We enjoyed the fireworks in Temple Terrace, Florida, with our grand son Saturday evening.
Firewords in Temple Terrace, Florida, July 3, 2010.
The camera was hand held, but the results were interesting.
Firewords in Temple Terrace, Florida, July 3, 2010.
As the floodlights were dimmed I said to my 5½ year old grandson, “It looks like they are ready to begin. Are you ready.” He said, “I am soooo ready!”
Putting up the flag for July 4, 2010.
Last evening at sundown the Jews began to celebrate their modern interpretation of Pentecost (Shavu’ot). Christians know this from the Old Testament scriptures as the feast of weeks (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9).
The church had it beginning with the preaching of the gospel in its fullness on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2).
When we noticed that the sky was clear with a few nice clouds, we decided to go to Nebi Samwil (Prophet Samuel), a site suggested as the location of Mizpah by some scholars. Others suggest Tell en-Nasbeh, a mound located at Al Bira in the West Bank. I will have to postpone commenting further due to the fact that my flight will soon be called.
Samuel, the last judge of Israel, called all of the people of Israel to Mizpah and judged them (1 Samuel 7:5-6). Samuel also anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel at Mizpah (1 Samuel 10:1). Mizpah became the headquarters of Gedaliah as governor of Judah after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:23).
Back to Pentecost. Pentecost is celebrated in much the same way as a sabbath. I said all of that to say, there was very little traffic this morning as we made our way to Nebi Samwil. This distant photo shows how clear the view was on the southern side of the ridge where Nebi Samwil sits. The view on the north side of the territory of Benjamin was not quite as clear, but it was still nice.
Nebi Samwil on the Ridge. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins
The lady in the photo below is my lovely wife of more than 55 years. She has been with me on numerous tours to Israel, but she has made two trips when it was just the two of us. I must say that she is not that much into tells. A day or two ago I took her to Tell Jerusalem Mall, and that made up for a lot. 🙂 We have had a great time these past 9 days since our group returned home.
Elizabeth at Nebi Samwil. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Thanks for sharing this trip with us. Please continue to read the travel blog on a regular basis. If there is some particular photo you would like to see let me know by leaving a comment.
Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Family, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament, Travel
Tuesday we took our 5-year-old grandson to the Manatee Viewing Center on Tampa Bay (Gulf of Mexico). Our local electric power company (TECO) has provided excellent walkways that allow visitors to see the Manatees who come during the winter months to enjoy the warm water discharged from the power plant.
Manatees at the TECO Manatee Viewing Center. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Our grandson enjoyed the visit, especially when he saw a large number of the Manatees moving about in the water. Well, he enjoyed turning $1.53 into three smashed pennies, too. In the learning center there are several exhibits of interest both to children and adults.
How Big Are Manatees? Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
How Big Are Manatees? The poster says that adult manatees average 880-1220 pounds and are 8-9 feet long. The last statement under the question is this:
“The closest animal relative to the manatee is the elephant and the hydrax (a small gopher-size mammal.”
You may have wondered how I could relate this visit to traveling in the Bible lands. Well, here it is.
The hydrax is identified with the shaphan of the Hebrew Bible. English translations use some of the following terms:
Fauna and Flora of the Bible identifies this animal as the Syrian Coney (Procavia syriacus).
The rock badger lives among rocks from the Dead Sea valley to Mt. Hermon.
One of the best places to see the rock badgers is at En Gedi on the west shore of the Dead Sea.
Rock Badger at EnGedi. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
The Rock Badger is mentioned in the book of Proverbs among things that are small, but exceedingly wise. There is a great lesson here. Even though they are not mighty, they build their homes in secure places. This is similar to the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:24-25. Notice the reading of Proverbs 30:26 in a few of the English translations:
The shephanim are not mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the rocks; (NAU)
rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; (NET)
the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; (ESV)
hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; (CSB)
In 2001 I retired from teaching in the Biblical Studies Department at Florida College, but I continued to work with a church on a part-time basis. I had intended to gradually cut back on that work in order to complete some writing that I have been working on over the years. Due to various circumstances, which any preacher understands, I thought it best to continue working with the church. Well, finally, I have decided to make the big move from being partially supported to living off the savings we have been been able to put away over the years. Anyone familiar with independent churches of Christ understands that there is no retirement plan. Perhaps we have begun to build smaller barns (cf. Luke 12:18). Retiring means giving up financial support, not giving up working for the Lord.
It is my plan to continue to lead tours of the Bible Lands, and possibly a few other places, as we have done for the past 42 years. I will continue to conduct a limited number of special lecture series. I am hopeful of being able to maintain the web sites [biblicalstudies.info and BibleWorld.com], and this blog as a by-product of the study and writing that I do. It is difficult to give up things one enjoys doing, but priorities must be set. I try to respond to short questions about specific Bible topics, but I may find it necessary to cut back on that.
The Iron Age Water System at Beersheba. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Posted in Bible Study, Family, New Testament
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 107:1 ESV)
Shepherd with sheep in the Land of Ararat. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Posted in Culture, Family, Old Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey
I regretted that my Father never was able to visit the Bible lands with me, but Mother made two trips. The first in 1980, a year after my father died, and the second in 1993. I enjoyed having her as part of the group. She could walk faster and longer than anyone in the group, I think.
Vera Jenkins at Joppa in 1993. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
This has been one of my favorite pictures of Mother. I made it at ancient Joppa in Israel, March 13, 1993, with the Great Sea in the background.
Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Family, Photography, Travel
Vera Mann Jenkins -- 1913-2009
My mother passed from this life to be with the Lord this evening in Huntsville (AL) Hospital. The photo I am sharing with you was made in 1993 when she was 80 years of age. She was a wonderful woman, a good mother, and a faithful Christian. I am thankful for the influence she had on my life.
At a later time I will share some remembrances of her.
We recently ran three posts about the Explorations in Antiquity Center, LaGrange, GA, here, here, and here. A couple of friends in Alabama were encouraged by the posts to take 9 of their grandchildren to visit the center. Olen and Jane have visited Israel and Jordan with me twice, and I think they have been in Turkey twice. So, they know what to look for, and they understood the value of such an experience as that provided by the Explorations in Antiquity Center for their grandchildren.
You may remember Jane from her Journeys With Jane blog. She described the experience in Georgia this way:
The experience was much more than we had even hoped for! It was a long (4 ½ hour) drive over there, included an overnight stay, and long drive back, but worth all the time involved. The exhibit itself is a bargain, and extremely educational for both adults and children. We are ready to go back whenever we have the opportunity. We are thankful for the safety during our travels on this brief “journey” and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Bible or history of that era.
What was the best part?
The best part was the archaeological dig. We went to prepared areas and were instructed on archaeological techniques. Then we dug and sifted through our diggings to locate artifacts (some real and some replicas) which we would learn about later
She says they were honored to have Dr. James Fleming, the founder of the Center, explain about the artifacts they discovered on the dig, and relate them to different periods of history. Here, the kids listen intently as Dr. Fleming talks with them.
Dr. Fleming explains the archaeological artifacts to the kids at the Explorations in Antiquity Center. Photo courtesy Journeys With Jane.
You might enjoy seeing the other photos Jane has posted on her blog here.
I have no connection with, or financial interest in, the Explorations in Antiquity Center, but I am delighted to promote such a wonderful teaching center. The link to the Center website is here.
Posted in Archaeology, Bible Study, Culture, Family, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament
Ferrell's Travel Blog 
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