Category Archives: Photography

A rainy Sunday in Galilee

Posted on January 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sunday was a rainy day with periods of sunshine in Galilee. Sunday morning we went to Nazareth to meet with the Church of Christ there. Even though Nazareth is only a short distance from Tiberias, it was considerably cooler there. During the service we could hear rain falling on the roof.

On the outskirts of Nazareth I stopped to make a photo of the city. The dome of the Church of the Annunciation is visible in the left of the photo. The older part of the city, from the time of Jesus, is located there. The ridge slightly visible in the far distance is the eastern end of Mount Carmel.

View of Nazareth. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

View of Nazareth. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

In the afternoon we drove north toward the border with Lebanon in hopes that the sky might clear there to give us a good view of Mount Hermon. We were not successful, but we did enjoy the drive as far as Dan and Caesarea Philippi. During the day we saw many beautiful rainbows. At one point over the fertile Hula Valley there was a complete rainbow visible at times. Here is a photo I made looking east toward the Golan Heights.

Rainbow over Hula Valley. View to Golan Heights. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Rainbow over Hula Valley. View to Golan Heights. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

On the return to Tiberias we turned east to drive past Chorazin and get a view of the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. Those who have seen this view before will be impressed with how low the water level is.

Northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

We enjoyed the day, and thankful to visit the areas where Jesus did so much of His work, even when it rained.

Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23 NET)

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Posted in Bible Places, New Testament, Photography, Travel

Almond trees in blossom

Posted on January 30, 2011 | 1 comment

Friday evening we stayed in Beersheba. Friday night and Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath) is a time when many Jewish families stay in a hotel. I think we were the only Goyim (non-Jews) in the hotel. Beersheba does not attract many tour groups for overnight stays.

We made a side trip into the Shephelah with brief stops here and there. Near the Valley of Elah, on the east side of Azekah we saw a few almond trees in full blossom.

Almond tree in bloom near Azekah. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Almond tree in bloom near Azekah. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Jacob ordered his sons to take some of the best products of the land of Canaan, including almonds, to the man in Egypt (Joseph).

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. (Genesis 43:11 NAU)

The blooms of the almond are beautiful.

Almond blossoms near Azekah. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Almond blossoms near Azekah. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The lampstand for the tabernacle was to have cups shaped like almond flowers.

On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, (Exodus 37:20 NET)

The LORD demonstrated his choice of Aaron as high priest in this way:

On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony– and the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds! (Numbers 17:8 NET)

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

Pyramids closed to tourists

Posted on January 29, 2011 | 1 comment

The only TV news source I have at my hotel in Tiberias is the British SkyNews. One of the reports on Egypt mentioned that the Great Pyramids of Giza were closed to tourists. Not surprising. Various governments, like Britain and the USA, are encouraging their citizens not to travel to Egypt. This will be a tremendous blow to many Egyptian companies.

The Pyramid of Chephren. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
The Pyramid of Chephren. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

In Beersheba we enjoyed Fox News. At Eilat we had CNN international which is much different from the CNN in the USA.

SkyNews showed a few photos of damage to cases and artifacts in the Egyptian Museum. Todd Bolen has more info on this at the Bible Places Blog.

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Posted in Culture, Egypt, Photography, Travel

Life in the wilderness of Zin

Posted on January 29, 2011 | 2 comments

Yesterday we drove north from Eilat to Beersheba (Be’er Sheva). Beersheba, the ancient home of the patriarch Abraham, is the heart of the Negev (the Southland in some English versions).

In the wilderness of Zin, where the ancient Israelites wandered (Numbers 33:36), we saw two female shepherds bringing their large flock of sheep and goats across the main highway 40. This photo shows them after they had crossed the highway on their way to their community of Bedouin. We saw the tents in the distance a little further south.

If you can not see the photo click here.

Sheep in the Wilderness of Zin. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Sheep in the Wilderness of Zin. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The wilderness of Zin included Kadesh Barnea and was the southern boundary for the tribe of Judah.

The land allotted to the tribe of Judah by its clans reached to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin in the Negev far to the south. (Joshus 15:1 NET)

We enjoyed a Big Mac at the McDonald’s at Avdat, an important town along the Nabatean spice route between Petra and Gaza.

We continued along the way north to Makhtesh Ramon Crater. This crater, about fifty miles south of Beersheba, is said to be the largest crater in the world. We went to the observation point to take a look at the crater. Several people were preparing to rappel the cliff. The most interesting one was a little girl who was not quite six years old. After watching her be instructed in how to handle the rope, we saw her begin down the cliff. We went down to a lower point to see her. By the time we got there she was almost at the bottom and was being helped by (possibly) her mother who had come down before her.

(I am having a little problem uploading photos. If the photo below does not show, click here link to see it.)

Young girl gets ready to rappel at Makhtesh Ramon Crater. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Young girl gets ready to rappel at Makhktesh Ramon Crater. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

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

Egyptian miners had a temple at Timna

Posted on January 28, 2011 | 2 comments

Timna is located about 20 miles north of Eilat in Israel. The Rothenberg Expedition discovered a cultic temple used by Egyptian miners at a time when the Egyptians were actively mining copper in the region.

One of the main deities worshiped at the site was Hathor. Having recently seen numerous images of Hathor in Egypt, I thought this was an appropriate follow up.

Cultic temple at Timna devoted to Hathor, et al. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Cultic Temple at Timna devoted to Hathor, et al. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Those who have visited Petra will notice a similarity in the color of the rocks and soil.

The sign at the site gives a brief summary of the excavation and the items discovered.

Timna Hathor Temple Sign

Sign at Cultic Temple in Timna. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The LORD promised the Israelites that they would dwell in a land that included copper and iron. It is impossible to say whether this is one of those places.

… a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. (Deuteronomy 8:9 ESV)

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

Sunset on the Suez Canal and Lake Timsah

Posted on January 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

Our photo today was made from the Asia side of the Suez Canal. The view is west toward Africa. At this point the Suez Canal cuts through Lake Timsah.

Sunset over Lake Timsah and the Suez Canal. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Sunset over Lake Timsah and the Suez Canal. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Some scholars have suggested that the crossing by the Israelites as they left Egypt may have been in the area around Lake Timsah (through, south or north of it). Other suggestions include a site in the vicinity of Lake Ballah or the Great Bitter Lake for the crossing.

Read the biblical account in Exodus 13.

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

The Step Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara

Posted on January 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yesterday afternoon our group visited Memphis and Saqqara. Saqqara is significant because it is the location of of the oldest freestanding stone building in the world. The architect of this structure was the vizier and physician Imhotep. Zoser reigned about 2600 B.C.

Hachette World Guide on Cairo, Alexandria and Environs, describes the pyramid in these terms:

The Step Pyramid is formed of six unequal sections and is not, in the strict sense, a pyramid tat all. The plan is not square, but oblong in the S-W sense, and the summit is formed by a terrace (also oblong) and not by a Pyramidion. The dimensions of the base are approximately 397 feet by 357 feet. The present height of the Pyramid is 193 feet. It would originally have been some 196 feet. The verticle slope of the steps is on an average of some 16°, the horizontal [slope is] 22°.

Many of the structures of ancient Egypt are in need of repair, and many are being repaired. I noticed scaffolding on all sides of the pyramid.

Step Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Step Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This pyramid, as well as the great pyramids of Giza, was built long before the time of the  biblical characters who visited Egypt — Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, et al.

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Posted in Bible Lands, Bible Study, Egypt, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

Traveling in the land of Goshen

Posted on January 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

We spent the entire day traveling in Egypt’s eastern delta region, known in the Bible as the land of Goshen. The photo below shows a typical scene of flat, fertile, black land with lush vegetation, cattle, some sheep, and canals.

Typical scene in the land of Goshen.

Typical scene in the land of Goshen. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins

This is the land where Joseph placed his family when they came to Egypt for food.

You will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me– you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have. I will provide you with food there because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise you would become poor– you, your household, and everyone who belongs to you.”‘ (Genesis 45:10-11 NET)

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Posted in Bible Lands, Bible Places, Bible Study, Egypt, Family, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

Measuring the river and your taxes

Posted on January 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

We have often heard the adaptation of Herodotus’ statement that Egypt is the gift of the Nile. The flooding of the Nile in ancient times was the key to the prosperity of the Nile Valley.

All along the Nile there are still examples of the Nile-o-meters that were used to measure the flooding. The higher the flood water, the more taxes that would be paid into the temple coffers.

In the photo below we see the meter on the Nile at Elephantine Island at Aswan. At a later time I will try to put together a short presentation of a few of the approximately 80 photos I made here yesterday.

Nile-o-meter on Elephantine-Island from the Nile

Nile-o-meter on Elephantine-Island from the Nile. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

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Posted in Egypt, Photography, Travel

The one with the fringe on the top

Posted on January 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

One of our stops today along the Nile River was the site of Edfu. There is a large ancient temple from the period of the Ptolemies about 200 B.C.
From the cruise boat to the temple we took the local carriages. The carriage parking lot looked like our shopping mall parking lots on the day after Thanksgiving.

Horses and carriages at Edfu. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Horses and carriages in the crowded parking lot at Edfu. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

I would like to be posting more info on some of the sites we are visiting, but time and conditions for working on the photos and using the Internet is not permitting. More soon, hopefully. Thanks for stopping by.

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Posted in Culture, Egypt, Photography, Travel