Traveling in Israel (in 2005)

In November 2005 Ferrell Jenkins and I made a personal study trip to Israel. One factor that made that trip significant was the fact that this was Mr. Jenkin’s (who has directed scores of tours to Israel) first visit to Israel since the events of 9/11/2001. So the purpose in part was exploratory, to see what had changed and new developments/excavations, etc. He made posts of photos and comments every day.  You can still access that Nov. ’05 Israel trip info here. I thought some of our readers might enjoy the photos and info. This was before the widely read Ferrell’s Travel Blog.

I can tell you, that was a great trip. There is nothing quite like on-site Bible study! I think we each took around 2,500-3,000 photos.

Rolling Stone Tomb in Northern Israel, Nov. 2005. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

This is one of my favorite shots from that trip. You can see there is no green grass, as it was dead and dry in Nov. It is good to be able to see the land at different times of the year if possible.

This Roman tomb is not far from Megiddo. Its use dates back to the time of Jesus, and well illustrates the kind of tomb in which Jesus was buried. Unfortunately it is not possible to get this same photo today as there is a safety railing in front of the tomb.

Click on photo for larger view.

Egypt: the Nile Turned to Blood

God referred to 10 plagues as “great acts of judgment” (Exodus 6:6). Prior to the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn, God warned, “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments– I am the LORD” (Ex. 12:12). In reality, all of the plagues showed that YHWH (the LORD) was the true God; all of the plagues were judgments against the gods of Egypt.

The first plague turned the water of the Nile into blood.

Nile River. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

In an article entitled, “The Plagues and the Exodus,” David Livingston wrote:

This plague was against the god Hapi, spirit of the Nile in flood and “giver of life to all men.” The annual innundation was called “the arrival of Hapi” (57). He was especially worshipped at Gebel Silsileh and Elephantine. The Nile water was the transformed life-blood of Osiris. The fact that the Nile turned to blood, which was abominable to Egyptians, was a direct affront to one of their chief gods. Although the fish-goddess was Hatmeyt, all the fish in the Nile River died! (Bible and Spade Vol. 4, No. 1, P. 4).

Osiris was believed to be the goddess of the afterlife.

The Goddess Osiris. Brooklyn Museum. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

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From Dan to Beersheba

Tonight as I write this we are in Beersheba, so we have traveled the biblical “from Dan to Beersheba” that is referenced so many times in Scripture (1 Sam. 3:20, etc.), having been to Dan earlier last week.

Last evening we spent the night at the Dead Sea at En Boqeq, but the internet was down when I was attempting to use it. Yesterday AM before leaving Jerusalem we visited the Wailing Wall. This wall was not part of the temple itself, but was the retaining wall for the temple and the structures on the temple mount.

Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Jerusalem is defined by three valleys: the Kidron, Tyropean and Hinnom. In the above photo we are standing in the Tyropean Valley.

The first several courses of larger stones starting from bottom are Herodian. Jews come here to mourn the destruction of the temple, among other reasons.

Just south of the wailing wall, excavations have reached down to first century street level. There you can see the stones that have been uncovered that were part of the temple buildings, hurled down into the valley during the AD 70 destruction. This photo shows the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that not 0ne stone would be left upon another, that would not be cast down (Matt. 24:2). He said that this would occur during that generation (v.34).

Temple Stones from AD 70 Destruction. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

After leaving Jerusalem, we went to see Anathoth. This was the site of the city which was home to Jeremiah.

Anathoth, home of prophet Jeremiah. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

We also went to Old Testament Jericho. While there I took a group photo.

Group Photo at OT Jericho. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

We’ve learned a lot on this journey. We are truly blessed.

This morning upon leaving En Boqeq we went to Masada.

Leon Mauldin at Zoar.

En route to Masada we stopped at Zoar for the view. The brook drains down to the Dead Sea. It is not clear if there is any connection between  this location and the Zoar mentioned in Gen. 19:22ff., in connection with the narrative of lot and the destruction of Sodom and its surrounding cities. The mountains just south of this area are called the Mountains of Sodom.

Masada was a Herodian fortress. It was here that the Zealots fled after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The Romans laid siege to Masada, and in AD 73 broke through the wall. They found the Jews inside chose death by their own hands rather than be captured by the Romans.

Tomorrow is a full schedule of sites from Tel Sheva (Beersheba) working our way up to Joppa, and from then to TLV for our departing flight home, the Lord willing.  Thanks again for following our travels, and for the many kind notes & prayers.

Click on photos for higher resolution.

Memphis of Egypt

Today’s post will deal with Memphis of Egypt.  To give some context, let me lead into this with the following:

The message of the biblical prophets may be broadly summarized into three subject areas:

1. God’s message to His people of the prophet’s time.

2. God is the God of all the earth; His message to the nations.

3. Most importantly, the Messianic prophecies; Christ, His redemptive work, His kingdom.

Today’s post will deal with the second category; God is the God of the nations.  This is why you will find in some instances in the prophets back-to-back chapters dealing with the nations of men.  Ezekiel was one of the captivity prophets (taken to Babylon with the second deportation, 597 B.C.).  Though he had much to say to his contemporary captives (Jews), and had many Messianic prophecies, Ezekiel proclaimed the word of the LORD to the nations.

Ezekiel 30 addresses Egypt and includes specifically Memphis. “Thus says the Lord GOD, “I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt” (v.13).

For so many centuries Egypt had been a world power.  Memphis had been one of the most important administrative centers.  Only Thebes in the south was comparable in economic, political and religious importance.

But God said He would “execute judgments on Egypt” (v.19). The prophecy was fulfilled.  Egypt fell, and the city of Memphis, royal residence and capital of Egypt, one of the renowned places of the whole ancient world, has disappeared almost completely.  The most significant ruins can be seen near the modern village of Mit Rahina.

Sign indicating site of biblical Memphis, Egypt. Near modern Mit Rahina. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Within the enclosure of the temple of Ptah one can see a large alabaster sphinx. This dates to the reign of Ramesses II (1279-1213 B.C.).

Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis, Egypt. Dates to reign of Ramesses II. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Ezekiel’s prophecy was that God would “cause the images to cease from Memphis.”  Our photo below illustrates what the prophet had in mind.  This is an image of the Egyptian goddess Hathor.

Image of Egyptian goddess Hathor. Memphis, Egypt. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

More to come on Memphis, Egypt.  Remember to click on image for higher resolution. Photos may freely be used in teaching.

Laodicea, cont’d.

In our previous post we saw a startling difference between the Laodiceans’ assessment of themselves, and the Lord’s evaluation.  They thought they were rich and in need of nothing; Jesus said that spiritually they were “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev.3:17).  They were blissfully unaware of their true condition before God! Further, their lukewarmness was a condition that nauseated the Lord.

That’s why we have the Bible. Therein is revealed how to be saved by the provisions of God in Jesus Christ, and then further teaching furnishes the Christian with what God wants His people to be.  In other words, to avoid the condemnation of the Lord, and to have His approval, requires constant looking at the Scriptures as the standard, and examining self in light of that Word.

But we want to explore further the city itself where the church addressed in Rev. 3 was located.

Besides the evidence of many public buildings and facilities, archaeologist have also excavated some private residences, such as the one in this photo. Note the storage jar at left center.

Private Residence at Laodicea. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Such storage jars would have been used in homes for storage of grain and other such items.  Such items are indicative of considerable purchasing power.

Storage Jar in Private Residence at Laodicea. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Still more to come on Laodicea.  Click on image for larger view.

Philadelphia, its Environs, cont’d

We continue in today’s post to explore biblical Philadelphia, the sixth of the seven cities with churches addressed in Rev. 2-3.

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary gives this info regarding Philadelphia:

Philadelphia was situated on the Cogamus River, a tributary of the Hermus (modern Gediz) and was about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Sardis. It was founded by Attalus II (Philadelphus), who reigned as king of Pergamos from 159 B.C. until 138 B.C. Philadelphia was a center of the wine industry. Its chief deity was Dionysus, in Greek mythology the god of wine (the Roman Bacchus).

Volcanic activity has contributed to the fertility of the soil.  In ancient times as well as the present, Philadelphia is well suited for vineyards.  See our photo below.

Vineyards at Philadelphia. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Philadelphia and its environs were prone to earthquake.  Bible and Spade (1976, vol. 5) quotes the Greek geographer Stabo:

…the city Philadelphia [is] ever subject to earthquakes. Incessantly the walls of the houses are cracked, different parts of the city being thus affected at different times. For this reason but few people live in the city, and most of them spend their lives as farmers in the country, since they have a fertile soil. Yet one may be surprised at the few, that they are so fond of the place when their dwellings are so insecure; and one might marvel still more at those who founded the city. (Strabo 13.4.10; trans. Jones)

At the acropolis one may see a few artifacts of interest, such as this architrave fragment.

Architrave Fragment at Philadelphia. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

One may also view an ancient wall, as seen in our photo.

Ancient Wall in Philadelphia. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

A woman walked by in front of that wall.  Apparently she was gathering material for a broom.

Woman with broom materials at Philadelphia. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Every ancient city of significance had a theater.  The one at Philadelphia has not been excavated, but its slope and semi-circular form can easily be detected.

Unexcavated Theater at Philadelphia. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Sardis, a Dead Church with a Name

As we continue to make posts of the cities of the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2-3), we now come to the city of Sardis. The city of Sardis was located on the river Pactolus, at the foot of mount Tmolus. The modern name is Sart.

Sardis was formerly the capital of the ancient Lydian Kingdom and was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. It was here at Sardis that coined money was invented.

Twice in the city’s history it had fallen into the hands of its enemies because the people of Sardis failed to “watch” (once to the Persians, 546 B.C., and later to the Selucids (215 B.C.).   The church at Sardis addressed in Rev. 3 had failed to be as watchful as they should.  Jesus said, “You have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead” (Rev.3:1, NET).  They had a good name, but their true character did not match their reputation.  They needed to change that.

The city of Sardis was a center for the worship of the goddess Artemis.  The ruins of the temple were excavated by Howard C. Butler in the years 1910-1914. In our photo below you can see the ruins of the temple, and in the distance the city’s acropolis, on the edge of the Tmolus range.

The history of this temple goes back to the 5th century B.C.  Over time, additions were made to the site.  On the lower portion of the grounds you can see the ruins of the Roman altar.  See our photo below.

Sardis. Roman Altar at temple of Artemis. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Our photo below shows the site with Tmolus to our back. The brown brick building at right foreground is a church building constructed about the 5th century A.D.

Sardis. Artemis Temple and 5th century A.D. Church. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Remember to click on images for higher resolution.  More to come on Sardis!

Ephesus Curetes Street

We continue to share some photos from the biblical city of Ephesus, the focal point of Paul’s 3rd journey, and one of the seven churches of Asia addressed by the Lord through the Apostle John in the book of Revelation.

When you travel to Turkey in March as my group just did, you take some risk of rain and cold, and we had some of both the first portion of our trip.  On the other hand, usually the sites are not as crowded.  Ephesus is one of the most frequented sites in Turkey, and can be very crowded at times.  Our photo of Curetes Street gives you a good view without throngs of people.

Ephesus Curetes Street. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Curetes Street received its name for the inscriptions  naming the curetes, that is, the priests, of Artemis.  Fountains, monuments, statues and shops would have lined the street.  The street itself measured 11 meters wide.  In the distance in our photo you can see the Celsus Library.

In yesterday’s post we mentioned how Ephesus was named as the Neokoros, the temple keeper.  Ephesus was a center of the Imperial Cult, Caesar worship.  Note the inscription below.

Ephesus Neokoros Inscription. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

In the center of this Grecian inscription in the 3rd line down are the words “Neokoroi” and “Ephesion” (Left click on image for larger view).  Sometimes people think if they could have lived back when Jesus was on earth, or in the days of the apostles, it would have been easier then to be faithful to the Lord.  The reality is that those who lived in the first century and the years immediately following had some very difficult and challenging times, including the pressure to cave in to the worship of the Imperial Cult.

I mentioned previously there is so much to see at Ephesus.  More photos to come!

Domitian’s Temple in Ephesus

Today’s photo features the emperor Domitian’s temple in Ephesus.  It was considered a high honor for a city to be designated as the neokoros, the temple warden, and Domitian, Roman emperor A.D. 81-96, granted Ephesus that great “privilege.”

Domitian Temple and Square in Ephesus. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

M. Bredin writes, “The imperial cult in Ephesus became particularly prominent in Domitian’s reign.” (Jesus, Revolutionary of Peace: A Nonviolent Christology in the Book of Revelation p.122). I hope to write more in the future regarding the imperial cult and its implications for early Christians.

To show their gratitude for being designated as the Temple Warden, the Ephesians built a statue of Domitian which stood five meters tall, portions of which may be seen at the Ephesus Museum.

Domitian Statue. Ephesus Museum. Photo by Leon Mauldin

The time of writing of the book of Revelation seems to be during the latter part of the reign of Domitian.  Christians were severely persecuted during his regime.  Each of the seven churches were promised great blessings, if they would “overcome.”

Scenes from Ephesus

Ephesus was the most important city of the Roman province of Asia.  The Apostle Paul preached here longer than any other city, working here three years during the Third Missionary Journey (Acts 20:31).  The message of the gospel radiated out from this principle city: “…so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10).

The church in Ephesus was one of seven churches specified in Revelation 2-3 as recipients of letters from the Lord.  It is sobering to realize that a church that had such a promising beginning, and continued to have such good traits, had in fact left its first love (Rev. 2:4).

Ephesus today is a remarkable site; so much excavation has been done, and there is so much to see. We want to share some photos in today’s post, as well as others to follow, from last month’s visit to Ephesus.

Ephesus Odeion. Photo by Leon Mauldin

The seating of this small theater, the odeion, is 1400-1500. It was built by Publius Vedius Antoninus ca. A.D. 150.  It was used for concerts, and as a meeting place for the city council meetings.

Next we make our way to the prytaneion.

Ephesus Prytaneion_Town Hall. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

The prytaneion was the government agora, the town hall.  There was a courtyard in front of the building. There is evidence of a former temple of the Egyptian god Isis on the western side. Lance Jenott, University of Washington, says further of this site, “This Agora (usually translated as “market place” but in this case more of a “town square”) was built in the first century CE under the Flavian Emperors as the site of the Roman state cult. In the middle of the State Agora sat the temple of Divius Julius (Divine Julius Caesar) and Dea Roma (the divine personification of the Roman Empire).”

More to come!