Day 9: Judah, Shephela, Philistia Field Study

I'm back! Today, we began our 3-day trip in Israel! We met on the bus bright and early at 6:45 AM. This morning, the sky was a lot more hazy, and it was definitely cooler out. Thankfully, we were heading down south, where it would be a little warmer!

Our first stop was exploring the Judean Hill Country in the Sorek Valley. Although this location is not directly related to any Biblical passage, we were still able to learn a lot about the life of the people way back when the Israelites were first settling in Israel. We were able to walk along the ridges of the valley, and it was absolutely beautiful. Along the path were a lot of Almond trees, and some really pretty flowering trees. We were able to see some caves where people would have lived in. Overall, it was very interesting to learn about the civilization of these people and the roles males and females had in society. We saw a vineyard deeper in the valley, and a spring. The treck back up the valley was pretty rigorous, but definitely a good work out and a great way to start the morning.

After the Judean Hill Country, we headed west through the Sorek Valley. Our next stop was Beth Shemesh. We stood up on top of a tel...from here, we were able to see Zorah, which is Sampson's home town. It was neat to read the story of Sampson again. We learned that Beth Shemesh was also a border of Israelite territory, and we better understood the significance of border cities during Biblical times. I know for a fact that I will no longer read any story from the Bible the same! It was neat to see the ruins of Beth Shemesh... it is always interesting to try and figure out the structure of the buildings.

After Beth Shemesh, we made our way down the Elah Valley and stopped at Azekah. At this site, we read the story of David and Goliath. We were able to construct ideas as to where the battles were fought with the Philistines. David and Goliath has always been a popular Bible story that I remember as a child, so it was amazing to actually be there. From Azekah, we were also able to spot a very recent excavated site in 2008. This place is dated back to 1000 BC, during the time of David! Crazy.

More pita and hummice for lunch :)

Next stop at Lachish...one GIANT tel. Lachish was a well fortified city, but was taken down by the Assyrians. It was crazy to imagine all these battles and how the armies would attack. There were lots of ruins to play on, which is always fun. I think it is always crazy that we are allowed to walk all over these ruins like it is no big deal.

Finally, our last main stop of the day was Ashkelon, on the Mediterranean coast! Ashkelon was present during the time of the Patriarchs (1900-1750 BC) and was a Philitsine Pentopolis that lost its independence to Assyria...also a possible location for the birth of Herod the Great. Most importantly about this site...we swam in the Mediterranean! More like got destroyed my monstruous waves...it was amazing. It was crazy to think that I was swimming in the ocean...in January. The water wasn't too cold, but overall the day was cooler so it was a little harder to get in the water. Verity and I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the waves and "body surfing." I was definitely excited for this opportunity! The beach itself was really beautiful and clean. We were the only ones on the beach though....probably because it is the winter season in Israel. Definitely doesn't feel like winter to me!

From Ashkelon, we took an hour bus ride to Beer Sheba where we stayed for the night in a hotel. They fed us really well, and the beds were pretty comfy! We actually got to bed pretty early since we couldn't really go out at night. There you have it....Day 1 of the trip!