Category Archives: Travel

Attention: Logos users. Please read and help.

Posted on November 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

If you use Logos software you are probably aware of pre-publication specials, and community pricing. Please read what Todd Bolen has written here about the Travel Through Bible Lands Collection. Then, help us get enough orders for community pricing to get these books at a reasonable price. I would really like to have the volumes by Tristram.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Lands, Bible Places, Books, Travel

Sea of Galilee now more than 701 feet below sea level

Posted on November 3, 2010 | 2 comments

Arutz Sheva reports that the Sea of Galilee fell 20 centimeters last month.

Despite several periods of rain during the month, the Kinneret’s level fell 20 centimeters [7.87 inches] in October, the Hydrological Service of the Israel Water Authority said Tuesday. The lake’s level is now 213.88 [701.71 ft.] meters below sea level. According to the Service, the Kinneret lost 72 centimeters [28.35 in.] between July and September.

A lone fisherman on the Sea of Galilee at sunrise. View east. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Sea of Gailee/Kinneret played an important role in the ministry of Christ and His disciples.

When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the sea road, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles! The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the shadowland of death, light has dawned. From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matthew 4:12-17 CSB)

HT: Biblical Paths.

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

Tagged Ministry of Jesus

Cenchrea — a port used by Paul and Phoebe

Posted on October 27, 2010 | 4 comments

Cenchrea is located a few miles east of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf, an arm of the Aegean Sea. In the time of the Apostle Paul Cenchrea was considered the eastern port of Corinth. It was here that Paul had his hair cut before sailing for Syria.

Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. (Acts 18:18 NAU)

Our photo provides a view of the port and the northern breakwater.

Port of Cenchrea with view toward the northern breakwater. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Cenchrea was the home of Phoebe, who was a servant of the church there. Cenchrea would have been one of the unnamed churches “in the whole of Achaia” (2 Corinthians 1:1).

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. (Romans 16:1-2 NAU)

I think we may safely conclude that Phoebe sailed from this port to Rome with the epistle Paul write to the saints at Rome about A.D. 57.

Except for the port, little is to be seen of ancient Cenchrea. Some underwater excavations have taken place. Perhaps at a later time we will call attention to some of the discoveries.

Click on the image if you would like to have a copy of the photo suitable for use in teaching Acts, Romans, or the life and ministry of Paul.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Books, Greece, New Testament, Photography, Travel

Tagged Apostle Paul

Murex is not the only source of purple

Posted on October 26, 2010 | 2 comments

Royal purple dye was made from the secretion of the Murex snail, typically found along the eastern Mediterranean coast, especially near Tyre.

In New Testament times (the first century A.D.), several cities in Asia Minor were noted as producers of dye. Colossae and Thyatira were located inland, far away from the Sea. These, and other cities of the region, made purple from the madder root.

Madder root, a source of purple in Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The three colors shown in the yarn below come from the madder root. The darker color on the right might more closely resemble royal purple.

Yarn dyed with madder root. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Thyatira was noted as a great center for the wool trade and for its dyeing industry. Lydia, the first convert of the gospel in Europe, was a native of Thyatira (in Asia). She seems to have represented this industry in Philippi. One inscription, found at Philippi in 1872, honored from among the purple dyers a man named Antiochus who was a “native of Thyatira” (Meinardus, St. John, 93).

The purple dye used around Thyatira was evidently a vegetable dye from the madder root which grew in abundance in the region. Hemer says that the madder root “was still cultivated in the district at least until the end of the last century.” The pigment is commonly called Turkey red. In addition to the colors shown in the yarn above, I am told by the Turkish carpet sellers that the “red” in this beautiful Turkish carpet comes from the madder root.

Carpet made from yarn made from the madder root. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Carpet using yarn made from the madder root. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Now when you read about Lydia as a seller of purpose you should think of the dye made from the madder root, or from the dyed products.

A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. (Acts 16:14 CSB)

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Culture, New Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

More about Royal Purple

Posted on October 22, 2010 | Leave a comment

Reader/friend A.D. Riddle has supplied me with a nice photo of some Murex shells that he made in the Beirut National Museum.

Murex Shells in the National Museum of Beirut. Photo by A.D. Riddle.

Riddle also sent a copy of a 2004 essay by Joseph Doumet on “Purple Dye” (in Decade: A Decade of Archaeology and History in the Lebanon. Ed. C. Doumet-Serhal. Beirut: Lebanese of the National Museum). This is fascinating for those who may be interested in following up on this subject.

Some of the comments about the process of dyeing by Pliny the Elder impressed me. Pliny wrote his Natural History during the three years preceding his death in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (A.D. 79). Pliny writes about the Murex Trunculus in Book 1x.

The murex also does this in a similar manner, but it has the famous flower of purple, sought after for dyeing robes, in the middle of its throat: here is a white vein of very scanty fluid from which that precious dye, suffused with a dark rose colour, is drained, but the rest of the body produces nothing. People strive to catch this fish alive, because it discharges this juice with its life; and from the larger purples they get the juice by stripping off the shell, but they crush the smaller ones alive with the shell, as that is the only way to make them disgorge the juice. The best Asiatic purple is at Tyre.

Notice especially these expressions:

Sought after for dyeing robes.
Precious dye.
The best Asiatic purple is at Tyre.

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Posted in Bible Places, Culture, New Testament, Old Testament, Travel

Tagged Lebanon

Murex is the source of Royal Purple

Posted on October 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

From 1967 to 1975 I took a group to Lebanon each year except one. Tyre was always an important stop on the tour. Tour members were interested in understanding the prophecies of Ezekiel and the historical context associated with both the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great.

It was possible in the early days to find Murex shells like the two I have included in the photograph below. Click on the image for a larger photo suitable for use in teaching.

Murex shells collected at Tyre. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

There are different species of the Murex. A display in the British Museum mentions Purpura haemastoma, Murex trunculus, and Murex brandaris. I think the shells above are Murex trunculus. If a reader knows otherwise, please leave a comment. The Museum sign says,

The prized purple dye, for which the Phoenicians were renowned, came from a gland of the murex snail. Each snail yielded only a drop of yellow liquid which darkened to purple on exposure to light. Processing required slow simmering for almost two weeks. Up to 60,000 snails were needed for a pound of dye. Different tints were achieved by varying the amounts of extract from different species.

Patricia M. Bikai writes about the value of Royal Purple and the legend about the discovery of it.

Royal Purple had an enormous value, worth as much as 10 to 20 times its weight in gold (Born 106-11, 124-128).

According to legend, Royal Purple was discovered by Melkart (Hercules), the city-god and king of Tyre, when he and the nymph Tyros were walking along the Phoenician shore with their dog. The dog, playing with a large Murex, bit into it and it stained his mouth purple. Melkart then dyed a robe with it and gave it to Tyros. (Bikai in Martha Sharp Joukowsky, ed., The Heritage of Tyre, 68)

The citizens of the island city of Tyre remember the history of their city. On my last visit in 2002 I noticed a sign announcing the opening of the Murex cafe. I wonder if they have wifi.

Murex Cafe at Tyre, Lebanon. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Purple was the royal color in ancient times. The prophet Ezekiel mentions blue and purple as symbolic of Tyre.

Your sail was made of fine embroidered linen from Egypt, and served as your banner. Your awning was of blue and purple fabric from the coasts of Elishah. (Ezekiel 27:7 CSB)

The great harlot of Revelation 17 is clothed in purple.

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile and with the impurities of her prostitution. (Revelation 17:4 CSB)

Scroll down two or three posts to read more about Phoenicias and purple.

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

Tagged clothing, Lebanon

Replica Phoenician ship completes 20,000 mile voyage

Posted on October 18, 2010 | 1 comment

A replica of a 600 B.C. Phoenician ship has almost completed 20,000 miles and two years at sea.

The replica Phoenician ship, captained by British explorer Philip Beale, has completed the circumnavigation of Africa – a voyage made by Phoenicians in 600 BC. With up to 16 crew members on any one leg the replica vessel has welcomed sailors from all corners of the globe.

The voyage has presented Captain Beale and his international crew with many challenges including losing one of the ship’s rudders in the Red Sea, the threat of piracy off the Somali coast and gale force weather conditions around the Cape of Good Hope. At the end of the expedition the ship will have visited 14 countries – each time sparking interest in the achievements of ancient Phoenician mariners.

The successful completion of the voyage is of enormous significance to historians and archaeologists as it proves that the Phoenician vessels were capable of sailing around the African continent – something that has been the cause of much speculation over centuries.

The ship will complete its voyage at Arwad, Syria, where it was built.

Phoenician Ship under sail in the North Atlantic. Courtesy Phoenicia Ship Expedition.

For more information read the short article in the Gibraltar Chronicle here. A web site about the expedition is available at Phoenicia.

The prophet Ezekiel foretold the fall of the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. I suggest you read the entire account in Ezekiel 26-28. Notice especially these verses about the effect that the fall of Tyre had on other nations and merchants.

The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas. “Your rowers have brought you out into the high seas. The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas. Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your crew that is in your midst, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall.

At the sound of the cry of your pilots the countryside shakes, and down from their ships come all who handle the oar. The mariners and all the pilots of the sea stand on the land and shout aloud over you and cry out bitterly. They cast dust on their heads and wallow in ashes; they make themselves bald for you and put sackcloth on their waist, and they weep over you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you and lament over you: ‘Who is like Tyre, like one destroyed in the midst of the sea? (Ezekiel 27:25-32 ESV)

For a larger image of the photo suitable for use in teaching click on the photo above.

HT: PaleoJudaica.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Study, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

Tagged Lebanon, Syria

The watershed ridge — Part 2

Posted on October 14, 2010 | 1 comment

Walking to the top of Bible Hill we continue to look north with St. Andrews Church before us. Looking over to the right you may see some of the building of the old city of Jerusalem.

Bible Hill, the water parting ridge, and St. Andrews. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Next we take a look north east. The western side of the Old City wall is clearly visible. Jaffa Gate and the Citadel are can be seen near the middle of the wall. The tower of the Church of the Dormition is visible at the extreme right of the photo. The Valley of Hinnom lies between Bible Hill and the Old City.

View north east from Bible Hill. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

As we look to the west we see the flat top of Bible Hill and some of the buildings of Jerusalem on the slope of the ridge.

View to the east from Bible Hill. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

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Posted in Bible Places, Israel, Photography, Travel

The watershed ridge

Posted on October 12, 2010 | 1 comment

Those who study Bible geography learn about the extension of the Lebanon Mountains that runs south through Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee, the mountains of Samaria, and the mountains of Judea. Every mountain ridge has a right side and a left side. The ridge of the central mountain route in Israel provides the watershed to the east and the west.

St. Andrew’s (Scottish) Church sits on the watershed ridge in Jerusalem. When you travel from the west side of the old city of Jerusalem crossing the Hinnom Valley on the way south to Bethlehem and Hebron, you pass the watershed ridge and St. Andrew’s Church on your right. The Menachem Begin Heritage Center Museum and the Church sit up above the road and are lost to view as you watch the traffic.

This view, showing the east side of the watershed ridge, looks north to the Church.

The watershed ridge in Jerusalem. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

St. Andrew’s Church has an interesting history which is described briefly.

St Andrew’s Church, Jerusalem, was built as a memorial to the Scottish soldiers who were killed fighting the Turkish Army during World War I, bringing to an end Ottoman rule over Palestine. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. (Wikipedia)

A cornerstone on the Church indicates that the stone was laid on May 7, 1927, by Field Marshal the Viscount Allenby in commemoration of the liberation of Jerusalem on December 9, 1917. We have a photo of the liberation here. Another plaque in the Church indicates that King Robert Bruce wished for his heart to be buried here.

Before his death Bruce required Sir James Douglas to carry his heart to Jerusalem, in redemption of his unfulfilled vow to visit the Holy City. Accordingly Sir James set out, bearing with him the embalmed heart. On his way he fell fighting the Moors in Spain. The heart was recovered and found its resting-place at Melrose, while the body rests at Dunfermline, Scotland. (Vilnay, Israel Guide 1978, 87)

The barren hill on which the Church is built is called Bible Hill.

Sign marking Bible Hill, the watershed ridge in Jerusalem. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This hill marks a portion of the boundary of the biblical tribe of Judah. Notice the reference to “the top of the mountain.”

Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. (Joshua 15:8 ESV)

In another post we hope to show you more photos of the watershed ridge and the view on each side of it from this same location. Meanwhile, take a look at several photos of the Church, and a satellite view of the area at Bible Walks.

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Israel, Photography, Scotland, Travel

Jericho celebrates 10,000 years on 10-10-10

Posted on October 11, 2010 | Leave a comment

Since the excavations of Tell es-Sultan by Kathleen Kenyon (1952-1958), Jericho has publicized itself as the oldest city in the world. Kenyon thought she had found the earliest known fortifications.

Tell es-Sultan has been neglected as a tourist site over the years. In May I was pleased to see that the site had been cleaned up a bit with clearly marked paths and new signs. One new thing I saw was a fountain marked as “Elisha Spring Fountain.” It is probably the same water one would find in the toilet [for those who have not traveled outside the USA, that is a Restroom].

Elisha Spring Fountain & Tell es-Sultan (Jericho). Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Elisha’s Spring is on the east side of the tell. See our earlier post here. But, back to the 10,000 years. The mosaic in front of the fountain touts Jericho as “the lowest place on earth” and “10,000 years old.” In fact, Jericho is about 82o feet below sea level (Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd ed., Vol. 11).

Jericho sign in 2010 claims to be oldest city. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Palestinian Prime Minister held his weekly Cabinet meeting at Jericho Sunday “to mark the town’s birthday.” Authorities said the choice of October 10, 2010 (10-10-10) was random.

Biblical Jericho attracts a steady flow of pilgrims, but the small Jordan Valley oasis is making a major push these days to become a magnet for tourists, presenting itself as the oldest city on earth. Marking the 10,000th birthday Sunday is entirely random, though, with archaeologists saying they could be off by hundreds of years in dating the first human settlement in the area.

Read the complete article, which is mostly about Hisham’s Palace from the 8th century A.D., here.

One Sunday my wife and I were eating with an attorney and his wife. Through the window we could see the sign of the restaurant next door. It said something about serving the world’s best chicken. I asked my friend about the legality of signs like that. He said it was “acknowledged puffery.” I suspect we should view the signs at Jericho, and a lot of other places, in the same light.

Todd Bolen has a post about this subject, with additional photos, on the Bible Places Blog here.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Israel, Travel

Tagged Palestinian Authority

Category Archives: Travel

Attention: Logos users. Please read and help.

Sea of Galilee now more than 701 feet below sea level

Cenchrea — a port used by Paul and Phoebe

Murex is not the only source of purple

More about Royal Purple

Murex is the source of Royal Purple

Replica Phoenician ship completes 20,000 mile voyage

The watershed ridge — Part 2

The watershed ridge

Jericho celebrates 10,000 years on 10-10-10

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