Four Months in the Promise Land: Benjamin Allotment; Nebi Samwil and Jericho

Nebi Samwil- Prophet Samuel
This is traditionally where Samuel was buried even though we know it is not. There is a mosque here where people "pray" to him as Saul saw Samuel when he went to a witch. It's really sad. In reality, the Bible says that Samuel was born and died in Ramah and this is not Ramah. Nebi Samwil is the place where Solomon asked for wisdom! This is on a hill overlooking a green plain. Bill spoke and then had Bryant pray for wisdom for the group and future which was very meaningful.

From this hill we could see Gibeah of Saul, where the Levite and his concubine stayed in Judges 19 and they were disrespected and the concubine was killed. It was as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah but God spared the Benjaminites, the tribe where Paul would later come from.

Gibeah of Saul

Then we stopped at a quick lookout place.

Then we went to the Wadi Quilt where we saw the cliffs of Mickmash and Geba, where Jonathan and his servant climbed to defeat the Philistines. In order to go to this place we had to take the long way to avoid dangerous arab cities. I am thankful for Bill and Benj who care for our safety and know where and where not to go. We were also in the Western Bank at this time.

Anyway, the cliffs were steep and it is poppy season and the red ones are so beautiful!

the cliffs in the background

normal :) Walking at random places

Jericho, next stop!
It is amazing how quickly the geography changes here! It went from green hills to Egyptian looking brown mounds that turned into an extremely curvy road down to the flat lands of Jericho to the dead sea.

Jericho is just a tiny little tel surrounded by the modern city. It is very understandable why the Israelites could walk around it quickly.

that mound is the old city Jericho

We saw the retaining wall that still stood and parts of the mud brick wall that fell out at a slant that only the Lord could be the cause of. It was really neat to see the evidence and remains!

mud brick wall

Jericho felt so hot! It was probably around 80F. Jen and I road a camel!!! It was crazy! It was bumpy and hard and getting up felt like we were gunna slide off but it was hilarious and I laughed practically the whole time! When it walks you really rock back and forth. It was a short ride for 10 sheckles. Dani took these great pictures for us.

Then we went outside of Jericho, to the second Jericho which means Jesus was going out of Herod's Jericho into the residential Jericho. It was here where Jesus healed Bartimaeus. While Bill was talking 3 Arab boys quickly appeared from no where and a couple more followed and I felt super uncomfortable. We were warned earlier that this could happen and the guys are so good to us. The boys would get closer and closer and so the men so graciously put themselves in between us and the boys. A boy started coming at the girls and Bryant pushed him out of the way and was ready to fight ha ha. They are good protectors :)

Then we saw a sycamore tree

Lastly we went to the Ascent of Adumim where we could look out over the Judean Wilderness which was beautiful as the sun was setting and there were flowers left from the rain. Bill read Isaiah 40 to us to understand the context Isaiah was writing in.

Isaiah 40:1-8 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry!" And I said,“What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.