Yearly Archives: 2010

Flash floods in the Sinai peninsula

Posted on February 10, 2010 | 3 comments

Travel in Egypt is sometimes hindered by small amounts of rain. In flat areas such as the delta an inch of rain can flood the area and make automobile travel impossible, or at least impractical. In early March, 2005, Elizabeth and I had remained in Egypt for a few days after the tour group returned home. We planned one day to go to Goshen. That morning when we looked from the hotel window in Heliopolis we observed rain. The guide scheduled to go with us on the excursion arrived, but explained that we would not be able to go due to the 1/2 to 1 inch of rain that had fallen during the night. The annual rainfall in the Cairo area is 1 1/2 to 2 inches. In Upper Egypt years may pass with no rainfall.

Rain in Cairo - March 9, 2005. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Rain in Cairo - March 9, 2005. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Egypt is less prepared for an inch of rain than many southern USA cities are for an inch of snow.

On another excursion we went to Jebel Musa, the traditional Mount Sinai, in the Sinai Peninsula. As we traveled through the Wadi el-Tor (el-Tur or al-Tur) shortly before arriving at Feiran, I noted that there had been a flash flood in the wadi. Our guide explained that this typically happened at least once each winter. He said that the asphalt paved road could be washed out by less than an inch of rain.

Wadi el Tor in the Sinai Peninsula after a flash flood. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Wadi el Tor in the Sinai Peninsula after a flash flood. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Rocks polished by the winter flood were strewn across the wadi. These stones show the different rocks found in the Sinai. The red stones indicate iron. The green is copper. The black is basalt, indicating a volcanic area.

Rocks in the Wadi el Tour in the Sinai Peninsula. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Rocks in Wadi el Tor of the Sinai Peninsula. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Let us recall that the normally dry wilderness (midbar, desert) once flowed with water for the Israelites.

“He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. (Deuteronomy 8:15 NAU)

He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths. (Psalm 78:15 NAU)

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Posted in Bible Places, Egypt, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

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More on flash floods

Posted on February 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

Flash floods in the Negev caught the attention of several bloggers in January. We noted them here. Harriett called my attention to an article in Al-Ahram weekly online about the flash floods in Egypt the same day.

As the dawn mists began to lift on 18 January in the small village of Atef Al-Sadat in the governorate of Northern Sinai, newlyweds Himdan Khalil and his wife found their tiny home swamped with water. They left their belongings behind to flee as the water inside their mud-brick house continued to rise, reaching a metre and a half.

“We are used to these floods but the watercourses that drain the floodwater were blocked by newly built chalets and clubs which resulted in the overflow into our homes,” Khalil told Al-Ahram Weekly. “The entire village was swamped and most villagers are now homeless””

Khalil’s devastated house was one of 3,645 homes destroyed in the governorates of North Sinai, South Sinai and Aswan. The floods left 10 people dead, two missing and 40 injured, according to government estimates. Seventy-two roads were destroyed and 13,000 olive trees uprooted. Sewage treatment stations and Arish hospital were badly damaged and part of the ceiling of Hall No. 2 at Sharm El-Sheikh Airport collapsed. In the southern city of Aswan strong winds overturned 80 high- pressure electricity towers, disrupting power supplies. Initial assessments of the cost of the damage are LE400 million.

Read the full report here.

A photo from the northern Sinai town of Arish shows damages caused by the torrential rains. Remember that this wadi was dust-dry a few hours earlier.

Damages caused by torrential rains in Arish. Al-Ahram weekly online.

Damages caused by torrential rains in Arish. Al-Ahram weekly online.

Arish is located one the Wadi el-Arish, generally thought to be the River [nahar] of Egypt, the southern boundary of the land promised to Abraham.

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates…” (Genesis 15:18 ESV)

The Wadi el-Arish is a few miles south of Gaza in the northern Egyptian Sinai.

Laju Paul posted many photos of the flash flood in the Negev at Through the Land of Israel III January 18. Scroll down to that date.

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Egypt, Israel, Old Testament

Those lost books of the Old Testament

Posted on February 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. Then they brought him on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. (2 Kings 14:18-20 NAU)

A few weeks back Dr. Claude Mariottini posted a list of 33 books mentioned in the Old Testament that have not survived. I suggest you capture this list and save it for use in future studies. The link is here.

Think what we might learn about Amaziah (796-767 BC) and the fortress city of Lachish if we had access to this book. Does this mean that the Bible is not complete for its purpose? I would say, “Absolutely not.” The Bible reveals God’s plan for the salvation of man. An important part of that plan is worked out in the history of His people Israel.

We learn better how to understand the Bible through other historical records, archaeology and the study of the land of the Bible. The aerial photo of Tel Lachish gives an impression of the possibility of the city serving as a place of refuge for King Amaziah.

Aerial view of Tel Lachish. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Aerial view of Tel Lachish. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Old Testament

Prof. Donald Wiseman – 1918-2010

Posted on February 6, 2010 | 1 comment

The passing of Professor Donald Wiseman is reported by Rob Bradshaw here.

Wiseman was well known as an Old Testament scholar. The bibliography of his writings is extensive. His Illustrations from Biblical Archaeology, published in 1958, has been one of the most practical and helpful books in my library. Wiseman read the small Babylonian Chronicle for 605-594 B.C. in the British Museum in 1955. He describes the document in these words:

The events described include the Battle of Carchemish and the accession of Nebuchadnezzar II in 605 BC. The fifth paragraph related the capture of Jerusalem on March 16th, 597 BC, the appointment of Zedekiah as king and the removal of Jehoiachin and other prisoners to exile in Babylonia. (Illustrations from Biblical Archaeology 69)

Babylonian Chronicle for 605-594 B.C.

Babylonian Chronicle for 605-594 B.C. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Biblical account of these events is recorded in 2 Kings 24:10-17.

HT: Bible Places Blog.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Study, Books, Old Testament

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Fox News slideshow of recent archaeology

Posted on February 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

The slide show Digging Up History: The Latest Archaeology News at Fox News includes a several photos of discoveries of interest — including some we have mentioned in previous posts.

  • The Alley of Sphinxes at Luxor, Egypt, from the 12th century B.C. Work had just begun on this street connecting Karnak Temple with Luxor Temple when we visited in January, 2008.
  • Tombs of the Pyramid builders.
  • Ptolemaic temple of Bastet in Alexandria.
  • Restoration of the Monastery of St. Antony near Suez City, Egypt.
  • Stolen artifacts seized by police in Limassol, Cyprus. The report says the deal is estimated to be worth $15.5 million.

See the full show here.

Court of Rameses II in the Luxor Temple. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Court of Rameses II in the Luxor Temple. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

HT: Brooks C.

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Sitting in the gate

Posted on February 5, 2010 | Leave a comment

The practice of “sitting in the gate” may not be as understandable to our generation as it was to people of Bible times. During many biblical periods the gates were constructed of multiple chambers or rooms. The “Solomonic” Gate at Gezer has six chambers — three on each side of the entry. The photo below was made from inside the city of Gezer.  We see a nice bench made of individuals stones in the chamber at the bottom of the photo.

Note the seats (benches) in a gate chamber at Gezer. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The practice of sitting in the gate is mentioned in numerous biblical references. Note a few.

  • Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom (Genesis 19:1).
  • Abraham went to the gate to make arrangements to buy a burial place for Sarah (Genesis 23:10).
  • Boaz went to the gate of the city to make arrangements to marry Ruth (Ruth 4). One could easily find witnesses in the gate.
  • David sat at the city gate (2 Samuel 19:8).
  • When David was persecuted he said, “Those who sit in the gate talk about me” (Psalm 69:12). It was a good place to find the latest gossip.

What we see in these references is equivalent to what happens in many of our small towns when men of the city sit on benches around the court house or city center to talk about the weather, politics, religion, and whatever.

Ferrell Jenkins sitting in the gate at Gezer. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Ferrell Jenkins sitting in the gate at Gezer. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Wisdom is pictured as being beside the gate, at the opening of the city.

Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: (Proverbs 8:3 NAU)

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Israel, Old Testament, Photography

Speaking at Florida College lectures

Posted on February 3, 2010 | 1 comment

This is the week for the annual Bible lectures at Florida College in Temple Terrace, FL. Even though I retired from teaching in 2001, I have been invited to speak each year. Most of these have been lectures that do not require writing a manuscript for publication. That is my preference, of course.

Yesterday I spoke in Puckett Auditorium on Roads and Seas Less Traveled. For a 45 to 50 minute presentation I had to be very selective. I explained what I meant by the title. I was speaking of places (roads and seas) that tourists rarely visit. I limited myself to the land of Goshen and Malta.

Using a map, I showed the location of the land of Goshen in the eastern Nile Delta. This is where Jacob’s family settled when they went from Canaan to Egypt (Genesis 45:10), and where they grew to a nation and spent time in bondage. This area was also called the “land of Rameses.”

Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. (Genesis 47:11 ESV)

Dr. Manfred Bietek of the Austrian Institute in Cairo has excavated since the mid-1960s at Tell el-Dab’a, Ezbet Helmi, and Qantir. All of these sites are located a few miles north of modern Faqus in the eastern Delta. I have taken my tour group to visit sites in Goshen on two tours, but tourists are not allowed to visit Tell el-Dab’a. In fact we were not allowed to get off the bus to make photographs of the canal that follows the path of the ancient Pelusiac branch of the Nile. I have a friend in Egypt who knows the territory and offered to take me to visit some of these places. We went late in the afternoon. In fact, by the time we arrived at Tell el-Dab’a it was already dark.

Here is the original photo:

Tell el-Dab'a in the Eastern Nile Delta. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Tell el-Dab'a in the Eastern Nile Delta. Original Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

After a little work in Photoshop, the photo looks as if it were taken during a hazy day.

Tell el-Dab'a in the Eastern Nile Delta. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Tell el-Dab'a in the Eastern Nile Delta. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

In the original larger photo it is easy to see shards of pottery scattered in the area.

The children of Israel once lived in this flat, fertile area of Egypt. In fact, if this is indeed the land of Rameses, the Israelites departed from this region for the promised land (Exodus 12:37).

A fuller discussion about the Land of Rameses may be read here.

A scholarly article by Dr. Bryant  G. Wood about New Discoveries at Rameses is available at the Associates for Biblical Research web site here. I also recommend the article on Israel in Egypt by Gary Byers at the same site (here).

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Egypt, Photography, Travel

Ponder the path of your feet

Posted on February 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

From this narrow dirt path one can see the mountains that surround Samaria (Amos 3:9).

A path at Samaria. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

A path at Samaria. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:26-27 ESV)

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

Topping 300,000 and the BiblioBlog rankings

Posted on January 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

On Friday evening, January 22, at 11:24 p.m. (EST) I checked the counter on this blog. The total number of visitors registered since May, 2007, was 300,004. Today the count has topped 305,000.

The first post on Ferrell’s Travel Blog was May 2, 2007, in anticipation of a tour to central Turkey. The intention was to keep the families of the tour members informed about what we were doing. A total of 575 persons visited the blog that month. In December, 2009, we averaged 593 hits each day. This month the average will be near 630 per day.

One friend (SC) who has been a reader since the first month wrote about a week ago,

I just checked your WordPress for today’s message – lo and behold – you have gone over 300,000 reads! Congratulations! (I can’t remember when you started this service, but obviously we all love it – please keep it up!)

I am thankful for the loyal followers, and for everyone who drops by from time to time. Originally I had no plan to make this blog a near-daily project. I plan to continue as long as I enjoy doing it and think it is a good expenditure of my time.

My wife keeps telling me that the title, Ferrell’s Travel Blog, causes people to think that the blog is just about my travels. Had I envisioned the future back in May, 2007, I suppose I would have chosen a different name. The ratings now are too high to make a change!

Almost every day I am tempted to comment on a number of things, but I usually resist and keep the focus on the Bible Lands, biblical archaeology, and Bible-related places and events.

What is a BiblioBlog?

What is a BiblioBlog? I suppose it is a blog that in some way deals with the Bible.

The Alexa Ranking for the third week for the month of January shows Ferrell’s Travel Blog to be number 11 out of more than 358 BiblioBlogs. Normally these rankings are published monthly. Our blog has been in the top 20 several times, and as high as 5 for the month of July, 2009. We are thankful to our loyal readers who find the material we publish to be useful.

Jeremy Thompson of Free Old Testament Audio has volunteered to post these rankings on a monthly basis, but he is trying some new things and decided to make a weekly posting. The full list of BiblioBlogs is here. The list is somewhat arbitrary and it may not show the ranking of some significant blogs, but it interesting to follow.

My blog has never been intended as part of a competition, but I enjoy seeing it move up in the rankings. I see every visitor as someone who is potentially informed and/or edified by what he/she reads.

Thanks to WordPress

Thanks to the kind folks at WordPress who make possible this opportunity. I hope they are making lot’s of money (from others!).  If you have something worth saying get a blog. WordPress is a good place to begin.

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The land of Gennesaret

Posted on January 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

The Sea of Galilee is called the “lake Gennesaret” by Luke (Luke 5:1). The area on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee is called the “land at Gennesaret.” In the view below we see the land of Gennesaret and the Via Maris. The route here leads to the Beit Netofa Valley and the sites of (Khirbet) Cana, Sepphoris, Nazareth, and Yodfat (Jotapata). Yodfat was fortified by Josephus during the Jewish revolt against Rome. Josephus, commander of the Jewish rebels, surrendered to the Roman Emperor Vespasian at Yodfat.

The land of Gennesaret and the Via Maris. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The land of Gennesaret and the Via Maris. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Many of the miracles of Jesus were performed in this area.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured. (Matthew 14:34-36 NAU)

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, New Testament, Travel

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