Category Archives: Archaeology

The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. We left our hotel on the south end of the Dead Sea this morning and headed north to En Gedi. We arrived a few minutes before the park opened, so this provided an opportunity to go down to the En Gedi beach on the Dead Sea to make some photographs of encrustations of salt on the rocks at the edge of the water.

En Gedi is a wonderful nature preserve. The name means “spring of the young goat” or “kid”. We saw lots of Ibex and a few Rock Badgers. The real reason for wanting to go to En Gedi is that it is associated with David. The spelling in many English versions is Engedi or En-gedi

David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.  (1 Samuel 23:29)

Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” (1 Samuel 24:1)

In 1 Samuel 24 we have the record of both David and Saul being in one of the caves of the area. I suggest you read the entire chapter.

There are a series of four perennial waterfalls in an otherwise barren area.  I hiked all the way to the third and highest one. Elizabeth went as far as the first one. She mentioned that she had gone to the third waterfall with some of our friends forty years ago. Here is the photo I made today.

David's waterfall at En Gedi. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Rock badgers (coneys) are mentioned in Proverbs 30:26:

the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; (ESV)

We passed by Qumran since we had just visited there in April. Driving a car allowed me to stop in several places that would have been impossible for a tour bus. We had great views of the Jordan Valley and the Transjordan area of Roman Perea.

I wanted to visit Tel Rehov because of the discovery of the bee hives that have been discovered. Nor surprisingly, the bee hives were covered up. This excavation is under the direction of Professor Amihai Mazar. You will find information and some good photo at the Tel Rehov website.

This morning we left the shores of the Dead Sea. Tonight we are literally on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, I estimate that our room is no more than 30 to 40 feet from the west shore of the Sea.

It was hot everywhere today, but especially in the Jordan Valley. The car showed 42 degrees celsius.

This morning we left Eilat and headed north along the Arabah road (Deuteronomy 2:8) to the Dead Sea where we planned to spend the night. On our right hand, to the east, was the territory of ancient Edom. Before checking in at the hotel, we went east up to Tel Arad. Arad is located in the Negev about 20 miles east of Beersheba.

The biblical account informs us that the king of Arad fought against Israel and took some as captives.

When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. (numbers 21:1).

Israel promised the LORD that they would destroy all of the cities if He would give them victory in a second battle.

It seems that the Kenites settled in the region of Arad (Judges 1:16). Note the reference to the “wilderness of Judah” in this text.

Tel Arad consists of two mounds. The Canaanite city belongs to the Early Bronze Age II (2900-2700 B.C.). The other is from the Iron Age, ranging from the time of Solomon to the end of the Kingdom of Judah. Various suggestions are made in an effort to solve the problem of the gap in occupation from 2700 B.C. to about 1200 B.C., when the city was built as a fortress.

Several sites in Bible times had places of worship in competition with the temple at Jerusalem (Dan, Bethel, Beer Sheba, et al.) (Amos 5:5; 8:4). One fascinating thing about Arad is the temple built to dimensions similar to the temple in Jerusalem. In the courtyard there is an altar of the same dimensions as the altar of burnt offering at the tabernacle. In the holy of holies there are two small incense altars and two standing stones. The originals are in the Israel Museum.

Aharoni, the excavator of Arad (1962-1967), thinks this was a Kenite high place.

Iron Age temple at Arad. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

On the way back to our hotel on the Dead Sea I made several photos of the wilderness of Judea. This view shows the Dead Sea. Notice the wadi.

The wilderness of Judea at the south end of the Dead Sea. Photo by F. Jenkins.

We are where the Dead Sea used to be. There are several hotels in the area of the Dead Sea Works. The water here is being pumped from the north end of the Dead Sea because it is needed in the mining works.

Monday we left Jerusalem and drove to Beersheba. I was able to get some great photos of agricultural practices in the hill country of Judea. The Negev (southland in some English versions) begins at Beersheba. It is an area plagued by lack of water, always dependent on the amount of rain it receives in the winter months. (I am speaking primarily of biblical times, but even with irrigation the area is still fairly barren.). The account of Hagar and Ishmael is illustrative of the conditions in the area (Genesis 21:8-21)

We stopped at Tel Be’er Sheva. The Genesis account says,

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. (Genesis 21:33).

There is a nice observation tower on the mound that allows one to get a view of the complete excavated area. The photo also shows the terrain. The highway in the distance is the main highway from Beersheva to Eilat.

View of Excavation at Tel Beersheva

We saw so much yesterday that it would take me hours to write a summary. We stopped at Wadi Zin and the Wilderness of Zin where the Israelites wandered. See Numbers 13:21 and 20:1. Since I am not too fond of Manna, I think a few days would be enough for me! By 8 p.m. we arrived at Eilat.

Sunday we visited with some Christian friends who live north of Tel Aviv. Ken and Vickie Boyd are here for two years in connection with Ken’s job. We met with them for worship. Vickie prepared a wonderful lunch that was far superior to the hotel buffets we had been eating. The Boyd’s were students of mine in the ancient days. We wish them well in their time in Israel.

Jessica, Savanah, Vickie, Ken, Heather

In the afternoon we stopped at Aphek for a few photos. In New Testament times this was known as Antipatris. More later, perhaps. We also went to Gezer, but were to late to do a complete visit or to get good photos.

We were able to visit several sites in the Judean Hills yesterday. Many of them were in the territory of the Israelite tribe of Dan.

Zorah was the birthplace of Samson. The biblical record says,

And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.  (Judges 13:25)

Both of these towns are within an area now designated a forested park land.

When the Ark of the Covenant was returned by the Philistines on a cart pulled by milk cows, it came into the Zorek Valley near Beth Shemesh (1 Samuel 6). The ark was later taken to Kiriath-jearim before being moved to Jerusalem by David (2 Chronicles 1:4). We visited all of these sites.

We also visited the sites around the Valley of Elah where young David met Goliath the Philistine from Gath in a decisive battle (1 Samuel 17). While we were in the process of picking up five smooth stones for our grandson, Drew, a shepherd drove a flock of sheep across the brook. You can see from the photo that Elizabeth and I were separated for a while.

Elizabeth and I were temporarily separated in the brook of Elah by a flock of sheep. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Understand that the brook (nachal) of Elah has water in it only during the rainy season. We also visited Tell es-Safi, thought to be the site of Gath, one of the major Philistine cities and the home of Goliath. The excavator, Aren Maeir, has a marvelous aerial photo of the top of the tell posted at the Tell es-Safi/Gath blog. We did not have time to climb to the top, but maybe we can get back to it another day.