March 16, 2000. The other day, I shared about my Jerusalem trip and walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel with the IBEX Friends & Family. Our main field trip with the visiting families was on Thursday, when we visited the lush Shephelah (Heb. “lowlands”) region of Israel.

We descended west from the Hill Country to the Aijalon Valley, then southward to Tel Beth Shemesh. Little remains of this ancient city, which overlooks the Sorek Valley, the home of Samson.

As we stopped to overlook the valley, we read our Bibles and imagined two lowing cows casually returning the Ark of the Covenant from the land of the Philistines.

As you might recall, the Israelites had taken the ark from the Shiloh Tabernacle to the battlefront, where it had been seized by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4-5). After defying the pagan gods in their temples and plaguing the city folk with rats and tumors, the Philistines placed the ark on a cart, and Yahweh miraculously brought the ark back to its homeland.

“And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.” (1 Samuel 6:12). What a sight that must have been!

(On a side note, it was shortly after this the ark was brought up from Beth Shemesh to the hill country at Kiriath Jearim (1 Sam. 7:1-2). That is the location of Moshav Yad Hashmona and IBEX! As I peer out the window right now from the computer lab, I can see the hillside where the ark rested for twenty years.)

Next, we followed an ancient highway known as the “diagonal route” to Azekah, an impressive plateau overlooking the entire region of Palestine. To the east, we could clearly see the Valley of Elah, and identify approximately where David and the Israelites vanquished the Philistines in the famous story of David & Goliath.

Shortly after, we actually drove into the Elah Valley, stopping at the river bed to pick up five smooth stones and test our skills at the sling.

Then, we were off to Adullam. This heavily forested hilltop served as an ancient asylum for David and his “mighty men” while fleeing from Saul. It was easy to see how several hundred men could hide from their aggressors. Some of the caves were enormous, plunging deep into the earth!

While exploring one of the caves, I was astonished by the utter darkness; only my trusty flashlight could guide me along. Could it be such a situation that David had in mind when writing “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path“?

We continued our journey southward by visiting the Guvrin Valley and an intricate network of caves carved out during the Second Jewish Revolt (132-135 AD). We climbed around in the vast underground system for a good hour.

By the end, I was drenched in sweat and covered with dirt. “Uh-oh, what was that the bus driver had said about staying clean?” No worries! I just turned my shirt inside-out and was ready to hop back on the bus! By the way, the parents didn’t accompany us on this little bonus excursion.

By mid-afternoon, we were standing at Tel Lachish. Lachish is one of the most important cities in all of Israel, looking high over the Lachish Valley and beyond. It was well-fortified – a sentinel for the Hill Country to the East.

Here, we saw the only remaining Assyrian Siege Ramp, and I couldn’t help but wonder why the citizens didn’t destroy this ramp following Sennacherib’s invasion. Surely, those who survived the Assyrian attack were endangering their very existence by allowing the siege ramp to remain. Could it later have been used as a convenient road to bring food and supplies into the city? I don’t have any idea. At any rate, Lachish was rebuilt after the Assyrian conquest, and became one of the last cities in all of Judah to hold out against the Babylonians (Jer. 34:6-7).

We concluded our day by climbing Tel Gezer, another pivotal fortress that prevented invasion from the West. This important site is mentioned in 1 Kings 9:15-17, where Solomon rebuilt the city and its gates after Egyptian attack and seizure.

1 Kings 9:15–17 And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the Lord and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife; so Solomon rebuilt Gezer) and Lower Beth-horon.

Even now, the distinct six-chambered gates can be seen in all three cities – Hazor, Megiddo, and here in Gezer. This was one of the most strategically located fortresses in all Israel, for it defended the important route from the West to Jerusalem: the Aijalon Valley and Beth Horon Ridge.

25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!