All the Land of the Hittites

February 26, 2014

Following the death and 30-day period of mourning for Moses (Deut. 34), Yahweh spoke words of encouragement to his successor, Joshua:

After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses: “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.  Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River– all the land of the Hittites— and west to the Mediterranean Sea” (Joshua 1:1-4, CSB).

Holman’s Christian Standard Bible (Study Bible) has the following notation regarding the expression, “land of the Hittites”:

The land of the Hittites seems not to refer to the Hittite Empire of modern Turkey but the Egyptian and later Assyrian usage of this term to describe the region controlled by the Hittites in the western part of modern Syria. These lands and boundaries identify Canaan as it was known both to the Bible (Gn 10:19; Nm 13:17,21-22; 34:3-12) and to Egyptian writers of the second millennium B.C.

In numerous passages the Hittites are mentioned as one of several groups populating the land of Canaan. For example, Joshua told the Israelites, “You will know that the living God is among you and that He will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites” (Joshua 1:10; cf. Gen. 15:20; Deut. 7:1, and etc.).

The Ankara (Capitol of modern Turkey) Museum is of international renown for its collection of Hittite artifacts. The relief below shows three Hittite warriors.

Hittite Warriors. Ankara Museum. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Hittite Warriors. Ankara Museum. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

The accompanying placard entitled The Warriors  says, “Three figures with curly hair, and dressed in long tunics with wide belts. The figure at the front holds a spear, which is broken at one end, in his left hand and a leafed tree branch in the right. The figure in the middle clenches his left fist and holds up a tool at head level in his right hand. They are followed by a figure that carries a staff in the left hand. All three wear long swords at the waist.”

The Bible is not a book of fiction. When it mentions people, they were real people, living in real places, participating in real events as recorded in Scripture.

2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament, photography, Travel, Turkey | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

The Conquest: Crossing Jordan

February 17, 2014

Joshua 3 records Israel’s crossing Jordan from the eastern side, to set up camp temporarily at Gilgal, and from there to take the city of Jericho. See our map in previous post.

The timing at this point was just prior to Passover (Josh. 5:10), meaning this was the early harvest season.  When Israel was crossing the notation is made, “Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season” (Josh. 3:15, CSB). The text records divine intervention: the priests were carrying the ark, and when their feet touched the Jordan,

. . . the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. The priests carrying the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan (Josh. 3:16-17, CSB).

The study note in the Holman Christian Standard Bible states:

At spring flood, after the winter rains and during the barley harvest, the Jordan River could reach a width in excess of 100 feet and a depth of 10 feet. The priests as the leaders of the people were the first to step down into the water. Doing so was a risky activity with the river at flood stage. Carrying the ark could easily have caused them to be swept away by the current unless the promised miracle took place.

Note that the people crossed “opposite Jericho.” Our photo below is at the Jordan at Qasr el-Yahud, opposite and a little south of Jericho. It would be somewhere near here that the crossing of Joshua 3 took place. Our photo looks to the north.

Jordan River at Qasr el-Yahud. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Jordan River at Qasr el-Yahud. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

In their introduction to the book of Joshua, the HCSB Study Bible has an interesting note about the change in volume of the flow of the Jordan:

The Jordan River was at flood stage when God commanded Joshua to lead the people across. Just as when God opened the Red Sea, He provided a dry path through the Jordan when the priests, bearing the ark of the covenant, touched the edge of the river. . . Up until the 1950’s, more than 3 billion cubic feet flowed through the southern Jordan annually. with construction of a number of dams on the Jordan north of the Sea of Galilee and on rivers that feed the Jordan, that volume of water has been reduced to 300 million cubic feet a year (p.338).

Qasr el-Yahud is a site on the Jordan thought by some to be across from the Bethany referenced in John 1:28, where John the Baptist did some of his baptizing. We had the opportunity to visit here in October.

Baptism in the Jordan River. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Baptism in the Jordan River. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Click images for larger view.

1 Comment | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Joshua, New Testament, Old Testament, photography, Travel, West Bank | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

Jericho, First City of the Conquest of Canaan

February 15, 2014

The book of Joshua has one dominant theme: God was fulfilling His promise to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He would give unto their descendants the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:6-7). As Joshua begins, Israel had recently conquered the transjordan territories of Sihon and Og, which would become the possession of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh (Num. 21:21-35). Though the eastern territory was given to Israel by God, the land of Canaan proper did not include the transjordan, but rather was the land west of the Jordan River. (See discussion on this by Todd Bolen here. 

The book of Joshua is named after its prominent character, Joshua, the successor of Moses. Following Moses’ death (Deut. 34) and a 30-day period of mourning (v.8), Joshua sent out two spies across the Jordan. They were told “Go, view the land, especially Jericho” (Josh. 2:1).

Conquest of Canaan. Map by Marc Hinds.

Conquest of Canaan. Map by Marc Hinds.

One can see that from their location in Shittim (Acacia Grove, NKJV, CSB) that the first city that must be taken in the Conquest was Jericho, believed to be the world’s most ancient city. It was a fortress city and guarded entrance into Canaan from the east. Located in the Jordan Valley, it is 670 feet below sea level, and was one the first cities in Israel to be excavated. The record of Jericho’s destruction by Israel is found in Joshua 6.

From the standpoint of military strategy, Israel would first conquer the central territory (Josh. 7-8), then the southern (Josh. 10), and finally the northern territory (Josh. 11).

Jericho. Map by BibleAtlas.org.

Jericho. Map by BibleAtlas.org.

I always enjoy seeing Jericho. This past October Jericho was included on our itinerary for my group, though it was later in the day than what is ideal for photos.

Excavations at Jericho. Photo by Leon Mauldin

Excavations at Jericho. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Recommended reading: see Biblical Archaeology Review, “Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho? A New Look at the Archaeological Evidence,” by Dr. Bryant G. Wood (16:02, March/April 1990).

Click images for larger view.

 

 

 

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

House of David Inscription

February 12, 2014

The current issue of Biblical Archaeology Review has an article entitled, “Archaeology Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible,” by Lawrence Mykytiuk. The first in his list is King David, whose name was found in the Tel Dan Stela, found in Tel Dan in July, 1993. Mykytiuk writes:

According to the Bible, David ruled in the tenth century B.C.E., using the traditional chronology. Until 1993, however, the personal name David had never appeared in the archaeological record, let alone a reference to King David. That led some scholars to doubt his very existence. According to this speculation David was either a shadowy, perhaps mythical, ancestor or a literary creation of later Biblical authors and editors. In 1993, however, the now-famous Tel Dan inscription was found in an excavation led by Avraham Biran. Actually, it was the team’s surveyor, Gila Cook, who noticed the inscription on a basalt stone in secondary use in the lower part of a wall. Written in ninth-century B.C.E. Aramaic, it was part of a victory stele commissioned by a non-Israelite king mentioning his victory over “the king of Israel” and the “House of David.” [See BAR 20:02, Mar-Apr 1994] Whether or not the foreign king’s claim to victory was true, it is clear that a century after he had died, David was still remembered as the founder of a dynasty.

This past October I had the occasion to photograph this important stela, which is housed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

"House of David" Inscription. Discovered 1993. Photo by Leon Mauldin

“House of David” Inscription. Discovered 1993. Photo by Leon Mauldin

Gary Byers suggests that the stela “most likely memorializes the victory of Hazael, king of Aram, over Joram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, at Ramoth Gilead recorded in 2 Kings 8:28–29” (Bible and Spade 16:4, p. 121).

For more information on the House of David see Ferrell Jenkins’ post illustrating Isaiah 7 here.

Click image for larger view.

2 Comments | Archaeology, Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Dan, Israel, Old Testament, photography, Travel | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

God Will Send the Hornet

January 3, 2014

I have been thinking today about the hornet. There are three biblical references.

Ex. 23:28: And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you.

Deut. 7:20: Moreover the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left, who hide themselves from you, are destroyed.

Josh. 24:12: I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow.

Each of these passages refer to God’s intervention on behalf of Israel during the conquest of Canaan. There is no doubt that when hornets pursue you, that you get out of their path asap.

This afternoon I brought down a hornet’s nest that was situated perhaps 20 feet up in a tree. The nest is fascinating, and a testimony to the work of a wonderful Creator Who has well equipped His creation.

Hornet's nest. Photo by Linda Mauldin.

Hornet’s nest. Photo by Linda Mauldin.

BTW I did not climb the tree. I shot the limb in two at that point just above my thumb.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

The Five Day Bible Reading Schedule

January 1, 2014

A Bible reading schedule which we have used and highly recommend is the one arranged by Mark Roberts. It is free. It takes the reader through the Bible in one year. Mark writes:

Are you looking for a reading plan for 2014? Consider the Five Day Bible Reading Schedule. It makes it much easier to complete the Bible in one year because you only have to read five days a week, not seven. This gives you time to catch up if you fall behind. Many Christians have successfully read the Bible with this plan and you can too!
With the Five Day Schedule you can read the entire Bible in 2014 or just the New Testament reading five days a week.
Best of all, it’s FREE. You can download your copy here:
www.BibleClassMaterial.com
May the Lord bless us all to know Him better through His Word.

Samaritan Pentateuch at Mt. Gerizim. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Samaritan Pentateuch at Mt. Gerizim. 

Photo shows Husney W. Cohen, a Samaritan priest and director of the Samaritan Museum, with Samaritan scroll, along with Ferrell Jenkins (center) and Leon Mauldin (right). The Samaritans accept only the first five books of the Old Testament.

I am so thankful for the easy access to the scriptures, and to the proliferation of good translations!

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Just Weights and Measures

December 23, 2013

Our last couple of posts have illustrated some texts from Deuteronomy. Yet another text we want to consider is found in Deuteronomy 25:13-15:

13 You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. 14 You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. 15 A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

The Israel Museum has a set of scales on display that would be illustrative of this text.

Set of ancient scales. Israel Museum. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Set of ancient scales. Israel Museum. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

There are also some examples of standard weights.

Standard weights in biblical times. Israel Museum. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Standard weights in biblical times. Israel Museum. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

At left is the beqa, at center is the pym (pim), and at right is the nezif. Of special interest to Old Testament studies is the “pim,” the Hebrew word occurring only in 1 Sam. 13:21: “and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads” (NKJV). This is speaking of the days of King Saul when the Philistines had a monopoly on the blacksmith industry. Others translations render, “They charged two-thirds of a shekel to sharpen plowshares and cutting instruments, and a third of a shekel to sharpen picks and axes, and to set ox goads” (NET).

The NET BIBLE has this textual note:

This word, which appears only here in the OT, probably refers to a stone weight. Stones marked pim have been found in excavations of Palestinian sites. The average weight of such stones is 0.268 ounces, which is equivalent to about two-thirds of a shekel. This probably refers to the price charged by the Philistines for the services listed. See P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 238; DNWSI 2:910; and G. I. Davies, Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions, 259.

As illustrated above, the pim, the standard would be on one side of the scales. The customer would put an equal weight of silver on the other side (this was before coinage).

Consider some related passages (NKJV).

Leviticus 19:36 You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Proverbs 11:1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.

Proverbs 16:11 Honest weights and scales are the LORD’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.

Proverbs 20:10 Diverse weights and diverse measures, They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.

Proverbs 20:23 Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD, And dishonest scales are not good.

Ezekiel 45:10 You shall have honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath.

Micah 6:11 Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights?

We made a previous posts regarding scales to illustrate Daniel 5 here.

Click on images for larger view.

 

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Gleanings for the Poor

December 20, 2013

Mosaic legislation provided for meeting the needs of the poor among Israel:

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this (Deuteronomy 24:19-22, ESV).

One instance of the application of these provisions of gleaning after the harvest being left for the poor is found in the book of Ruth (see esp. ch. 2). This text also forms the backdrop for the rhetorical question of Obadiah 1:5 (context: complete destruction of Edom; no “gleaning” to be left.”

I’m also interest in the inclusion of the olive tree in the Deuteronomy text. Olives were a staple in biblical times. Olive trees are plentiful in Israel today, requiring little water, and can be grown on almost any terrain (including land too steep for farming). Again, the Deuteronomy legislation required that the owners left whatever remained after harvest for the poor of the land.

On a recent trip to Israel we spent one day visiting sites in the West Bank (PA), including Shechem. While there we saw some folks (a family?) gathering olives. The work is largely done by hand.

Gathering Olives at Shechem. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Gathering Olives at Shechem. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Behind these folks, but out of sight, is Mt. Gerizim.

Here is a close-up. It looks like they have a tarp of some kind to catch the olives.

Gathering Olives at Shechem, close-up. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Gathering Olives at Shechem, close-up. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

I think they were looking to see who that was taking their photo, you think?

Click on images for larger view.

1 Comment | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament, photography, Uncategorized, West Bank | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

Build a Parapet on Your Roof

December 7, 2013

Reading recently in Deuteronomy I came across the following text: “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it” (22:8, ESV). The NET renders, “guard rail.”

It  would be difficult to understand the meaning of that passage if we only read through 21st century eyes. The roof on my house is steep. It is much too steep for me to consider walking on it, or anybody else for that matter, except for roofers or repair men. There is no need for me to put a guard rail around my roof.

But roofs in biblical times were generally different (both Old and New Testament), being flat, and serving as a sort of “patio” or additional room. This is illustrated by the reconstructed two-story Talmudic house at Katzrin in the Golan:

Housetop at Katzrin in the Golan. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Housetop at Katzrin in the Golan. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

It is not hard to visualize how several people might be on a housetop such as this. I might note that the above photo does not have a guard rail around the housetop, but does illustrate the need for one and the practical nature of the command in the Deuteronomy text.

Understanding this can make several biblical texts come alive:

Proverbs 21:9 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.

Looking ahead to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus said, “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house” (Matt. 24:17).

Acts 10:9: “On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.” Context: Men from Cornelius of Caesarea sent down the coast to Joppa where Peter was residing, to ask him to come to Caesarea to preach the Gospel there.

Click image for larger view.

We have previously posted on Katzrin here.

4 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Biblical Interpretation, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament, photography, Travel | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

The Tabernacle at Shiloh

November 23, 2013

I had the occasion to visit Shiloh while in Israel last month. A special area of interest is the proposed site of the tabernacle.

Proposed site of Tabernacle at Shiloh. Photo by Greg Picogna.

Proposed site of Tabernacle at Shiloh. Photo by Greg Picogna.

The tabernacle stood here for about 400 years, from its installment during the Conquest (Josh. 18:1), to its destruction in the days of the Judges by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4), during the final days of Eli.

Site of Tabernacle at Shiloh. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Site of Tabernacle at Shiloh. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Todd Bolen reports that recent excavations have discovered an altar at Shiloh, and provides the link here.

We have previously posted several articles on Shiloh here and here and here.

At this point there are very few info signs on the site.

It is truly an exciting place to visit.

Click on images for larger view.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

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