Ferrell's Travel Blog

Acts 23 — Photo Illustrations — Antipatris

Posted on November 26, 2012 | 1 comment

The site of Antipatris was known as Aphek in Old Testament times. It it is the place where the Philistines were encamped when they took the ark of the covenant from the Israelites who had camped at nearby Ebenezer (1 Samuel 4:1).

Antipatris was built by Herod the Great and named in honor of his father.

Herod was also a lover of his father, if any other person ever was so; for he made a monument for his father, even that city which he built in the finest plain that was in his kingdom, and which had rivers and trees in abundance, and named it Antipatris. He also built a wall around a citadel that lay above Jericho, and was a very strong and very fine building, and dedicated it to his mother, and called it Cypros. (Jewish Wars 1:417)

Because Aphek/Antipatris sat on a major south-north and west-east routes, it was dominated by many nations. The dominant feature of the site today is the Turkish fort. Inside are the excavated ruins of buildings from Canaanite to Herodian/Roman times.

Turkish fort at Aphek/Antipatris. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Aphek/Antipatris is known by the modern name Ras el-Ain because it is located at the source of the Yarkon River which flows a few miles into the Mediterranean.

Source of the Yarkon River at Aphek-Antipatris. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

When a plot was raised against Paul while he was in the Fortress of Antonia in Jerusalem, he was sent by night to Antipatris. The next day he was escorted to Caesarea.

So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. (Acts 23:31-33 ESV)

From Jerusalem to Antipatris is about 30 miles. From there to Caesarea is an additional 27 miles.

Paul would remain in custody at Caesarea for two years.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Book of Acts, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

Tagged Apostle Paul, Roman soldiers

Reading the Blogs

Posted on November 25, 2012 | 1 comment

Charles Savelle (Bible X) tells about his enjoyable afternoon at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible Exhibit (Fort Worth). He describes the entire visit, step by step, including a list of “the scroll fragments and other manuscripts and Bibles” including a list of the Biblical verses included in the scroll fragments. A Qumran simulated dig is part of the exhibit. Charles includes a a hi-res photo of himself standing in a nice replica of a mikvah (ritual bath) at Qumran. Read the complete report here. The exhibit runs through January 13, 2013.

I enjoyed lunch with Charles one day at the recent ETS annual meeting. I find his Bible X blog helpful.

Luke Chandler reports here that a different Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit is now open at the Cincinnati Museum Center. This exhibit includes about “600 biblically-related artifacts on loan from the Israel[i] Antiquities Authority.” Read more here. This exhibit which runs through April, 2013, has already been in New York and Philadelphia. Check our link to the New York exhibition here. The 39 page guide to the exhibit by Gordon Franz is still available.

The War Scroll displayed at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Luke also comments on a recent comment by Dr. William Dever regarding the lack of evidence for the “Low Chronology” here.

It was only yesterday that I came caught up with a post by Seth Rodriquez (Wild Olive Shoot) written the day after the U.S. presidential election. He has some important words for those who may have been disappointed in the outcome of the election. See here.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Lands, Bible Places, Bible Study, Biblical Studies, blog, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament

Professor Maeir on the cease fire and Tell es-Safi/Gath

Posted on November 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Earlier in the week at the SBL meeting I visited a few minutes with Prof. Aren Maeir, excavator of Tell es-Safi/Gath. He is back home in Israel, and writes this morning about the cease fire between Gaza and Israel.

Well, thank g-d a cease fire has been declared and that it appears to be holding.

I have heard an unconfirmed report that the Palestinians even shot a missile at Tell es-Safi/Gath! I’ll have to check this out, but perhaps someone in the Hamas does not like what we are finding at the site? (is nothing sacred? 🙂

UPDATE: Uri Kaizer, the warden for the Tell es-Safi/Gath region from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority has informed me that the missile did not hit the site, but rather fell a km or two to the west.

In any case, I pray that things will stay quiet and we can all get back to living our regular lives.

I would be nice if in the future, when describing the period following this last round of fighting, the following could be said: “The land was quiet for forty years”…

Follow his blog here.

You will recognize the last phrase in Maeir’s post as the common refrain from the book of Judges.

So the land had rest forty years. (Judges 3:11a ESV)

The following photo of Tel es-Safi/Gath shows the abundant wheat fields in the plain to the west of the tel.

Tel es-Safi/Gath with wheat fields in the plain to the west. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Thanksgiving today and everyday

Posted on November 22, 2012 | 2 comments

Paul’s letter to the saints at Colossae emphasizes that thanksgiving should be a part of continual prayer to God.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison– that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2-4 ESV)

The wonderful thing about our national day of Thanksgiving is that it is an 0pportunity for families to be together and reflect on the blessings of life. I trust that your day will be a good one.

The Abundance of the Vineyards at Lachish. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

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Posted in Bible Study, Culture, Family, New Testament

Tagged Apostle Paul, Thanksgiving

The Annual Meetings # 3 (SBL)

Posted on November 21, 2012 | 1 comment

The annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature were held this year at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. I think McCormick Place is the largest facility of this type that I have ever been in. Much walking was required to move between sessions. Fortunately there is a good system of escalators to move between levels of the facility.

With the two scholarly organizations meeting together the book exhibit is extremely large. It is impossible to show it all from floor level. Here is a little glimpse of the Baker Academic section.

The AAR/SBL book exhibit, Chicago, 2012. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

David McClister, my former student and colleague at Florida College, looks over one of the map books on display in the exhibit hall.

Dr. David McClister looks over a map book at AAR/SBL 2012. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

I spent my time at the SBL sessions dealing with Places in the Bible World. I attended the session on Polis and Ekklesia: Investigations of Urban Christianity Consultation. The theme for the five speakers this year was Roman Corinth.

The Biblical Lands and Peoples in Archaeology and Text Section covered a number of subjects including Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, first century priestly house in Jerusalem (Shimon Gibson), the possibility of a priestly order at Migdal-Gennesar (Richard Notley), et al.

One session consisted of archaeological reports on the new excavations at Azekah (Oded Lipschits, Yuval Gadot), the ongoing work at Khirbet Qeiyafa (Michael Hasel, Yosef Garfinkel, and Madeleine Mumcuoglu), and the new work at Jezreel (Norma Franklin).

Another session featured studies on the Egyptian invasion of the Sea Peoples (James Hoffmeier), Tell Tayinat (Tim Harrison), Tel Dor (Elizabeth Bloch-Smith), Ashkelon (Daniel Master), and Gath (Aren Maeir). There were a couple of other reports on the Philistines that I did not hear. It is always good to hear these reports first hand, long before the reports find their way into journals and books.

Aerial view of Tel Dor. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Aerial view of Tel Dor on the Mediterranean Coast. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Dor has a long history extending from the Canaanite period around the 20th century B.C. It was also controlled by the Phoenicians, the Sea People, the Israelites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Dor was abandoned in the third century A.D. (Biblical Archaeology Review, Nov./Dec. 2002).

For Biblical references to Dor, see here.

It is nice to be back home with on time flights.

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Posted in Bible Study, Biblical Studies, Israel, New Testament, New Testament Times, Photography, Travel

The Annual Meetings # 2 (NEAS)

Posted on November 19, 2012 | 3 comments

Attending the annual meetings of professional organizations allows one to keep up with the latest scholarly efforts of various scholars. When I was teaching I attended sessions dealing with the subjects I was teaching. I have always attended sessions dealing with archaeology because these help be to keep abreast of the field. On my tours, I am often able to tell the guides about discoveries that they have not yet learned about.

Some affiliated smaller organizations meet under the auspices of the larger one. The NEAS (Near East Archaeological Society) meets with ETS. I attended most of the sessions of the NEAS. Let me give you some idea about what I heard.

Charles Ailing, Did Moses Learn His Monotheism From Akhenaten? Mostly likely not. According to the Biblical chronology, Moses was earlier than Akhenaten.

Douglas Petrovich, Identifying the Tower of Babel and (Re-)Locating the Site of Its Construction. He suggested Eridu. Doug began his paper with a prayer in which he said, “Thank you for the thrill of learning, and thank you for the truth.”

Randall Price reported on “the Final Season of Excavation on the Qumran Plateau.” I did not hear his presentation about the search for Noah’s Ark. Seth Rodriquez looked at how archaeology provides insights into Psalm 144.

Morten Jensen, from Denmark, spoke about “Religious Motivation in the Archaeological Record of First-century Israel.” A paper on Metallurgy was read for a scholar who was unable to arrive from Germany.

We had two presentations by excavators at Gezer. Steven Ortiz spoke about the recent excavations. Daniel Warner spoke about the fabulous new find of the Gezer Water System. See our earlier report on this water system here.

Excavating Gezer Water System. Photo: Art Beaulieu. Courtesy BP & NOBTS.

The sessions last about three hours and have at least five presenters in each. One session was devoted to Wheaton College’s Contribution to Biblical Archaeology from Joseph P. Free to the Present. Alfred J. Hoerth, who served as chair of the department of archaeology, spoke of the contributions from Free to the present. Other speakers, all of whom attended and/or taught at Wheaton included Daniel Master (Ashkelon), John Monson, and Tom Davis. This was an extremely worthwhile session.

Free is known for his book about archaeology, but also for his excavation of the biblical site of Dothan. One interesting tidbit: Free purchased the tell of Dothan from the Jordanian landowner. I think this would be impossible today.

Dothan is known as the place where Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:12-36).

Perhaps I can get to a few comments about the SBL meeting after I return home.

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Posted in Archaeology, Bible Places, Bible Study, Biblical Studies, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament, Photography, Travel

ETS Plenary Sessions Online

Posted on November 18, 2012 | 1 comment

Charles Savelle reports that the video of the plenary sessions at the recent ETS meeting are available online here Individual links are listed below. Zondervan Academic, the provider of the videos, includes advertising that you may skip to get directly to the lecture.

The general theme of the 2012 annual meeting was Caring for Creation. In these four lectures you will find four competent scholars presenting differing views on a subject that is important to each of us.

Calvin Beisner “Creation Care and Godly Dominion: The Search for a Genuinely Biblical Earth Stewardship”

Russell Moore “Heaven and Nature Sing: How Evangelical Theology Can Inform the Task of Environmental Protection, and Vice-Versa”

Richard Bauckham “Reading the Bible in the Context of the Ecological Threats of our Time”

Douglas J. Moo “Biblical Theology and Creation Care”

HT: Charles Savelle @ Bible X

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Posted in Bible Study, Biblical Studies, Culture, New Testament, Old Testament

Tagged environment

The Annual Meetings # 1

Posted on November 17, 2012 | 2 comments

Each year in November professional meetings pertaining to the field of biblical studies are held in a major U.S. city. The largest meeting is the SBL/AAR meeting. That is the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion. Together these organizations attract maybe eight thousand persons who are involved in teaching and researching in the fields of Biblical Studies and Religious Studies.

ASOR, the American Schools of Oriental Research, meets separately a few days ahead of the other meeting. This organization attracts those who are teaching and active in the field of Near Eastern archaeology.

The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) currently meets at the same time as ASOR. I think in some recent years as many as 2000 members attend ETS. This organization attracts scholars who are admittedly conservative in their approach toward the Scriptures. Most of them teach in seminaries or religious schools.

Some international scholars attend each of these meetings.

From time to time I have someone ask me why I attend. I will suggest a couple of reasons based on the current ETS meeting, and these reasons will be true of both meetings.

Books, Books, Books. I do not buy as many books as I once did, but I still like to see what is being published. The ETS book exhibit has grown from a few tables several years back to a large exhibit hall this year. Many of the major religious publishers offer deep discounts to the members. They know that these teachers may use their books, or at least recommend them, in their classes. Only members with the proper ID are allowed in the exhibit hall.

The Crossway display. Crossway is the publisher of the ESV bible.

The books on display are mainly the current publications along with a few of the previous best sellers.

A small portion of the B&H display.

Friends. Another reason I attend the meetings to to see old friends and make new ones. Jack is now a freelance representative. This week he was working for Moody Press.

Promoting Moody Press books at the ETS meeting.

For the first time, Todd Bolen had a display of his Pictorial Library of the Bible Lands. We have written about this series here.

Todd Bolen, Bible Places.com, talks with a customer.

Todd Bolen (right), Bible Places.com, talks with a customer.

A. D. Riddle made new maps for the revised PLBL. He was helping at the booth. A customer is on the right. Bolen is in the background. This was my first time to meet A. D., he has been helpful to me several times via correspondence.

A.D. Riddle, who supplied new maps for the revised series.

A.D. Riddle (right), who supplied new maps for the revised series, takes a break from talking with an ETS member about the PLBL series.

I ran across Mark Wilson, author of Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor. Mark lives in Turkey part of each year, and has spoken to one of my groups. Everyone who plans a trip to Turkey, or who just wants to know more about the Biblical places in Turkey, should have this book.

Mark Wilson mans the Tutku Travel booth.

Other friends I saw included Steve Wolfgang, former students Rusty Taylor and Randy Murphy.

In another post I will mention some of the papers I heard.

2 Comments

Posted in Archaeology, Bible Lands, Bible Study, Book Review, Books, New Testament, Old Testament, Photography, Travel, Turkey

He “guided them in the wilderness like a flock.”

Posted on November 14, 2012 | 1 comment

The Psalmist describes the LORD’S care for His people under the figure of a shepherd and his sheep.

But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies. So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained. (Psalm 78:52-54 NAU)

Shepherds south of Avedat in the Wilderness of Zin. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The photo above was made a few miles south of Avedat, Israel, in the Wilderness of Zin. The Israelites lived in this wilderness (or desert) prior to entry into the land that the LORD promised to the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:7).

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

Acts 22 — Photo Illustrations — the Antonia

Posted on November 12, 2012 | 3 comments

As a result of the unjustified beating of Paul by the Jews in the temple precinct, Paul was rescued by the commander of the Roman cohort. Orders were given for Paul to be bought into the barracks. The KJV and the NKJV use the word castle. The CEB use of military headquarters probably conveys the correct idea. (Acts 21:27-40). The parembole served as headquarters for the Roman troops in Jerusalem (BDAG).

The building under consideration in Acts 21 is the Fortress of Antonia. The massive structure was built by Herod the Great and named in honor of Mark Anthony. Murphy-O’Connor says the fortress “both protected and controlled the Temple” (The Holy Land, 34). The temple was surrounded by the Kidron Valley on the east, the Tyropean Valley on the west, and a steep decline on the south. The area needing special protection was the northwest corner.

Second Temple Model, Jerusalem. The Fortress of Antonia stands on the northwest corner of the temple precinct. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Josephus describes the “tower of Antonia” in the Wars of the Jews.

238 Now, as to the tower of Antonia, it was located at the corner of two cloisters of the court of the temple; of that on the west, and that on the north; it was erected upon a rock of fifty cubits in height, and was on a great precipice; it was the work of King Herod, wherein he demonstrated his natural magnanimity. 239 In the first place, the rock itself was covered over with smooth pieces of stone, from its foundation, both for ornament, and that anyone who would either try to get up or to go down it might not be able to hold his feet upon it. 240 Next to this, and before you come to the edifice of the tower itself, there was a wall three cubits high; but within that wall all the space of the tower of Antonia itself was built upon, to the height of forty cubits. (JW 5:238-240)

Fortress of Antonia in the Second Temple Model. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The photo above shows the Tower of Antonia built on the natural rock foundation at the northwest corner of the temple precinct. A portion of the Pool of Bethesda (John 5) is visible on the right.

Paul’s speech recorded in Acts 22 took place on the stairs leading up from the temple platform into the fortress. When the crowd drowned out Paul, the commander ordered that he be brought into the fortress (22:24). After Paul’s nephew informed the Roman officers about a planned conspiracy to kill Paul, he was sent to Caesarea where he would remain for two years (23:23; 24:27).

The photo below was made from inside the temple precinct. It shows the natural rock scarp in the northwest corner on which the Fortress of Antonia was built. See Leen Ritmeyer’s post about this, and his drawing showing the location of the steps mentioned in Acts 21. Ritmeyer sells digital images of his drawings.

The natural rock scarp at the NW corner of the Temple Mount. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

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Posted in Bible Places, Bible Study, Book of Acts, Israel, New Testament, Photography, Travel

Tagged Apostle Paul, Military Fortress

Ferrell's Travel Blog

Acts 23 — Photo Illustrations — Antipatris

Reading the Blogs

Professor Maeir on the cease fire and Tell es-Safi/Gath

Thanksgiving today and everyday

The Annual Meetings # 3 (SBL)

The Annual Meetings # 2 (NEAS)

ETS Plenary Sessions Online

The Annual Meetings # 1

He “guided them in the wilderness like a flock.”

Acts 22 — Photo Illustrations — the Antonia

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