Dr. Gimbel

I thought maybe I should put a final chapter on this little journey journal I've been keeping.

The adventures of travel continued, though my trip back was without any major issues.

Possibly because our bus driver was Arab, or maybe for some other unknown reason, we were stopped at the airport going in. Then Niko and I both had our bags pulled aside and checked, and we were primarily asked about the plates each of us had purchased (separately). I don't know about his; I got mine at Tev gah -- the mosaic design of the five loaves and two fish. I answered the questions simply, and there was no problem.

We made it through the rest of the secure areas, and then had time to buy a little food for supper. I found some meat sticks and cheese ... and others had other things that we sort of pooled together at a table. And ... the Ben Gurion airport has free internet, so we were all able to check our email one more time.

The flight over was full ... I sat next to a young Israeli man who was going to Toronto to visit friends before going back into the US for business. I was able to sleep some on the 11 hour flight ... sort of catnaps, but i probably got 4-6 hours in total. I was on a window, so it is hard to make everyone else get up just for me to get out and I only got out once.

At Newark we went through the customs process, and had to go through the agriculture lines because we had been at the dig. There were no problems there; the young man just wanted to make sure we hadn't brought back fruit or meat or anything. They didn't ask about my boots, but I had thrown them away so they wouldn't have been an issue. Some years they have asked about whether boots have been washed or not, and even put some solution on them.

We got separated in the Newark airport. Five of the group went on to the C terminal, including Niko, who I was supposed to make certain got home. I tried to get a pass to get onto the C terminal but they wouldn't allow it; Jim Appelbaum and I went to terminal A.

I saw that there were three earlier flights to Mpls before my 12:15 (we had arrived about 4 a.m.) so I tried to get on an earlier flight, but they said I couldn't because I needed to travel with my luggage, since I was in from an international flight. It was somewhat ironic that my luggage had come on one of the earlier flights anyway, and had been sitting at the airport already when I arrived in Mpls to pick it up.

The flight was on a very small plane. I was in seat 1A ... which, unfortunately, was not first class ... there was no such thing. I was the only person there; across from me was the host cubicle.

The WNBA LA Sparks were on the same flight ... they nearly filled the small plane. So many of them are so tall, and it was especially noticeable in such a small plane.

Jill was at the airport when I arrived. Olivia was waiting at home, and I got a great welcome from her. It was good to get home.

I have been asked a few times "how was the trip?" It is hard to summarize easily. I think my set answer will be, "it was real."

It was a trip that made archaeology real -- more than just the glamorous pictures in the journals and magazines, I learned about how archaeology is done -- all of the grunt work behind the scenes, and how inglamorous the pursuit of information can be.

It was a trip that made sights and scenes of the Bible real. I loved seeing the layout of a Roman polis (city). I loved seeing the columns with their Ionic, Doric, or Corinthian designs. I loved seeing the "bowl" of the Sea of Galilee, and many of its sights where Jesus taught, lived, and healed. I loved seeing the Jordan, and the OT sites at Tel Dan, Bet' Sha'on, and Mt. Nebo. I loved seeing Jerusalem, and Nazareth, and Capernaum. I loved being in the places where Jesus lived and walked ... and how the land itself becomes three-dimensional when you are there, regardless of how many photos you've seen or how many maps (even topographical) you've studied. It made the Bible scenes and backdrop become more real.

It was also a trip that made relationships real. I was privileged to work with some of the finest people I've met in a long time ... from around the world, people who were willing to work hard, get dirty, be real, and at the end of the day, laugh and cry together. Friends made real on an excavation are a unique lot.

In some ways, it also made God real. No, not that I was doubtful before, or that I needed archaeology to prove the Biblical truth, or that I felt so especially close to God in Israel and don't back home. None of that is true. I have a rich spiritual habitus here at home, and missed that while away. Worship and devotions along the Sea of Galilee were unique and special, but I know that God is just as close in any setting of MN as He was there. But ... the whole God thing -- the Divine Drama (thanks, Harry) of God's choice of Abraham and the Hebrews, and Jesus incarnation in human flesh did take on a new meaning, a form of reality where the stark drama of God made manifest in human flesh became a reality more than a theology.

So ... if anyone asks, "how was the trip," I think I have my answer ready. It was real. If they care to know more, I can share that ... but for me, real is powerful.

I am thankful that God is real, and that His realities in life are the ones that will endure beyond time and throughout eternity.

If you have been reading this series, thanks for your investment and your interest. I hope that by me sharing my journey, you were able to catch a glimpse, albeit limited, of what it was like for me. I hope that the experience for you, even though vicarious, was just as real.

God's peace to you.

SDG

So ... at the university level, there is this thing called finals. Finals week is what happens when you put a whole bunch of finals onto a three or four day schedule. It can get hectic.

The last week of the dig was, in some ways, like finals. There were lots of things to get done, and things that could have been done but we didn't want to start and just go a short ways, and there was the cleanup and other end-of-dig-season duties.

When Thursday ended up on the hill, the excavation was ended, or at least we thought so, referring to a joke that we might not really be done until we boarded the plane.

There would be no more digging on Friday.

Those returning were in two major groups: Dr. Schuler's group had about nine people, and the group I was in had the remaining seven.

I had online chat at 4:30 a.m., and the bus for the nine was to leave at 6 a.m. That timing worked out well for me. When I went to the bus area to say farewell to my friends, a second bus showed up.

The second bus driver was asking for "Jim," so fortunately Efrat (the housing coordinator from the kibbutz) was there to straighten it out. I had made the arrangements, adn had been very explicit that it was 6 p.m. not 6 a.m. ... but in the end, it worked out fine.

For most of the rest of the morning I did class work, grading papers, and doing some monitoring of dbs.

Late in the morning I went down to the beach for my last swim in the Sea of Galilee. It was not too windy, but the winds were growing stronger (as they usually do around noon).

We ate lunch at the dining hall ... the usual stuff, though it was more leftovers because of the small crowd.

After lunch I worked on packing, had a "retirement/burial" service for my boots and gloves, and graded more papers. Then by 6 p.m., I was ready to roll

The same bus driver came, on time, and things worked out.

It is about two hours by van to the airport. It went well, though our driver was Arab and was stopped and pulled over at the airport.

We, then, had some difficulty getting through customs on the exit side -- both Nicholai and I had bought plates at Tiv gah,, and they asked each of us separately, in a special line, about the plates. I guess maybe we had gotten the weapons-grade plates.

Jim Applebaum had booked his flight to leave on Sat rather than Fri, but he got on through standby and some generous help from the person.

The flight was fairly uneventful. It was a full house ... I had a nice Israeli sitting next to me.

I slept some on the plane, and was still tired ... we arrived in Newark about 4 a.m.

It was a day of finals. Final swim. Final meal in the dining hall. Final conversations with friends. Final farewells to new friends in Israel. Final day of rooming in th house.

No final exam. Just a time of reflection on what it means to have developed, in one month, so many patterns, and then need to say good bye.

And as things came to a close, the final thought was about how God had blessed me in so many ways through the trip ... the things I saw and learned, the people I had the pleasure to work with, and the growth that I gained. God, indeed, is good.

So ... after four weeks of hard digging, the last day finally arrived. Sometimes it seemed far away, at other times, so near. I imagine that is true of any know fixed date ... as we await things with eagerness and fear.

There was no real fear of going up to work ... there was weariness, but not fear. The fear was, I think, that the last day on the hill meant the last day of 30 that brought 32 people together in a unique time and place under a very distinct task that formed the group into a unique group.

It was not hard to finish things up today. It will be hard to say good bye.

We had some digging to do first. A small team had to go and re-dig one of the holes where the tractor nearly fell down into a two meter hole when he got too close and the wall caved. It was such a blessing that the kids and I, who had worked that hole many days earlier, were not in the hole when it caved in.

This morning we began by cleaning it out.

Then Andy and I tore down one of the ramps that we had built for a wheel barrow run earlier in the month. It was, of course, packed down hard from all of the use. Then we picked up and cleared the area of rocks all around the perimeter of the church.  Then I went for a ladder, and helped set it up and hold Dr. Schuler up on the ladder while he took photos from the highest elevation. Then we sorted tools and put them away. Then we put up safety covers, and put valuable stones and corners in safe places, Then we fenced things in.for safety in the off season.

When it was all done, we had the place looking ... well, presentable, for such an old gal. For a set of ruins, it was pretty spiffy. It will all change when a few wanderers come by, and when the Winter rains fall ... but for now, we left the place clean. Dirt clean, if that paradox makes any sense. If not, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope and I'll try to send off the diagram. :)

We were done a little early.We tossed more rocks, and leisurely watched them roll down the hill. We saw another fire racer snake, and of course, some more scorpions (no problem for me since I've been duct taping the bottom of my pant legs off.

Then we headed to the bus, and it came early, just as we were heading down.

Liz had found a lamp sitting in a spot in a wall ... it was pretty cool. She and a number of the kids walked down the trail I'd walked earlier.

The afternoon was spent on a number of miscellaneous things ... getting taxi hook up for tomorrow, washing my more limited laundry in the Sea of Galilee, doing odds and ends before leaving ... I didn't swim long at all, though as always it felt good.

This evening the adults splurged and went to eat at a restaurant. The evening cereal choices and hard boiled eggs were getting old, I guess ... it tasted good to eat beef and lamb.

Afterwards, we got on board a boat that took us out onto the Sea of Galilee. It is always so windy and filled with waves from early afternoon onward ... we chopped hard going west into the wind. Then we turned, after about half way across the lake, and headed back ... and sang a few hymns and Darryl had a little reflection devotion.

When we got back to the kibbutz, we had the final closing devotion by Dr. Schuler. It was good, of course. Then I had to take care of some debts (I've been borrowing shekels from people, who now want my US dollars ... works slick).

Now it is time to head too bed. I have online chat for cohort 762 at 4:30 a.m..

I guess the reminder of the day is that ... the last day of any good thing eventually comes. It is bitter and sweet. However, when THE LAST DAY arrives, the sweet will so far outweigh the bitter that all other things will face and be gone.

By God's grace, the best things of life ... the joy of a new discovery, a new learning, new friendships, new foods, seeing the sights of the Bible, etc ... and all of the great pleasures back home, will not even be able to compare with what God has in store for us. I can't wait.

Bring on the Last Day. By then, we'll know what happened here at Hippos Sussita and why it has 8 churches for such a small city ... and what their lifestyle means ... if we need to know ... and we'll worship the Lamb, who opened the gate for us all to know that the Last Day is not the end of life, but the beginning of a whole new experience and life in Him forever.

I can't wait, so the ending here in Israel is more bearable. And ... I'm ready to get home. Maybe add bacon will sound good on lots of things (no, not cereal ... I'll probably be off that for a while).

It was a hot dry start to the day. Hmmm. Sounds like the beginning of a dry and dusty novel. Our last day of hard labor on the hill was not a dry novel, by any means.

There were no clouds, so it was hot from the beginning. I think my one pair of pants that we picked up at a secondhand store has been nice because they fit well and are rugged, but they are heavier, and I can tell the difference. They got heavy early.

I started tearing down the baulk with Darryl and the dogs. They are a good, tough, work team ... Andy, a big, strong HS kid; Jake, who works hard and has a good work ethic; Nathan, who is strong and steady, Steph, who is feminine yet strong and hard-working, Big Jim (Applebaum), and Darryl. The baulk has been slowly disappearing; it went out today.

However, after the first 45 minutes, I got reassigned to a duty detail with Itomar. He is the Israeli Dept of Antiquities Camp Director ... former Special Services in the Israeli army and security officer ... a very nice man. We had three tasks:

1) to dump all of the discarded pottery. I knew it was coming, but it was still a hard thing. Every day we have carried 4-10 3-gallon pails of pottery shards back down the hill, and painstakingly have washed, sorted, cataloged, and identified the useful pieces. Then the unusable pieces, those that are NOT helpful for identifying the age of a level, are useless, so they have been dumped back up at the top of the hill in an old cistern. Box after box, a whole, huge trailer load.

2) After that, we began rounding up the heavier hand tools that belong to the Dept. of Antiquities. Terreah's, picks, brushes, buckets, wheelbarrows ... a table ... we filled the trailer again, and hauled things down to a container storage unit across the street from the kibbutz. That was hot and heavy work.

3) Then I stayed with Itomar for breakfast detail, which meant setting everything up, watching while it is served (of course I get to eat), and picking it up and cleaning it all up again. No biggie, but I spent two hours on special detail.

Then, rather than going back into my deep hole to look for bedrock, Darryl's team had worked hard and was tired, so I jumped into their hole and helped as they tried to go deeper and figure out what is going on there. After working on it most of the day, it looks better, but still has some mysteries.

Then back down the hill, off to lunch, and rinsing clothes in the lake. Because of my class, I've been busy, so that took some time, and I had to get ready for my devotions tonight.

There wasn't much pottery, so Daniel and Tina did it, since they had not gone up the hill to work. We had more of the evening free, which was nice.

Instead of supper, there was an "end of dig" party sponsored by the Dept of Antiquities. It got off to a late start, but it ended up being a good time to socialize and relax. I had fun, and the kids did, too. It was the teams from the two other universities (Haifa and Poland) there aw well.

It ended about 11, so it was a short night. Most of the adults went to bed, but I stayed up since four of our kids were on clean up crew.

One of the sad things ... my Camelback. I bought it for here, and used it hard. I calculated that I had, at conservative estimate, 120 liters of water run through that thing. It is a rubbery tube with a large fill nozzle, and a tube running to the bottom, with a bite valve on it. It looks like an IV bag from the hospital, with a tube that goes into your mouth instead of your arm. When you bite the valve, water flows in. It worked slick. But today, it sprung a leak near the top fill hole. It leaked all over inside my bag. I learned that ducttape has limitations ... it doesn't stick to wet things.

It has a lifetime guarantee ... but then, I'm not sure if that means after it has been put through such hard use. It was sort of expensive, and I wanted to have it be in good shape for bicycling and stuff ... but I used it hard, so feel sort of guilty thinking about taking it back.

Anyway, it is a reminder of just how tiny the hole can be and the whole thing is ruined. Like a tiny sin, that ruined creatiion (right Adam and Eve)? Or in other areas of my life. Sometimes it is just one little thing that can have such huge consequences.

But ... Jesus' lifetime guarantee is good for the whole picture. No matter how hard we "use" our faith, or how weak or fragile it may seem to be, Jesus promises never to leave or forsake me. He also promises that when I'm bruised (reed) or faith is dimly burning) he will not "finish me off." He is there for me.

He is a God of second chances, and He never fails to give one more second chance. In fact, maybe that isn't even the best name for it ... infinite chances, through faith in Him.

So ended the last day of hard labor. Part of me feels like prisoner done with hard labor for some huge crime. I guess globally, I'm  not innocent, but I can't exactly pin this on my life for punishment. It was, after all, a very rewarding hard labor.

On the other hand, it is nice to be done ... and I'm feeling more ready now than ever to go home. Camalback and all ... with all of the repairs, I'm always welcome at the open arms of God and the home that He has prepared for me.

Now that things are nearing the end, it seems that time is flying by. It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last day of hard work digging at the site; on Thursday we will spend the day cleaning and putting everything away and wrapping it up for the season.

We had another hot day, though there was a little breeze today, which is nice when you are up on the surface running the wheelbarrow (but that is a very hot job in the direct sun because you aren't under the shade of the screens), but the breeze is hardly noticeable when you are in a deep hole digging.

We began the day working more on cleaning out the area that we've been doing without screens before the sun came up. We are nearly finished with that.

Then after the first two water breaks, we shifted teams and I moved back to the hole where we are trying to clear out one of the rooms behind the apse of the church, especially to see why there was a window there. As we got farther, we discovered that it wasn't a window, but a built in shelf in one of the rooms (next to the cistern and the other unusual but undiagnosed fixture).

Then I got reassigned with a small team, Daniel and Liz, to go for bedrock in a hole that Jim Rogers had been working in earlier. It is about 3.5 meters deep, and very narrow, and getting narrower, because of the very weak sidewalls. I was in the hole; I'd dig and fill buckets, pass them up to Liz part way up, and then she would pass them up the rest of the way to Daniel -- mostly so that we didn't do more damage to the walls going up and down. Many of the walls are fragile after these years and the abuse, and don't have their full structural integrity, and after Jake Mueller slid down a wall the other day, we are extra careful.

We are at a level where, as nearly as I can tell, it is pre-Roman, possibly going back near the turn of the first millennium BC. It is likely that I am digging up dirt here that is 1300-1800 years older than many of the structures we have been working with (Roman and Byzantine). That makes it fascinating to me, but the work is tedious. It is small and cramped, but I enjoy it.

As always, one of the most interesting times for me to watch is the fruit break, which usually happens around 11 a.m. Everyone is hot, sweaty, very filthy dirty, and very tired. Itumar, the Camp Director for the Department of Antiquities, brings up a couple of plastic bags filled with fruit -- plums, peaches, pears -- often under-ripe, even, but sometimes ripe and juicy. But you would think it is gold. The kids start counting down the number of water breaks until fruit break, and when it is fruit break, we all munch on a couple of pieces of fruit (with filthy hands, no less), chatter some, and enjoy each other's company.

It is amazing, though, how much the fruit brightens the day. Not just because it is a change of pace from water. Not just because of the conversations. But the fruit adds sweetness -- that little sugar in the blood stream gives energy to make it another hour.

Often when I think of Jesus saying that we are to go and bear fruit, I think naturally of the things that we do in service to Him. I think also of the ways that the Holy Spirit helps us "bear" the fruit of the spirit. But ... I'm reminded again of how Christians can be a fruit break to the world ... sweetness, refreshing, caring ... sharing a social concern and conscious moment with others, listening, laughing, celebrating life.

Tomorrow, another day ... but ... it is nearing the end. My boots will make it; many of my other clothes will not. That was part of the planning from the beginning, though.

Until tomorrow ... God bless ... SDG

Clouds. They can make all the difference in temperature. I have never appreciated clouds that much, but up on the hill, on a day when you don't have clouds, the sun beats down on you incessantly ... drying up everything, including your body and its energy.

That was part of our day. No clouds ... the hot end-of-July day was very warm.

Added to that was a new task. We were doing the fast and heavy grunt work of moving layers of old debris from an enclosed space on the other side of the "wall with a window" that we exposed and took down last week, where we found the cistern. The cistern, by the way, was essentially empty; so was the fixture (about the size of a single bed, but rough rocks along the top of it).

I began the day at the old baulk area ... cutting down the layers of old junk so that one room can be cleared out before we leave. Then I went back into the steps area near Gimbel St. and helped Glenn finish cleaning it up for final photos and to close the chapter on it.

Then we were assigned our new area. Darryl and the four bucks were going to work on cleaning out an area that goes to the north of the church complex ... into ... of course ... the tractor path ... not the first time we've dug into that hard packed soil. They worked hard on that.

Our team needed to take down the debris in our room ... about six meters long and two meters wide ... we'll need to go about two meters deep, or at least until we expose part of a window and can see what is underneath it and why it is there.

We had a good crew ... and worked hard. It was very hot and very hard work. Basically, nothing glorious about it ... pick the hard pack, terreah the loose soil into pails, lift the pails out of the hole, and dump them into the wheelbarrows, which were heading back over the cliff (which we are now farther from).

It was hot and hard work, but we persevered and made it through the day.

Honestly, there are only two more days of hard labor like this. I think I can do anything for two days. II hope I don't regret these words).

I found the bottom pottery "peg" for a pot that hooks into a camel's loop or is tied onto a camal's back. It was pretty cool. It looks like a cow's udder, so of course, those old farm jokes circulated for a while (sorry guys).

We also found some interesting glass, but nothing that dramatic. Who knows, this may simply be for more information.

My classes are going okay ... I think the students are doing well even though I'm over here.

I talked to Andy today on skype. If you don't have skype, it is pretty cool to get both an audio and visual conversation. End of commercial for skype.

Oh ... yesterday I saw two gazelle out on the hills ... very small. Very nimble, as they climbed the hills. I also saw a large black/white "pileated-headed" woodpecker ... a little larger than the red-headed, maybe ... but pretty good size. And I enjoy watching the otter and the green finches.

So ... the day began with ... no clouds. It reminds me of what a life without clouds might be like. Even though sometimes I'd like only sunshine (good times) in my life, it is probably best to have some clouds ... otherwise the sunshine might beat down and drive out humility, dependence on God, and faith and trust in Him. So ... I miss clouds ... and as I reflect I think I really do value the clouds of life that draw me closer to God over time, even though at the time they are difficult to take when you want only sunshine.

As usual, it seems unusual to work on Sundays. It is a good sensitivity and awareness and a stark reminder that we are in a different culture, though ... and is a good thing. We had our church service at 8 p.m. tonight ... which is probably when most people in the US are done with their services. We used the Psalms for liturgy.

The day started as usual about 4 a.m. As we boarded the bus, we had a full moon, which was helpful, since the walk up the big hill is very rocky and steep, and would have been difficult to do in the pre-dawn darkness. We can tell that the sunrise starts later than it did 23 days ago.

At the beginning of each week, we bring our tools and equipment out of weekend storage, in order to protect our equipment from the tourists and visitors who freely come and go to the site to see what's up there. It didn't take as long to get things set up as it did the first week, of course, we had a lot more to set up there.

I started back this morning on the same baulk that I had worked on Thursday when the scorpion got up my pant leg. I used duct tape to tape off the bottom of each of my pant legs, so I had no problem and there wasn't much chance of one of those critters getting up there. I'm always learning. :) (Speaking of learning ... Mom, I finally learned firsthand on Thursday why you always told me to make sure I leave the house with clean underwear on in case you have to go to the doctor. I'm following your advice faithfully. :)

We made a lot of progress tearing down that baulk ... it is basically rubble and dirt, and a very dirty job. There isn't much that we are finding or saving from there.

Then after an hour there, I worked for a little while with my team on wheeling the wheelbarrow, and then we moved to the hole we worked in most of the day.

We are still in the section behind (to the east of) the Northeast Church, behind the apse and the small room next to the apse and the back wall. There are some unusual doorways and blockages, so we aren't sure what is going on there, but it looks like it may be part of a much larger complex ... probably supportive of the monastic group that was there.

We were basically taking down the dirt to level off to door jam and floor level, and found some interesting rock formations. What was really fascinating was a stone paved floor in a small section ... and as we continue tomorrow, we'll have a better idea of how far it goes. Dr. Schuler kiddingly nicknamed it Gimbel St. today ... I've always wanted a town named after me, but in this case, a street will do. :) jk

We cleaned up everything for photos and left more for tomorrow.

I felt better and stronger today, so things are going well. It was hot ... the food is the same, and the dust is incessant.

I wanted to mention the dirt.

I've discovered that it is helpful to note and pay attention to the kind of dirt you are working through.

1) There is hard packed dirt, which has rock mixed in, and needs to be picked. Shards and other debris are in it. It is usually grey.
2) There is gravel ... sort of like very coarse sand with some larger stone worked in ... usually limestone.
3) There is dark brown dirt ... it looks rich, as if it might be a healthy place to grow something.
4) There is yellow dirt ... not a heavy clay base, but it has some clay in it and looks like it has organic material in it.
5) There is packed dirt ... different colors, but it is used for floors
6) There is the "moon dust" that is everywhere. It puffs when you walk, and is very messy to work in.

Earlier today I thought I might have noticed the small round shape of a coin, but it was lost in the dust. I had only imagined it; it was a round rock chip. But it took forever to dig and see. I was reminded of Jesus' parable in Luke 15 about the woman who lost one of her ten coins. It would be a hard job to search for and find the coin. What a reason to rejoice.

I'm glad I'm like that lost coin to God ... that amidst the dust and dirt of life, though my own life may have caused me to roll and tumble into the dust pile, God searches me out and has found me, claiming me for life in Him. That's a great thought for me tonight ...

Even though our clothes may not get clean, being claimed by God means that He accepts me as I am through faith in Jesus.

I'm also working with classes, so best get back to checking on my posting and responding.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.

This was our last day "off" and our last tour day. It was a smaller group; optional, since some of the folks have been really weary from non-stop activity. I might have stayed here, too, but don't want to miss anything.

We boarded the bus and headed south to the southern end of the Sea of Galilee, then West, crossing the Jordan River, and heading toward Nazareth, and the Mediterranean coast.

We came in on that route, but it is still fascinating ... seeing the scenery, and how it changes. The more lush vegetation of the Jordan Vally, the semi-arid northern hill country, like that around Nazareth, and then as we get closer to Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean, much more lush and green areas ... native plants, and more growing things. Nearly everything becomes farmland as it gets closer to the coast.

I always marvel at seeing Megiddo, the unique city that controlled the East/West pass, with its view of the plains down below. Generally, in the Ancient Near East, whoever controlled Megiddo controlled the area. It is fascinating. They are digging up on the tel there.

Then we arrived near the Mediterranean, dropping off four of our group to play some golf while the rest went to the archaeological park. We stopped first at the beach, where there is a very grand view of the double rows of aquaducts ... one narrower, the other still covered and nearly two meters in diameter. That would move significant amounts of fresh water to Caesarea and the region.

Caesarea Maritime was built by Herod the Great as his palace by the sea. It is gorgeous, with a grand theater, court, administrative offices, and palace.

I stood near, or maybe even on, the spot where Paul might have been sent on to go to Rome. Fascinating. I stood in the hippodrome, imagining the chariot races, gladiators, and with some sadness, the martyrs who Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea records were in great numbers.

There was also a very ancient synagogue, which has been neglected (sadly, and a sad comment on the importance and value of it). It has a nice mosaic floor, but it is hard to see the shape and outline of the structures and fixtures beyond that. It is overgrown in just two years.

Part of what is fascinating is that it was one of the greatest and most exquisite and lavish of the cities of one of the greatest builders of all time, Herod the Great. And then, after a series of events in the Byzentine era and later the Crusades, it essentially disappeared and wasn't rediscovered until the early 1990's by the local children of the farmers.

It is an important reminder of how things that seem so grand and impressive and powerful will all pass away ... sooner or later. Our greatest monuments are only temporary.

Only God and His love and forgiveness are eternal.

We ate at a famous restaurant, Younni's, where Pres. GW Bush ate (a standard line of the server). It was good ...

And then we headed back, another weekend of rest over and time to catch up and get ready for our last big push this week.

Since the "terrror" attack (probably not, even ruled out as a terrorist action but rather someone acting alone, according to Israeli police) had canceled our trip to Jerusalem two weekends ago, Dr. Schuler worked hard to put together something that would allow whoever wanted to go the opportunity to do a very quick and basic tour of Jerusalem. That trip was a one-day trip today.

We had all been looking forward to it.

I had my online chat for Cohort 762 at 4:30 a.m., so didn't sleep in (left the alarm set and got up at my usual 4 a.m. time). The chat went well. I also did a few more catch up emails, but my knee felt well enough to go, so I ate a little of the breakfast stuff I'd gotten at the store and off we went on the bus.

It is about a 2:15 bus ride from the kibbutz to Jerusalem. On the way, we traveled south along the Jordan Valley ... the lush green growing area to the east of the highway along the Jordan River and the absolutely barrren arid desert to the est of the highway. We saw modern Jericho from a few miles away, and the Dead Sea from about three miles away as well.

The Dead Sea is about 1300 feet below Sea Level. It is also, like the Sea of Galilee, being used and drained of its water, so it is very low. You can see the difference in vegetation around it, though, from the water. The area between Jericho, which has some wonderful springs so is a kind of oasis, and the Dead Sea, which are both green, and the 18 km to Jerusalem is through some of the most barren Judaean wilderness ever. It is dry, uninhabitable (except for the amazing Bedouins). We passed Bethany, but while I had pictured it as more suburban Jerusalem even in Jesus' day, it is rough hilly rocky country between there and Jerusalem, so would have been a tough walk. No wonder that they washed weary feet at the Last Supper.

We arrived and entered at the Jaffa Gate.  From there we took Dan and Harry along the crowded narrow streets aligned with shops til they got to the Lutheran Hostel, where they are staying. Then we went to the Kidron Valley, which was outside the old city walls, which had some water in the rainy season, was a dividing valley good for protection, and also contained Gehenna, the smoldering garbage area in Jesus' day which he alluded to when referring to the real fires and smoldering burning of hell.

From the bottom of the Kidron Valley we went up the very steep incline to the top of the Mount of Olives. The teaching prayer steps were not open, but that would have been fun to do. The overview of the old city from that vantage point was impressive. So was the fact that we were at one of Jesus' favorite places. After a few minutes there (the sun was very hot and merciless), we began the descent. First top was a chapel where Jesus was commemorated for "weeping" over Jerusalem over its rejection of him as Savior. Some of us weren't allowed in because the strict door guard required full jeans, not half-calf shorts.

Then we went to the "traditional" commemoration site of the Garden of Gethsemane. There is an impressive shrine/ chapel there (as there are at all of the sites). We stayed for a bit, admiring the garden and the artwork/architecture, and the sacred rock where Jesus had knelt to pray and even shed blood, but knowing that it was more likely that there real site where Jesus had actually prayed his High Priestly Prayer of John 17 is at a different part of the Garden.

We hiked from there to part of the old city. Dr. Schuler gave us a choice: the wailing wall or the Davidson Excavation Park. The group was nearly equally divided, so we split up. I, of course, went to the Excavation Park. Wow, was that impressive, seeing the old city walls and related structures, including the arches, and the foundations for the old temple platform. IT was great ... and it had a museum with A/C and nice toilets. :)

Then we continued through parts of the old city (narrow, busy streets) and headed for lunch, which we fended for ourselves. I had a Schwarma, roasted lamb and cucumbers/tomatoes in a pita. It was good to find a place to sit after standing in line at the vendor's.

Then we went to see the outside of Redeemer Lutheran Church, stopping to see the Praetorium of Pilate, and the traditional Via Delorosa, along with the remains of Hezekiah's wall (8th Century BCE), and just a block away, Roman remains (2 Century CE/AD). It is truly a city with lots of history and such variation ... built on the hills and destroyed/rebuilt so many times, it is really a maze.

One of my favorite parts was to go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is one of the more reliable commemoration cites ... where Jesus was crucified (the carved out  limestone mines that resembled a skull) and the site where Constantine's mother found the "original cross," and the tomb where Jesus was buried and the spot from which the angel spoke the announcement of His resurrection -- all with parts of this huge maze of orthodox churches built over it. People were trying to touch the rock, see a piece of the cross, and get as close as possible to the relics.

I really enjoyed the experience in that huge maze. It is an amazing place ... commemorating what, to me, is the pivotal point of the Christian Faith -- the sites of Jesus death and Resurrection.

After that, we went through a suq, a shopping area, and many people bartered for their souvenirs. I had a can of pop ... I was pooped, and thirsty, and my knee and back were bothering a bit.

The bus ride back to the kibbutz was uneventful. We did comment on how we now are starting to call the kibbutz "home." It is the Sabbath, so it is usually the best meal of the week served at the dining hall. They had beef roast.

Then was devotions, and the usual group meeting, chatter, and for me, online work and this blog.

Jerusalem. There is so much history that God has chosen to unfold there. I am thankful to have seen it ... it comes alive in a real, third-dimensional experience.

Yet, I await the New Jerusalem even more, looking forward to the CIty God has planned for all of His chosen children, who believe in Jesus as Savior and live with Him as Lord.

SDG

I got up Thursday feeling much better, and felt ready and eager to go down into the cistern and also explore the unusual formation of rock next to it. My kidney stone had dislodged overnight, so I felt better and was ready to work.

The first hour was to work back on the baulk, removing what was left of the old walkway between two excavation squares. We had been working before sunup on it all week, since we didn't have enough tarp screens to keep us cool and finish it off in a day or so. A hard 1:15 each morning makes a difference.

So we hit it hard, lugging some huge stones and moving the other dust, dirt, and debris. right after the first water break, I felt like I had gotten stung on the back of my upper calf, so I raised my pantleg, but couldn't find anything. I went back to work, but after we quit, the pain was intensifying, so I decided to put some creme on it. As I rolled up my pantleg for the creme, I got stung again on the lower thigh, so I knew something was still in there and started shaking my pantled. I got stung one more time on the lower right part of my knee cap, and finally a 7 cm long scorpion fell out of my pantleg. He was quickly dispatched, but the damage was done.

Dr. Schuler, the team, and the locals take scorpion stings very seriously; they can be lethal to a small child. To me it felt like I had been stung three hard stings by bees. But they made me lay down, and soon my leg muscles tightened, and then gradually started convulsing a bit. ... . I lay down for about 45 minutes until they got a car to take me down the hill; the confulsing was done but the leg was numb.

They made all of the arrangements for me to get the necessary papers from the kibbutz and head directly to a hospital specializing in treatment of scorpion stings. I really didn't feel bad --- my respiration and heart rate and mental capacity was fine (I think), and I didn't have the blurry vision or numb mouth ... . When I got down to the clinic at the kibbutz, the doctor looked me over and when she asked how long it had been, I told her an hour and 15 minutes. She then asked more about the symptoms, which were fairly localized for about the middle half a meter, 25 cm below and 25 cm above the knee on my left leg. She said that since it had happened so long ago and my conditions weren't worse, , and it was a black scorpion and fairly small, she presumed that it had already used up most of its poison on another prey earlier in the morning, so I should shower and drink 2 liters of water/juice within a half hour and get the toxin out of the system; if it didn't get worse within that half hour, I would not go to the hospital.

It felt good to shower, and the conditions didn't worsen, so I stayed. Since Walter was not feeling well, I made him a strong cup of coffee and hobbled over to have a chat and coffee with him. Then I went online to notify a few people not to worry in case they heard from other blogs.

I found out the best way to treat a scorpion sting: 1) get a very sharp knife. 2) hold it over a flame to cleanse it; 3) swab it with alcohol; 4) bite a bullet and 5) just kidding. I didn't have to do any of these things.

It was a weird process, though. That portion of my leg was numb for about 5 hours. By noonish, it had begun to tingle and prickle like the feeling of pins and pricles when a limb is "waking up" after "falling asleep." Only it didn't go away. I had that sensation for another five hours, gradually decreasing. By Thursday night, it was numb and somewhat super sensitive -- like the reawakening of the muscles, etc. I described it like coming out of novacaine. It was really fascinating.

Since I'm writing this on Friday, I'll finish the rest of the story. I had kept fluids in my system throughout the day, and it get better over Thursday; when I awoke on Friday, it felt pretty good, except for being sore and stiff a bit, and sort of "disattached" -- not fully sensory yet. We went to Jerusalem and it got a little sore with the walking there, and swelled up a bit, but now it feels just fine. I think it is history. Two days of adventure.

Since I had gotten behind on some of my blogs, I tried to catch up, and got lots done on my classes, too.

In some of the ancient mosaics and other artwork, scorpions are pictured ... sometimes with snakes, other times almost as counter to snakes.

The way that little bugger got up my pantleg and stung ... not once, or twice, but three times before I could fully send him to his demise reminds me of the role of Satan, who disguised himself as a serpent in the Garden, tempting Eve and Adam to sin by eating the forbidden fruit. . Since part of the curse on the serpent/Satan is to crawl on his belly, it does make me wonder whether  the pre-fall creature was more like a scorpion. Still crafty, deadly, and  hard to get rid of.

Only Christ can conquer the head of the old evil foe, and there will be no more stings, no pain, suffering, crying, and shame for those who are in Christ Jesus. As I first lay there on the hill, not knowing the potency of the sting or the outcome (but still feeling sane, or as sane as I ever am ... and seeing the locals react the way they did, made me do a little inventory of my life ... and in my prayers, I had perfect peace from the God who assures me of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus alone. I was ready ... but God extended my life further. Not that it would have happened, but it was a good check point.

Oh, and the picture on Jake Mueller's blog ... is of me with the scorpion sting, not having a relaxing holiday up on the hill. :)