“Go To Shiloh” (Jer. 7:12)

September 20, 2011

The professed people of God of Jeremiah’s day had a serious problem–they weren’t listening to God. They convinced themselves they could do as they pleased and claim allegiance to God, and everything would be OK; after all, they had the temple.

Jeremiah addressed this:

7 If you stop doing these things, I will allow you to continue to live in this land which I gave to your ancestors as a lasting possession. 8 But just look at you! You are putting your confidence in a false belief that will not deliver you. 9 You steal. You murder. You commit adultery. You lie when you swear on oath. You sacrifice to the god Baal. You pay allegiance to other gods whom you have not previously known. 10 Then you come and stand in my presence in this temple I have claimed as my own and say, “We are safe!” You think you are so safe that you go on doing all those hateful sins! 11 Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own is to be a hideout for robbers? You had better take note! I have seen for myself what you have done! says the LORD. 12 So, go to the place in Shiloh where I allowed myself to be worshiped in the early days. See what I did to it because of the wicked things my people Israel did. 13 You also have done all these things, says the LORD, and I have spoken to you over and over again. But you have not listened! You have refused to respond when I called you to repent! 14 So I will destroy this temple which I have claimed as my own, this temple that you are trusting to protect you. I will destroy this place that I gave to you and your ancestors, just like I destroyed Shiloh (Jer. 7:7-14, NET).

The tabernacle had previously been in Shiloh (Josh. 18; 1 Sam. 1-4, etc.), but God had allowed it to be destroyed because of Israel’s disobedience. Jeremiah warned that the same fate was awaiting the temple, for the same reason.

Location of Shiloh. Map courtesy of BibleAtlas.org

We recently had the opportunity to visit Shiloh. Some archaeological excavations were taking place at the time.

Michal Haber, IAA staff member, and Ferrell Jenkins. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Mr. Jenkins mentioned to Michal Haber of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, who was supervising the excavation  that he and I are members of the Society of Biblical Literature, Near East Archaeological Society, etc., and had an interest in what they were doing there at Shiloh. She graciously showed us around. What was being uncovered at this level was Byzantine and Islamic. The older remains (what she called “the good stuff”) were higher up.

There is a covered platform conveniently situated that is helpful in giving a good view of the ruins of Shiloh. Note the upper center in photo below.

 

Ancient Shiloh. At center is a covered platform helpful in viewing the site. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Several biblical texts flooded my mind while here. Early on during the Conquest of Canaan, the tabernacle was pitched here (Josh. 18:1ff). Then I thought of the days of the Judges, and of barren Hannah, praying here silently, when Eli the Judge and High Priest misjudged her to be drunken. She explained that she was praying that God would give her a son, and if He would do so, she would give him back to the Lord. That prayer was honored and Samuel was born (1 Sam. 1).

Then I thought of the day that the Israelites battled the Philistines and were defeated (1 Sam. 4). Word came back to Shiloh that the Philistines had killed both of Eli’s sons (wicked sons, but they were priests). That was bad news, but then when Eli was told that the Philistines had taken the ark of God, he fell off his seat, breaking his neck and dying.

It was at this point also that one of Eli’s daughters-in-law was in childbirth. When she heard that the ark of God was taken, as well as the news of her husband’s death and Eli’s death, with her dying words she said to name the boy Ichabod, which means “no glory.” Indeed, when God cannot dwell among His people because of sinfulness and stubborn rebellion, there is no glory.

These and other texts come into play at this site. In our photo below you can see Shiloh in foreground, and then surroundings in the distance.

Ruins at Shiloh. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Grinding a Fool in a Mortar?

August 30, 2011

“Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him” ( Proverbs 27:22, NKV). I suppose one could say, “It is possible to practice folly until it becomes a part of one’s nature.” But instead the wise man used a word picture.

Mortar and pestle. Antioch Museum. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Do you see the imagery. Can you imagine a fool being ground up with pestle and mortar and yet retaining his folly?

The book of Proverbs is a book about wisdom. Our heart, our choices, our habits form character which then determines whether one is wise of foolish.

This post is being sent from Jerusalem. Ferrell Jenkins & I arrived this evening for a study & photographic trip. We’ll be posting photos as time permits.

Click on image for larger view.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Shepherds in a Dry and Thirsty Land

August 11, 2011

In our last post we mentioned the obvious fact that sheep need shepherds. When you consider the terrain and climate of the wilderness of Judea, it becomes even more clear that shepherds were/are needed to lead sheep to pasturage and water.

Judean Desert. Shepherds are needed to lead sheep to grazing and water. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Over the years the sheep as well as goats carve out paths in the rugged terrain.

Trails worn by sheep & goat in Judean Desert. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Scenes such as this below are basically unchanged from the days of the patriarchs thousands of years ago.

Such scenes illustrate life in biblical times. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.

Click on images for higher resolution.

3 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Sheep, Shepherd, Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

Not a Prophet or a Prophet’s Son

August 3, 2011

In our last post we introduced the prophet Amos of Tekoa. God sent him from Judah to Israel to cry out against the idolatry there, centered in such locations as Judah. A false prophet named Amaziah tried to intimidate Amos, and told him to go back home to Judah, i.e., we don’t need your kind of preaching here! Amos’ response:

14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit. 15 Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, And the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 Now therefore, hear the word of the LORD: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ 17 “Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by survey line; You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel shall surely be led away captive From his own land.'” (Amos 7:14-17).

Our photo below was taken on the road between Tekoa and Bethlehem. You can see the sheep in the distance, which illustrate the kind of work Amos would have done in this general area before being called to the prophetic office.

Sheep near Tekoa. Amos was a sheepherder. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Note also that Amos said that he was a “tender of sycamore fruit” (NASB: “a grower of sycamore figs” and NET: “I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees”). Below is a photo of the biblical sycamore tree.

Sycamore tree, which produces figs. Amos tended trees like this. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Here is a close up of the fruit. The sycamore fig is inferior to the fig produced by the fig tree, and was eaten by the poorer people of the land.

Close-up of sycamore figs. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

*******

A pleasant surprise: our friends John and Lisa Hains of Jordan, Ontario, invited us to spend the night in their home (when our Sudbury meeting concluded) and then get us to the Toronto airport for our flight home (to “Sweet Home Alabama”). John met us when I turned in our rental car at Toronto, and en route to his home took Linda & me to see Niagara Falls, which was our first time to do so. The Falls are only about 20-25 minutes away from his house.  John took this photo.

Leon & Linda at Niagara Falls. Photo by John Hains.

 Click on images for higher resolution.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Megiddo, Another Key Site Not Taken During the Conquest

May 24, 2011

A text we have referenced in the past few posts is Joshua 17:11-12, in a context giving the borders of some of the tribes, especially Manasseh:

In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its towns and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, the third is Napheth.

But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land (NASB).

We are not at all wanting to downplay the significance of the Conquest led by Joshua, as God fulfilled His promise to give Israel possession of the land of Canaan. Our purpose in recent posts has been to highlight the significance of those sites NOT captured or retained, so that the discerning reader does not merely read over such text without realizing their import.

Note that among the cities not taken was Megiddo.

Megiddo, Strategic Site Not Taken During Conquest. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Recent posts on Megiddo have appeared on our blog here and here and here as well as here.

In an article entitled The Case of Megiddo: Understanding the Importance of Geography in Biblical Study, Colonel David Hanson wrote:

Since earliest times, people with mutual commercial or agricultural interests have searched for naturally occurring defensive locations where they could safely pursue their enterprises. Towns were constructed to protect the inhabitants from unfriendly neighbors and marauding armies. Considerations which prompted the early settlers to select town sites have not changed over the centuries and many of the most favorable locations grew to great size. Megiddo is one such place and it attests that “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” [Eccl 1:9 (NIV)…

What made Megiddo so important that it has been the focus of military activities for millennia? Yohanan Aharoni provides a framework for investigating this question. In his comprehensive historical geography of the Holy Land, he lists four reasons early settlers chose a particular piece of terrain.

They are:
•       Thoroughfares: Important towns flourished along the main lines of travel and their principal intersections.
•       Strategic locations: Hills or other geographic features which would provide protection to the settlers and could be fortified.
•       Water sources: Accessibility of, or to, a water supply.
•       Agricultural lands: Economies from earliest times have been based upon agriculture; thus, the nearness of fertile fields has been important (Bible and Spade, Vol. 4. No. 3, P. 89).

In his article Hanson goes on to show how Megiddo meets each of the above requirements.

Megiddo later came to be under the control of Israel. Solomon made it one of his fortified cities (1 Kings 9:15-19).

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary says, “Megiddo was one of the most strategic cities in Palestine. All major traffic through northern Palestine traveled past Megiddo, making it a strategic military strong-hold.”

Click on image for larger view.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Caleb Inherits Hebron

May 17, 2011

The book of Joshua details the fulfillment of the Land Promise God made to Israel (Josh. 21:43,45). The book consists of twenty-four chapters, and divides exactly in half regarding subject matter. The first twelve chapters record the conquest of Canaan, and the last twelve record the division of the land to each of the tribes of Israel.

Josh 14-15 deal with the inheritance of Judah. It is within that context that the inheritance of Caleb is discussed. Caleb and Joshua were the only two of the 603,550 men of war who were faithful to the Lord and stood their ground at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13). All of those men died in the wilderness because of their refusal to take possession of the land (Num. 14ff), except Joshua and Caleb. That was the period of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness of Sinai.

That period passed. At the point where Josh. 14 takes up is 45+ years later; now Caleb is age 85 (v.10). Israel had control of the land, but there was still much to be conquered and possessed.

Sheep in street in Hebron. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

The biblical text of Josh. 14:6-13 records Caleb’s inheritance request as well as the background and context of that request:

And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance (ESV).

Lessons:

  1. Caleb’s character. Characterized by wholehearted devotion to God (Josh. 14:8,9,14).
  2. Forty-five years earlier during the crisis at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13-14), Caleb discerned what was right and was faithful to it. He did not swerve from this principle.
  3. He was basing his request on the promise of God (v.9).
  4. Perhaps one of the greatest lessons is to notice what Caleb was asking for. There were still giants in the land (Anakim, v.12). There were still fortified cities. Caleb was not asking that land already conquered be given to him. He was asking for the opportunity to fight, to seek to defeat and drive out the Canaanite inhabitants, that the territory of Hebron would thus be his inheritance. At age 85, Caleb was not asking for an easy inheritance, but one full of danger. Yet he looked upon it as an opportunity.
  5. His source of strength in battle was the Lord. His victory was predicated upon the Lord’s being with him (v.12).

Our photo here shows a view of modern Hebron as we look out from the cave of Machpelah.

Hebron as seen from cave of Machpelah. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

The chapter concludes,

Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war (Josh. 14:14-15, ESV).

Remember to click on images for larger view.

3 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

Megiddo

April 6, 2011

Megiddo is first mentioned in Scripture in Joshua 12:21 as one of the cities captured under the leadership of Joshua and assigned to the tribe of Manasseh (17:11). Nelson’s NIBD speaks of the importance of this site:

Megiddo was situated on the main road that linked Egypt and Syria. Overlooking the Valley of Jezreel (Plain of Esdraelon), Megiddo was one of the most strategic cities in Palestine. All major traffic through northern Palestine traveled past Megiddo, making it a strategic military strong-hold.

Therefore it was a great loss when Israel subsequently did not retain this city (Judges 1:27), whose location can be seen in the map below:

Megiddo. Map courtesy of BibleAtlas.org

Megiddo was a city of great antiquity. The impressive Canaanite gate can be seen here in our photo:

Canaanite Gate at Megiddo. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

This was one of the cities later fortified by King Solomon (1 Kings 9:15) during the United Kingdom period (Iron Age). The Solomonic gate was here:

Solomonic Gate at Megiddo, a fortress city. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Crucial battles were fought here or near here.

1.During the time of the Judges, Barak’s forces (Deborah was the Judge and Prophetess) defeated the Canaanite enemy near here (Judges 4-5). From Megiddo one can easily see Mt. Tabor, mentioned in the account (4:14) ; Judges 5:19 refers to the “waters of Megiddo.”

2. In 2 Kings 9:27, Judah’s king Ahaziah died here by the hand of Jehu; the year was 841 BC.

3. Good King Josiah (also of Judah) was killed here by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt; the year was 609 BC.

4. The word Armageddon (Rev. 16:16) is rendered Har-Magedon by the NASB and means The Mount of Magedon, i.e., Mt. Megiddo.

Click on images for higher resolution.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

Boaring at Beitin

March 22, 2011

Most scholars today identify Old Testament Bethel as the Arab village of Beitin about 11 mi north of Jerusalem. Edward Robinson was the first to identify it in the 1830’s, equating the modern Arabic name of Beitin with Bethel.  This identification was also accepted by W. F. Alblright, who believed that the identification was maintained by the Biblical and patristic (church fathers) evidence. We were fortunate to see Beitin last week during our tour of Israel.

Beitin, proposed site for biblical Bethel. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Beitin is on the hill in the distance. In the Bible, Bethel received its name as a result of God appearing to Jacob there (formerly Luz), and giving him the Abrahamic promises–(1) to make of him a great nation (2) to give his descendants the land of Canaan (3) through his Seed would all families of the earth be blessed. Jacob named the site Bethel, which means “house of God” (Gen. 28:11-19).

The identity of this site as Bethel is questioned by others (David Livingston, of ABR, Associates for Biblical Research). One of the exciting things about archaeology is that relevant discoveries continue to be made.

Hopefully more info will be forthcoming; perhaps excavations will uncover an inscription, a boundary stone, or some other evidence that will be helpful in making a more certain identification. It the meantime we saw the site that has been identified as biblical Bethel. More excavations are needed!

Here is another shot from a different location.

Beitin. Possible site for biblical Bethel. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

While at the above location some of our tour members noticed some movement in the distance on the side of the hill. It turned out to be wild boars. There were in fact several of them. Keith Welch zoomed in and made this shot:

Wild Boars at Bethel. Photo by Keith Welch.

Of course swine were listed among unclean animals during the Old Testament period, animals which could not be eaten (Lev. 11:7).

There was an article in the 6/12/09 IsraelNationalNews.com on the problem of wild hogs in Israel. The article, “PA Blames Israel for Wild Boars,” is authored by Maayana Miskin.

Palestinian Authority media outlets continue to blame Israel for problems caused by wild boars in Samaria, despite Israeli efforts to cull the animals. On Thursday, PA farmers near Ariel complained that “Israeli settlers” had engineered a wild boar attack that destroyed agricultural produce.

The farmers’ claims were repeated by the head of the regional PA farmers’ union, who accused Israelis living in Ariel and nearby towns of planning the attacks. The union head did not explain how Israelis allegedly trained the pigs to destroy only Arab crops.

Arab residents of Samaria have made several similar claims over the past three years. The claims have been backed up by PA armed forces, whose officers have been quoted as confirming to PA media that Israel is behind wild boar attacks.

Media outlets have also lent credence to the claims, with the PA-based Ma’an news agency stating, “The wild boars are being released by Israeli settlers in order to destroy the plants and crops of Palestinians.”

The claims of malicious Israeli control of the wild animals have continued this year despite Israel’s efforts to cull the wild boar population in areas under its control. The Nature and Parks Authority has worked to control the boars since May of this year, due to damage caused by boars in the Haifa district.

Israel is unable to cull the boar population in Arab villages in Samaria, as those areas are entirely under PA control.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131834

More to come. Click on photos for higher resolution.

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

From Dan to Beersheba

March 17, 2011

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.

5 Comments | Archaeology, Bible History and Geography, Bible Places, Israel, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin

The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu

February 25, 2011

The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu is one of the proposed sites of the house High Priest Caiaphas, High Priest who presided at Jesus’ “trial” (Matt. 26:57-68). The word “Gallicantu” means cock crowing, and is a reference to Peter’s denial as he sat outside in the courtyard of the High Priest (Matt. 26:69-75). It was on this occasion that Peter denied the Lord three times, “And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Then he went out and wept bitterly.”

Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. Jerusalem. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Note the steps leading up to the church.

Steps leading to Gallicantu. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

The value of this view is that of helping us visualized Jesus being led to the house of the High Priest, for that unforgettable night when, “He was led away after an unjust trial– but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded” (Isa. 53:8, NET).

There is imagery on the site to remind the visitor of Peter’s denial.

Peter denies the Lord. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

This is a representation of Peter, denying his discipleship of Jesus to a maid. Behind, as soldier stands. What a warning–how easy it is to let down one’s guard and do the unthinkable. Later Peter would warn others about our Adversary, the Devil (1 Pet. 5:8).

View from Gallicantu toward temple area. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Sign commemorating Peter's Denial. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

On another note, tonight we begin a 3-day series on the History and Geography of the Bible in Lafayette, IN. The first lesson in the series is tonight (Fri) on campus at Purdue University, and continues Sat. and Sun. at the Lafayette church building. I’m looking forward to working with my friend Alan Yeater. Check out their website at http://www.lafayettecoc.org/cms/

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Posted by Leon Mauldin

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