On April 1, 2000, we headed north for a week-long field trip in Galilee. We pulled away from Moshav Yad HaShmona bright and early Saturday morning. I could hardly contain my excitement for the coming week! A whole region of the country yet to be explored!

Our first stop was Caesarea, a once-impressive port city along the Mediterranean coast. During the first century BC, this illustrious trading center became the Roman administrative capital over all of Palestine. Over a period of 12 years, Herod the Great engineered an impressive port that eventually rivaled Athens in commerce!

(Bear in mind, Israel had never been a sea-faring people. Before Caesarea, their largest port had been Joppa, which wasn’t much to brag about. But this didn’t really bother them. They were “eastward-looking” people rather than “westward-looking” people. Beyond the beautiful blue waters was an ominous world of Gentiles.)

The Jews weren’t too enthused about Herod’s port city, either, which is evident by the nickname they gave it: “Little Edom.”

Following Caesarea, we traveled up the Jokneam Pass toward an observation deck on Mount Carmel. Along the way, our bus tipped over and rolled four times. (oops, that didn’t happen. April Fools!)

Actually, we stopped near an old Byzantine church that commemorated Elijah’s famous victory over the prophets of Baal. To the North, we could see the fertile Jezreel Valley stretching broadly across Lower Galilee, with the Nazareth Ridge, Mt. Tabor, the Hill of Moreh, and Mt. Gilboa accenting the horizon from left to right.

As we continued, we pulled over on the side of the road and took a quick look at a first-century rolling stone tomb – one of the few remaining in the land today. The style is similar to what Jesus was buried in.

Next we headed to the ancient city of Megiddo. Men over the centuries have acknowledged the preeminent location of Megiddo along the “Great Trunk Route” (International Coastal Highway), and fortified its walls to prevent foreign attack.

Archeological remnants include a massive Early Bronze altar, Solomonic gates (similar to what we saw earlier in Gezer), and a water system dating to the reign of Ahab.

On a side note, the “Battle of Armaggeddon” does not take place at the Hill of Megiddo (Har Megiddo in Greek) and the Jezreel Valley. Revelation 16 tells us only that the nations will gather here. Where does the battle occur? Jerusalem, of course!

Later, at Tel Jezreel, we read about Naboth’s vineyard and Ahab’s palace. Looking just a short distance away, Bill pointed out a patch of trees in the Jezreel Valley. He said that a spring still runs there — perhaps the same spring that irrigated Naboth’s vineyard! There’s no way of knowing for sure, but it’s a good possibility.

Across Nahal (River bed) Harod was the city of Shunem, where Elisha raised a boy from the dead. And not much further to the East, I could see the hilly region of Transjordan known as “Gilead.” No wonder the northern tribes felt a closer bond with their brothers across the Jordan than did Judah in the South! Here, in the North, there is no formidable Wilderness, Rift Valley, or Dead Sea to encourage isolation. Only the lush plains of the Jordan Valley separate the two regions. This had its advantages, but also made the northern tribes more vulnerable to attack.

Saturday night, we stayed in quaint little cabins at Ein Harod, along the base of Mount Gilboa. (Here, I should pause to make a slight clarification. When I say “Mount Gilboa,” or “Mount Carmel,” or the “Mount of Olives,” I’m not talking about purple mountain majesties like Pike’s Peak or Mount McKinley. I’m talking about jagged “mountains” that climb maybe a thousand feet above the neighboring terrain. In the case of Mount Carmel and Gilboa, that’s not more than 2000 feet above sea level.)

Later in the evening, Brian and I ventured up Mount Gilboa, catching a good view of the Jezreel valley below. Somewhere nearby, King Saul of Israel finally admitted defeat against the Philistines, and was willingly slain.

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!

Late March 2000. Springtime has arrived in Israel! Gone are the cold, wet, even snowy days that characterized our first couple months at IBEX. Now, we’re enjoying the warmth and beauty of spring.

Weather was unpredictable our first couple months. Most days were cold enough that a sweatshirt or light jacket was necessary to stay comfortable. The sun warmed things up in the late morning and early afternoon, but winds off the Mediterranean kept things cool. Some days were overcast, others bright & sunny, and others particularly cold, windy, and rainy.

I rejoiced every time it rained (pending it wasn’t on a field trip day) because I knew it was nourishing the land and preparing us for a beautiful Israeli spring when everything would be in full bloom. By February, almond trees were already blossoming and birds began to chirp more. Now, spring has officially arrived.

Spring is such a marvelous time, proclaiming God’s infinite goodness, faithful provision, and unspeakable beauty! I can only stand in awe, truly dumbfounded at the God we serve.

One of my favorite study places is a little bench in “IBEX park” (situated on the hillside right next to our dormitories).

From “my bench,” I can gaze out to the west, down through the rolling hills of the Shephelah and, on a clear day, to the Mediterranean coastland beyond. Around me, the flowers boast of bright colors, while trees flaunt their newly green garments.

The busy humming of bees and the gleeful chatter of birds envelop me with their charm, and the gentle coastal wind assuages me from the warm rays of the sun.

One day, I was sitting on my bench when I heard some rustling in the leaves and grass about ten feet in front of me. I kept hearing sounds, when suddenly, a tortoise poked his head out of the grass and continued his journey.

From the tiny bug climbing valiantly up a blade of grass, to the mighty bird soaring majestically overhead, everything seems to proclaim God’s gift of life! Israel is a beautiful place in the spring.

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!

This morning in my quiet time I read Exodus 35, which contains some final instructions on the building of the tabernacle. It was relatively simple as a traveling sanctuary, yet every detail was to be carefully thought and carried out.

Two men in particular were empowered by God to oversee the project – Bezalel son of Uri and Aholiab son of Ahisamach (of the tribes of Judah and Dan respectively). God’s Spirit came upon these men, giving them wisdom and understanding in all manner of workmanship (v. 31). They were to design artistic works (v. 32), and to work, to set, to carve, and do all other manner of workmanship (v. 33).

While Israel was expressly forbidden from using their artistic talents to make graven images and false idols, they were allowed to mine, smelt, mold, engrave, weave, stitch, dye, measure, cut, carve, fasten, bake, compose, sing, play instruments, etc. These are part of being made in the image of God and imitating his vast intelligence and artistic beauty.

This is all very interesting in light of yesterday’s news about new generative AI tools and the sudden wave of photos in the charming style of Studio Ghibli. Some people fear the arts and entertainment industry is doomed.

While AI can do a remarkable job imitating and rearranging ideas, concepts, and styles in new and interesting ways, I don’t think AI will ever “create” in the biblical, imago dei sense of the word. For lack of a better term, there is a certain “soul” that goes into the work of a man or woman’s hands that cannot be replicated by machine. Setting two pieces of art side by side, it may soon be impossible to tell which is AI generated or deep-faked, and which is humanly created (I do think it’s important to make a distinction between “generated” and “created”). But the moment I as a human know which was humanly made, there is a deeper appreciation, a value, and a resonance toward the human work that can never be evoked by machine.

What if I told you this post was written by Chat GPT? What if I admitted I fed it a writing prompt just one minute ago, it produced this article in 1.3 seconds, and then I pasted it into this post? What happens at your heart and soul level? Would you read the whole thing differently? Well, I’m happy to say I didn’t use Chat GPT or any other AI tool. I started with my Bible and journal open, soon was putting pen to paper, then I typed the words onto the computer with my own fingers and made a few edits. At one point, I even accidentally tapped the wrong key, closing the app, losing the document, and having to start over again. I assure you it is authentic and from the heart.

I sympathize with those in the arts who will have to adapt to these new tools and technologies and the short-term loss they may experience. But I don’t think the impact will be the same as the field worker who has been replaced by the harvest combine. The digital revolution is different than the industrial revolution. It certainly simplifies and automates many tasks, but we will always need that human touch and sense of ingenuity.

My guess is that over time, a rating and auditing system will develop with labels like “100% human created” that will become a measure of quality much as “made in the USA label” and “all natural ingredients” have been. This is not a time for artists to shrink away from their craft and feel non-essential, but to hone their skills and celebrate the priceless nature of authenticity.

March 25, 2000. I awoke at 7 AM and joined a couple friends to begin the steep ascent to the top of Masada. Since we were already at the foot of the “mountain,” it was only a matter of minutes before we reached the bottom steps.

This precipice reaches 1200 feet above the coast of the Dead Sea, and serves as a formidable stronghold from all sides. King David may have taken his family here to hide from Saul (1 Samuel 22:4), and later Herod the Great built a palace on top, ensuring protection from any impending danger (such as a Hasmonean revolt).

Almost 100 years later, the Jews made a last-ditch effort to evade the Romans by climbing and fortifying Masada after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. However, the Romans, after two years of back-breaking work, were finally able to conquer the city using a massive siege ramp, still visible today.

For us, the grueling climb took half-an-hour in all, but once on top, we enjoyed an incredible view of the Dead Sea, and took a little time to explore the ancient city ruins.

Later in the morning, I experienced the bizarre phenomenon of swimming in the Dead Sea. The water here has an unprecedented 30% salt content! (It wasn’t pleasant when a little splashed in my eye) Surprisingly enough, our own bodies have less solid matter in them, and thus, we float effortlessly above the water.

After swimming around a bit, we applied some of the “therapeutic” Dead Sea mud over our bodies, giving us a nice, dark complexion. Hey, it’s all part of the Dead Sea experience!

Next we hiked Nahal David, where we stood under a waterfall.

Then we studied some remains at Qumran, where an ancient community of Essenes scrupulously copied and later hid many biblical and sectarian documents. Over 15,000 total scroll fragments have been discovered here! Amongst them were the Dead Sea Scrolls.

By the way, the quaint story about the little shepherd boy who discovered the scrolls by throwing a rock into a cave to retrieve his lost sheep, thus causing a pot to shatter, is entirely fabricated! We hiked up to one of these caves, and there’s absolutely no way a stray sheep could have wandered up to it!

The cave opening would’ve been too small for a sheep to fit in. And furthermore, how could the shepherd possibly have thrown a rock hard enough and accurately enough to enter a tiny cave hole and break a scroll-containing pot? If that’s not enough to convince you, ponder this: why on earth would a shepherd be throwing rocks at his sheep? Case closed.

I guess that’s it for now. The semester is quickly escaping me. Only a little over a month to go! I’m trying desperately to enjoy every waking moment. This Saturday, we leave for Galilee, where we’ll be staying an entire week! Thank you for your prayers. I love and miss you all. Love, Stephen

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!

March 24, 2000. We slept in a little on Friday morning, but were ready by 8:30 to head out to the beach (who said college couldn’t be fun?!). Once there, I rented some snorkeling equipment and eagerly jumped into the Red Sea, beholding the splendors of a magnificent coral reef.

I saw some beautiful fish along the way, but I must admit, my favorite part occurred before I entered the water, when I saw two dolphins swimming along not more than 100 feet away! I swam and snorkeled for about an hour, but by that time, I was chilled to the bone, and ready for a hot shower in the beach house!

Our adventure continued after lunch, when we visited a full-scale model of the Tabernacle in Timnah. Like the Bedouin tent we had seen the day before, this life-size construction was incredibly helpful. Guided along by a Messianic Jewish tour guide, our visit really assisted me in understanding the purpose and layout of the Tabernacle.

It was the primary worship center for the Jews and the literal dwelling place for the living God. If you want a great Bible study, I recommend examining the abundant object-lessons of the Tabernacle. God had a specific reason for every meticulous detail!

After visiting the Tabernacle, we did some rock-climbing up a sandstone mountain and “Solomon’s Pillars” near Timnah.

At the Hai Bar Nature Reserve not far away, we got an up-close look at some of the critters indigenous to this region. Even here, in the southern, desert-like regions of Israel, wildlife does abound! On display were several species in the wolf family, some wildcats, a leopard, and a variety of reptiles – mostly snakes. Yikes!

The rest of our afternoon was spent traveling to Masada, about half-way up the Dead Sea (a.k.a. Salt Sea). We arrived at Masada Youth Hostel, which hugs the base of Masada, by early evening.

After our Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner, we ventured out into a nearby territory known as the Marl “Moonscape.” We hiked up and down several ridges and valleys, fascinated by the strange texture of the ground. It was softer than rock, yet firmer than sand (hence the name “Moonscape”).

Unfortunately, our hike was cut short by a couple injuries. Jeff Lewis and Tim Counts both fell and were taken to the hospital that night. We thought for a while that Jeff had suffered a serious back injury, after falling about 15 feet. Nevertheless, he was released the next morning, and seems to be doing okay.

Tim Counts jumped over a little chasm and thought he heard something crack. Later, he discovered he had broken his leg. I guess for all the hiking, climbing, and jumping we do around here, we can be thankful that there haven’t been any more injuries! Don’t worry…I’m usually pretty careful. 🙂

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!