Jerusalem Approaches Field Study

A breath-taking view of Jerusalem can be found on Mt. Scopus, a modern name for the Mount of Olives. The city that rests in the cup of the Judean land is well protected by it’s geographical surroundings, and this view of the city accentuates these features. The haze distracted our journey today. As we gazed into the land far off, a thick fog in the air clouded our view of the distant Nebi Samwil north east of Jerusalem. As we moved on to another area on the Mount, we could see the chalky senonian landscape that had a small amount of green covering it.






One would assume that wind from the east would bring a dry, oven-hot blast from the nearby desert as we stood atop the mountain. Contrary to that assumption, of which I was a culprit of having, the desert blows a brisk air over the land west of it in the morning hours. During the night, it gets much colder in the desert, this being to my dissatisfaction as I tried to write my notes with frigid hands. I’m thankful, however, that I am getting a brisk wind from a desert rather than the frozen chills of the Poconos. On the other side of the mountain, the heat of the sun was warming up the tremendous graveyard on the Mount of Olives, where we went next. We were given another thorough view of the city of Jerusalem and moved on to locations thought to be the Garden of Gethsemane. I was particularly fond of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Garden sight; the golden onions with crosses on top were truly captivating.









(outside a Russian Orthodox Church building marking the Garden of Gethsemane)(Inside the Church building)




(I don't even know, it is beautiful though isn't it?)


Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was visiting the Herodium. As we walked around the towering, fortress of Herod, we were able to view the desolate, “valley of the shadow of death,” where David wrote the well- known Psalm 23. I was awestruck at the beauty within the rugged terrain of the Judean wilderness. Unfortunately, we were unable to view the Dead Sea through the dense haze, but regardless, the land was enough to thoroughly satisfy my interest in the land. It was truly amazing to see the transition between the terra rosa soil and the infertile land of the wilderness. The life of a shepherd must have been a terrible challenge. During the winter, which is the rain season, the herds of sheep and goats go to the local wadis that flow into the dead sea. There they find enough grass by the streams to suffice throughout the winter while the wheat and barley crops grow and are harvested. The sheep and goats return when the rain season ends, and the crops are no longer in danger of being consumed by hungry livestock. This system is an extraordinary example of the balance within the land. Why would God lead the Israelites away from the fertile land of Egypt into this type of land? Dependence. How awesome is that?

(I don't have time to post more pictures, add me on facebook and you can view literally hundreds of pictures I've taken)
Within the Herodium, we looked at the remains of a once magnificent palace. I stood on top of a five foot pillar and posed with a few friends. It was an all around fun time. We went into an area that was supposed to be off-limits, but it was well worth our disregard to the signs. A cave was found and we journeyed into it blindly; only a flash of a camera lit our way. On the outside of the cave were new archaeological finds: most importantly, the tomb of Herod.

Our trip was topped off with a visit to Bethlehem. The Church of the Nativity was the sight to be seen, filled with beautiful art work, even on the pillars. The sanctuary was long and, of course, had amazing acoustics. There are few churches in a land of limestone that have poor acoustics. A towering organ was featured in the front, as well as in the back overlooking the large room. One of the focuses throughout the day was the Central Ridge Route, which was more narrow through the town of Bethlehem. All in all, the land ceases to amaze me in its intricacy.