April 18, 2000. Today, we had a very unique experience. All the IBEX students piled onto the bus at 1pm and left for Mount Gerizim, near Shechem in Samaria. Our purpose was to observe the ancient custom of lamb sacrifice.

The Jews, of course, do not slaughter animals in this age, but the remaining Samaritans in the world (650 total) still perform this ritual once a year on Samaritan Passover. We were there to see it all.

We arrived at Mt. Gerizim around 3:30pm, and Shaban, the shopkeeper in Jerusalem we patronize, introduced us to the high priestly family and explained what was going to take place. Who knows where this guy gets his connections? IBEX has worked with him for some time, and he has consistently been our best “connection” in the city. Our tour of Solomon’s Stables, for example, would never have been possible without his arrangement.

We were basically on our own until the Passover ceremony began. I walked around for a bit, just kind of scoping the place out. Then, I walked into the large courtyard where the sacrifices would later be taking place. Even by 4-4:30pm, they were building fires in large pits with logs and olive branches (and a little kerosene in there, too).

Meanwhile, tied away in a shadowed corner was one lonely sheep with children playing nearby. It was totally unsuspecting to what lay ahead.

I left the courtyard for a short while, and when I returned, there were four guards posted at the entrance. I really had no desire to watch from the bleachers on the other side of the fence like most of the students, so I sneaked through a gate, around someone’s yard, and climbed up onto a roof where the view was much better and many camera crews were stationed. Becky and Geneva had also discovered this elevated position.

For the next two hours, I chatted with those around, ate dinner, read a little, and watched the crowd slowly gather. By 6:30pm, the courtyard was quite full, and a festive spirit filled the air. Shortly after, as dusk approached, the Samaritans in the courtyard began chanting louder and louder. All were dressed in pure white, and held sheep tightly nearby. Children also roamed freely about the plaza.

After maybe 20 minutes of chanting, singing, and praying, the long-awaited moment arrived. In unison, all the men took the sheep and slit their throats. Some writhed in their own blood for a few moments, but before long, it was all over.

The Samaritans began to rejoice. People exchanged kisses.

Blood was lifted up on boughs of hyssop and applied to foreheads.

After a short celebration, they began skinning and gutting the animals, and driving long stakes through their bodies to prepare them for the roast. The sacrifices were complete.

I was really grateful that just as they were about to kill the animals, I was able to slip down into the crowd of Samaritans, seeing and photographing the whole thing up close. Amazing! Benj, Will, and Jeff also made it down into the crowd.

My biggest impressions from the experience:

• The blood sacrifice is a vivid and shocking illustration of the consequences of sin. Surely, the Jews took sin more seriously than many of us! How thankful I am that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, brought a divine end to this painful, messy system of atonement.
• Children were right there alongside their parents the whole time, participating in the event. I can’t imagine what an impression this must have made on the kids. How would this affect their view of sin?
• Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops were stationed all over the place, ensuring that a peaceable ceremony was maintained. As I saw them perched on the rooftops, I was reminded of the Roman guards who would have occupied the Anotnio Fortress in Jerusalem near the Temple Mount long ago, always peering down upon the Jews with a watchful eye.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5–6)

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!

Most of our field work at IBEX focused on ancient Israel, but modern Israel has an interesting story to tell too. On Thursday, April 13, 2000, we visited some of the locations relevant to Modern State of Israel.

Just as Americans have their Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Jews have their own Independence Hall in Tel Aviv.

The exterior is nothing special, but on May 14, 1948, the Jewish people made history here by signing their own Declaration of Independence:

“The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious, and national identity was formed…We appeal to the United Nations to assist the Jewish people in the building of its State and to admit Israel into the family of nations.”

The United States granted de facto recognition the same day, and the Soviet Union officially recognized Israel as a sovereign nation on May 17, 1948.

Inside Independence Hall is a picture of Theodore Herzl, one of the nation’s founding fathers. Herzl was a Hungarian Jew born in 1860 who was alarmed at growing anti-Semitism and believed it was time for the Jews to return to their homeland.

In 1896, Herzl published a pamphlet called Der Judenstat (The Jewish State). He appealed, “Let sovereignty be granted us over a portion of the globe large enough to satisfy the rightful requirements of a nation; the rest we shall manage for ourselves.”

Sadly, it would take two world wars, a bumpy British occupation, and the Holocaust before his dream became reality.

As a Political Studies major, I took special interest in the Modern State of Israel and its political development. Israel decided on a parliamentary form of government – similar to the British system – with a Prime Minister, President, Supreme Court, and unicameral (one-house) legislature known as the Knesset (Great Assembly). They have no formal constitution, but are guided by a set of Basic Laws and western jurisprudence.

The country’s first prime minister was a man named David Ben-Gurion, who served from 1949-1953, then again from 1955-1963.

We visited Ben-Gurion’s desert home last month during our Negev trip, and here in Tel Aviv we could see the home where he spent much of his time as Prime Minister. The international airport is also named in his honor.

Recent history – and my Bible – tells me God is not done with his chosen people yet.

After our little history lesson, we headed to Ashkelon beach for a picnic and games!

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!

On April 12, 2000, IBEX headed to the Mediterranean coast for an overnight in Tel Aviv. Our first stop was Neot Kedumim, a 625-acre biblical garden, where we learned about Jewish culture and life in Bible times. We’d already seen examples of life in an agrarian society scattered across the land such as olive presses, walls, fields, towers, and sheepfolds. Here at Neot Kedumim we could interact with some of the farm equipment and learn about the native plants and Jewish culture in general.

A Torah Scribe helped us understand how copies of the Bible were made. Long before the printing press, God’s Word had to be copied manually. A single sefer (scroll) could take a year to copy. Ink was made with a mix of coal, pomegranate powder, resin, and gall nut. Writing was often done with a feather or reed on parchment. Scrolls were good for continuous reading, while a book was better for finding a specific passage. It’s also worth noting the original Hebrew contained no punctuation, chapter #s, verse #s, or vowel points.

In the Bible, rain is talked about as being “in season.” It has a predictable pattern of early rain that arrives in September/October and softens the soil, preparing the land for sowing season. Then the latter rain comes around March/April and helps nourish and grow the plants to prepare them for harvest. This is described in Deuteronomy 11:14, “he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil” (cf. Ps. 1:3).

After a grain like wheat reached maturity, it was mown with a sickle, then stalks were crushed and broken down using a threshing sled on a threshing floor.

Next, the grain was winnowed (tossed and sorted) using a winnowing fork, and the kernels were gathered and sifted. Then began the process of grinding the grain into powder using a millstone or mortar and pestle to produce flour.

This grinding process had to be done every day, as flour did not keep long. Once the flour was fine, water could be added and dough could be kneaded and baked. It was a labor-intensive process that required constant dependence on God. No wonder the Lord’s Prayer says, “Give us this day, our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11).

Another interesting exhibit was Archimede’s Screw. This device was named after the ancient Greek mathemetician Archimedes. By hand-turning the crank, the screw can collect and move water up a shaft to a higher level like a pump. It was sometimes used to transport water from one location to another, such as filling a mikveh (large purification bath) with water.

The Mediterranean climate is unique and found only certain places around the globe. Plants in Israel are specially suited for this climate, and many are mentioned in the Bible. The date palm, for example, needs water below the surface, but hot temperatures above the surface. It is a symbol of victory, even appearing on ancient and modern coins such as the 10 NIS (New Israeli shekel).

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, it was date palm branches that were waved and placed on the road to honor the Messianic king. “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13). Palm branches have also been associated with the resurrection.

Neot Kedumim reminded me that the people of Israel were interwoven with the land, its weather, even its plants and animals. God in his providence used all these things to teach us who he is and how to be in right relationship with him. There were many fresh insights, so I bought two books in the gift shop to help me learn more: Desert and Shepherd in our Biblical Heritage and Nature in our Biblical Heritage, both by Nogah Hareuveni.

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!