2/26
Today we visited the ancient city of Hazor. The Old Testament tells us that Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, organized a coalition of cities to resist Joshua and the Israelites as they occupied the land. Jabin’s coalition met Joshua and was defeated in battle. Joshua then burned the city to the ground. Several centuries later, Solomon fortified the city. At the present day excavations, we saw the gate of the city and a good deal of the walls, palace, houses, temple facilities, and defenses. Notably, the excavations uncovered a scorched level of habitation, indicating that the city had once been burned. Hazor also used well/tunnel system. Ancient walled cities would dig a well within their walls down to ground level, most were built on high hills, and then tunnel horizontally to a spring. Hazor got lucky, after digging about 90 feet their tunnel flooded, so they didn’t need to go further.
From Hazor we travelled to Dan. The excavations of Dan are located within an Israeli nature preserve and it is a nice hike along one of the tributaries of the Jordan river to reach the city. The tribe of Dan took this city from its original inhabitants after the Philistines proved too tough an opponent in the south. Dan is also where Jeroboam erected one of his rival temples to Jerusalem, complete with Golden Calf. We were able to see the seat for the altar and the foundation of that temple. Of even more interest is the fact that Dan is home to the oldest standing archway in the world. It is estimated to be around 4,000 years old. We know that around that time, Abraham attacked the city after its inhabitants kidnapped Abraham’s nephew, Lot. It is very likely that Abraham used the gate we can still see today. The gate has also been designated as a UN World Heritage Site.
From Dan we travelled to Caesaria Philippi. Not to be confused with Caesaria Maritima, which we visited a few days ago. Caesaria Philippi was built at the source of the Banias river, another tributary of the Jordan. Herod Philippi, one of Herod the Great’s sons, built the city as a worship center. At the base of a large cliff he constructed a variety of temples to pagan gods. Pan received most of the attention, and had a grotto backed against a large cave. At the base of the cave was a small pond, sacrifices were thrown into the pond and the worshippers would then proceed to the source of the Banias to look for signs of blood seeping into the river, the results were interpreted as showing the god’s approval or disfavor. This is where Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The location appears to be an intentional contrast to the pagan practices and competing loyalties of the day.
Leaving Dan we travelled deep into the Golan Heights. Israel and Syria have fought multiple wars over this region, and the remains are evident in abandoned bunkers, tank entrenchments, and marked mine fields. It is very rough and hilly country, and had piles of snow in some areas. After a tasty lunch of traditional Druze food, we drove to the border and looked down into Syria. Somewhere in that general area was the ancient road to Damascus where Paul had his conversion experience.
Today was yet another amazing whirlwind of discovery as we visited a number of locations where biblical events occurred. We continued to encounter groups of Christians from around the globe, but that “warm fuzzy feeling” wasn’t as evident as in days past. We visited Dan at the same time as a South Korean group, which was fine until they held a prayer meeting on top of the temple mount. There was a great deal of whooping and howling for about twenty minutes. This didn’t leave me with feelings of affection for my Christian brothers and sisters. My response wasn’t so much theological as it was sociological. They were just being rude. As we drove home I reflected on what it means to be a united body of believers, and what degree of involvement the Spirit must play in calling us into this united relationship. People are easy to love in distant and superficial ways, but as we get to know them, things become much more difficult. I think one place I see the Spirit at work on this trip is in bringing me, and perhaps others, to a place where we can disagree and take issue with other practices of our faith, without creating an “us versus them” scenario. I’m not sure what I expected when I came here, but what is obvious is that proximity to the places where Jesus lived and taught doesn’t make the Christian life any easier to live. As much as I appreciate the fact that these locations have been preserved, the basis for my Christian life doesn’t lie in these ruins. It must exist in the work that the Spirit is doing in my own life.
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