This photo shows the mountainous terrain southwest of Jerusalem. Our camera is pointed east and, in the left of the photo, we can see the tall buildings of Jerusalem along the central mountain range.
Judean Mountains SW of Jerusalem. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Throughout the Bible the writers speak of going UP to Jerusalem. This is because of the elevation of Jerusalem in the central mountain range, also called the water-parting route, that runs north to south in the country.
The timber for the temple was shipped from Lebanon to Joppa on rafts, then taken up to Jerusalem.
And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 2:16 ESV)
In our series of aerial photos we have moved eastward from the coastal plain, to the shephelah (lowland; 2 Chronicles 26:10), to the mountains. This understanding of the topography of the country of Israel helps in understanding many biblical accounts.
Ferrell's Travel Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.