in His lamentation over Jerusalem, as He wanted to gather the people unto Himself but they refused. Immediately he left the temple courts, crossed the Kidron with His disciples, and went to the Mount of Olives where He gave what has become known as the “Olivet Discourse” (Matthew 24).

Our photo provides an overview of the setting for these events. You can easily recognize the temple mount. Below that is the Kidron Valley. Next, at bottom of photo is the Mt. of Olives.

Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Kidron, and Mt. of Olives. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Click on image for larger view.

En Route to Israel

What a wonderful opportunity to visit Israel again with friends who want to be better Bible students. My group is presently waiting at Newark, with a slightly delayed departure time.

The Ben Gurion airport is located on the site of OT Lod, NT Lydda. Peter was a Lydda when brethren came from Joppa with the news that Dorcas had died, asking him to hurry there. Upon arriving, he raised her from the dead (Acts 9:32-41).

Check our blog to follow our travels; we will post as time permits. For now here is an aerial of Joppa, taken Dec. ’09.

Aerial of Joppa. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Joppa is immediately south of Tel Aviv.

Click on image for higher resolution.

 

 

The Herodium

The Herodium was a fortress built by Herod the Great.  It is located about eight miles south of Jerusalem and about 3 miles southeast of Bethlehem.

Here Herod was buried, but his tomb was not discovered until May 2007, by Ehud Netzer, who recently died at the site as a result of a fall.

 

Aerial of Herodium. Photo by Leon Mauldin

 

The small blue rectangle is the site of recent excavations.  Just below that you can see the theater.

Click image for higher resolution.

Lachish

The city of Lachish (Tell ed-Duweir in Arabic) was located about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem, nestled in the foothills, the Shephelah, of Judah.  The site covers about 18 acres. It was previously a principle Canaanite city and then after the conquest under Joshua, it was one of the most important Israelite cities.

Our photo gives an aerial view of biblical Lachish.

Aerial of Lachish, one of Judah's most important cities. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

On the far right the siege mound built by the Assyrians under Sennacherib in 701 B.C. can still be seen. You can also see the ancient wall of the city and the gate complex.

Passages:

1. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, rebuilt Lachish as a city for defense, a fortified city (2 Chron. 11:5-11).

2. Later, King Amaziah of Judah, following his apostasy from God (he began worshiping the gods of Edom), was killed while hiding in Lachish (2 Kgs. 14:19; 2 Chron. 25:27).

3. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, captured Lachish (2 Kgs.18:13-17; 2 Chron. 32:9).  He considered its capture to be of such significance that he depicted it in elaborate relief on the wall of his palace at Nineveh, as illustrated in our photo here below.  Note the Assyrian archers; others are scaling the wall by means of a ladder.

Lachish Relief. Metro Museum NY. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Additionally, Lachish is known for the “Lachish Letters,” twenty-one pottery sherds on which were written letters in clear Hebrew information regarding the attack on Lachish and Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 B.C. One of those letters says that the signal fires from Azekah could no longer be seen. Just prior to that, Jeremiah had observed that only Lachish and Azekah were left as fortified cities in Judah (Jer. 34:7).

Click on images for higher resolution.

Gezer

I’m currently attending the ETS and SBL meetings in Atlanta, and enjoying sharing a room with bro. Ferrell Jenkins.

A couple of the presentationstoday have been on biblical Gezer.  This city was given as a dowry to Solomon by Pharaoh when he married Pharaoh’s daughter.  Gezer became a fortress city, guarding access to the south. Excavation is ongoing.

Today’s post features an aerial photo of Gezer, taken last year (Dec. 2009).

Aerial photo of Gezer. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

In the center of the photo you can see Gezer’s “standing stones.”  Upper right show an important area of excavation, including the six-chambered gate.

 

Beth Guvrin

The site of Beth Guvrin is also known as Betogabris, Eleutheropolis,Tel Maresha, Tell Sandahanna, Beith Jibrin, Bet Giblin, Beth-guvrin, Bet Guvrin, Gibelin and Maresha according to Todd Bolen
http://www.bibleplaces.com/bethguvrin.htm

Aeriel Beit Guvrin. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

An underground system of caves and tunnels was discovered where Jewish rebels hid from the Romans during the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome in the second century A.D. (132-135).  The Roman army was stationed in and around the city during this time.

At Beit Guvrin  an amphitheater has been excavated which can easily be seen in our photo (center). It was first identified in 1981 during an archaeological-architectural survey of Beth Guvrin.  Under the direction of Amos Kloner and A. Hubsch, large-scale excavations were conducted from 1993 to 1995.  Maximum measurements are 71 by 56 meters.  Gladiatorial contests, animal hunting exhibitions, contests between beasts and men as well as other forms of entertainment were conducted here.

“The construction of the amphitheater stemmed from the presence of these Roman army units in the area and the rebuilding of the city” (The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, Vol. 5, p. 1607).

Beit Guvrin is about 1 1/2 miles north of biblical Mareshah, of the Shephelah. See map for orientation.

Mareshah. Map by BibleAtlas.org

Click on map/photo for larger image & higher resolution.

Gath of the Philistines

There were five Philistine cities; these are listed as Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (1 Sam. 6:17). Today’s post features an aerial shot of the Philistine city of Gath.

 

Aerial of Gath of the Philistines. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

 

There are numerous biblical references to Gath. Goliath the giant, the Philistine champion, was from Gath (1 Sam. 17:4).  David fled from King Saul, seeking asylum from Achish, king of Gath (1 Sam. 21: 10), but when he saw he was is danger there too, pretended to be insane.  However, David was later successful in finding refuge at Gath (1 Sam. 27:1ff), though subsequently the Philistines gave him his own city of Ziklag.

When Saul and his son Jonathan (David’s best friend) died at Mt. Gilboa, David wrote a song that included the words, “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon — Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph” (2 Sam. 1:20).

“Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its surrounding towns away from the Philistines” (1 Chron. 18:1, NET).

Also, bear in mind that when you see the word Gittite that reference is made to a resident of Gath.  One of David’s most loyal followers was Ittai the Gittite.  When David was forced to flee Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s rebellion, he told Ittai that he was not expected to accompany David. “But Ittai replied to the king, ‘as surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be’” (2 Sam. 15:21, NIV).

Remember to click on photo for higher resolution.

A couple of matters on a personal note:

I’m currently in a 4-day meeting in Lawrenceville, GA., presenting a series of lessons on “Becoming More Like Jesus.”  My friend Allen Shepherd is the local evangelist.  This is my second time to be with this congregation.  The meeting concludes tomorrow evening.

Also, my mother-in-law, Mrs. Ura May Creel, passed away this past Sat. after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.    My brother-in-law and I conducted the funeral service yesterday in Hanceville AL. Three of her grandsons led congregational singing.  I regarded her as a mother.   We sorrow, but not as those who have no hope (1 Thes. 4:13ff.).

Socoh, in the David & Goliath Narrative

Our recent posts have included aerial photos of Azekah and Khirbet-Qeiyaffa (Elah Fortress), both of which are in the Valley of Elah. (Some suggest that Khirbet-Qeiyaffa may turn out to be the biblical Ephes Dammim.)

Another site mentioned in the biblical record and featured in today’s post Socoh. 1 Sam. 17 includes this site as the geographical setting is provided for the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, when David killed Goliath. The text reads:

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.  Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines.  The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. (1 Sam. 17:1-3)

Our photo shows tel Socoh in center (look to the left and above the horizontal road that dissects the field in center).

Aerial of Socoh in Elah Valley. Scene of Philistine-Israel Battle of 1 Sam. 17. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

If you note the tiny tree-line above tel Socoh, across the road, this is the brook from which David selected five smooth stones, one of which he used to slay Goliath.

In the distance (just right of wing brace at top) you can see tel Azekah. For 40 days this valley rang out with the threatening voice of loud-mouth Goliath, until the shepherd David rose to the challenge, prompted by this faith in the God of Israel.

Socoh (also spelled Sochoh and Soco) had earlier been assigned to the territory of Judah (Josh. 15:35). Later it was fortified by Solomons’ son King Rehoboam (2 Chron. 11:7).  Later still, in the days of King Kezekiah, Socoh was among the cities of the Shephelah listed in 2 Chron. 28:18 as raided and conquered by the Philistines.  Apparently Socho had been an administrative center during Hezekiah’s reign as indicated by the numerous stamped jar handles with the seal of Socoh.

Click on image for higher resolution.

Khirbet-Qeiyafa

An archaeological site of current interest is Khirbet-Qeiyafa, the Elah Fortress.  Luke Chandler has been involved in digs there, and his blog reports on some of the findings there and their implications. Go to:

lukechandler.wordpress.com

 

Many believe this site will prove to be an Israelite fortress that dates back to the reign of King David. Our aerial photo below shows the site in its context overlooking the Valley of Elah:

Khirbet-Qeiyafa, the Elah Fortress overlooking Valley of Elah. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

You can see the circular tel on your right in the photo.  It was in the valley below that David killed Goliath.

Click on image for higher resolution.

Tel Azekah

Well, a lot has happened since our last post of this past Friday!  Sunday morning, 10/10/2010, we were blessed with the birth of another grandchild. I just happen to have a photo:

 

Brand new granddaughter. My son Seth.

 

Then yesterday we began a 4-day meeting with the Pine Lane church of Christ, south Birmingham.  It is good to be with the church there again.  Terry Benton serves as evangelist.

Our post today features an aerial photo of Azekah. First note the location of Azekah on the map below.

 

Azekah. Map by BibleAtlas.org

 

Azekah is mentioned in connection with the southern conquest of Canaan under Joshua:

And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. (Josh. 10:11).

Our photo below shows Tel Azekah as it overlooks the Elah Valley.

 

Aerial of Tel Azekah. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

 

Azekah is included in the geographical setting for the stand-off between the Philistines and the Israelite army under king Saul.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. (1 Sam. 17:1).

It was on this occasion that David killed the giant from Gath, Goliath.

(Click on images for higher resolution).