Tag Archives: Euphrates River

A visit to Harran – home of Abraham

Posted on May 22, 2014 | 1 comment

This morning we flew from Istanbul to Gaziantep in eastern Turkey, picked up our rental car and headed east to Zugma. This is a Roman period town that has been mostly flooded as a result of a dam built on the Euphrates River.

We continued east to Sanliurfa, and then south to Harran (some English Bible versions use Haran). Harran is located in biblical Padan-Aram (Genesis 25:29, et al.). Abraham and his family lived in the area (Genesis 11:21). The city has a long history which I will not go into now.

For the past two hundred years the people who live here have built mud brick conical, beehive-shaped houses. I have also seen some of these houses in northern Syria.

At the present time very few people still live in the beehive-shaped houses. For touristic and educational purposes some of the houses have been reconstructed to show how people used them for dwellings.

If you have seen the houses at Haran over the past few decades, you may think that these in my photo look entirely too good.

Having been here twice before, I must admit that I was a bit letdown when I saw the condition of the town today. On the north side of town a large number of new houses have been built. Some apartment buildings now stand on the west side. One young man told us that very few of the residents keep sheep. Most, he said, are involved in raising cotton on the plains about Harran.

Beehive-shaped houses at Harran. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Beehive-shaped houses at Harran. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

 

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

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Visualizing Isaiah 11: the River

Posted on February 12, 2014 | 2 comments

Immediately upon looking at Isaiah 11 I think of the reference to the Messiah –  “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” Look back to chapter 4 for an illustration for that.

I could show you individual photos of many of the animals mentioned in verses 6-7, but I do not have the wild and vicious with the tame and gentle. It doesn’t happen in the animal kingdom, but it is true in the kingdom of the Messiah. See, for example, Colossians 3:11 where there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythians, salve, free. In Christ these distinctions are broken down.

Here I have chosen to concentrate on the promise of the return of a remnant from captivity, an event that took place initially in 536 B.C.

And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 11:15-16 ESV)

The Euphrates is the largest, longest and most important river of Western Asia. It is nearly 1800 miles long and was the northeastern boundary of the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18). The empires of Assyria and Babylon, the greatest enemies of Israel, were east of the Euphrates. The Old Testament prophets often put the Euphrates by metonymy for these countries to designate the place from which the punishment of God would come (Isaiah 7:20; 8:7; Jeremiah 46:10

The Euphrates was so significant in the history of Israel that the phrase “the River” is used frequently in the Old Testament to indicate the Euphrates.

View north of the Euphrates River at Berecik, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Euphrates River, looking north, at Birecik, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The LORD said that He would bring “the waters of the River, the king of Assyria and all his glory” like a flood to rise to the neck of His people (Isaiah 8:6-8). Now He promises to strike the River and allow His people to return from the exile in sandals. In fact, He says, “there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people” 11:16).

When Assyrian kings stated in their annals that they crossed the river Euphrates they mean that they went to war against nations west of the River.

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

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Celebrating 100,000 visitors; a gift for you

Posted on December 1, 2008 | 1 comment

Thanks for visiting Ferrell’s Travel Blog. This afternoon our Blog Stats moved above 100,000. I think when we began the blog we only had in mind that families of some of our tour members could follow our route of travel. Then I began to write about other places I had visited. Well, here we are today.

As my wife and I looked at the stats I said, “Well, we have reached a millstone, if not a milestone.” She said, “Yes, it is a millstone.” I must admit it has become addictive. But when I realize that I am reaching a large number of people each day/week/month with something that may be beneficial in Bible study and teaching, I am delighted.

Ferrell Jenkins celebrating 100,000 visitors.

Ferrell Jenkins celebrating 100,000 visitors.

I want to share a gift that may be of benefit to those who use PowerPoint presentations in teaching. During the life of the blog, more people have visited our pages on the Euphrates River than any other. Here is a photo of the Euphrates at Birecik, Turkey. Click on the small photo below and it will take you to a high resolution photo that you may download and use. We request that you not publish the photo without permission. A digital copyright notice is embedded in the image.

The Euphrates River at Birecik, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Euphrates River at Birecik, Turkey. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The Euphrates is the largest, longest and most important river of Western Asia. It is nearly 1800 miles long and was the northeastern boundary of the land promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:18). The empires of Assyria and Babylon, the greatest enemies of Israel, were east of the Euphrates. The Old Testament prophets often put the Euphrates by metonomy for these countries to designate the place from which the punishment of God would come (Isa. 7:20; 8:7; Jer. 46:10). For more information on the Euphrates River read the article here.

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Posted in Bible Study, blog, Old Testament, Travel, Turkey

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