When giving his Great Commission, Jesus instructed his disciples to be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac. 1:8). Jerusalem was ground zero for a movement that would change the world. So much history has happened here, and three of the world’s largest religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all trace their roots to this place.

During my time in IBEX, we had two field trips focusing on entryways to Jerusalem as well as the broader region of Judea. We spent Friday, February 18, 2000, focusing on various approaches to the city of Jerusalem. The capital is best accessed from the north, and attackers invariably strike from this direction (with just a few exceptions). However, traders and pilgrims often made use of the region’s other, less convenient, routes.

We began our day by climbing the “Gillo Tower” southwest of Bethlehem, which gave us a high-altitude survey of the region. Bethlehem is only about 6 miles southwest of Jerusalem, so both cities were in plain sight from the observation tower. Through my binoculars, I could see the Turkish walls of Old City Jerusalem.

Between the tower and the city of Jerusalem was the Raphaim Valley, where the Philistines tried to invade Jerusalem by using an alternate approach to the city (2 Sam 5:17-25). This is one of those few exceptions to the normal northern approach. King David was quick to respond to the imminent attack. He mobilized his forces and was able to surprise attack the Philistines from behind!

Next stop: Solomon’s Pools. These magnificent reservoirs were not built by King Solomon, as you would expect by the name, but were constructed by none other than Herod the Great. The water once traveled via aqueduct to both Herod’s Jerusalem palace and his fortress in the hill country. Now, it’s nothing more than a giant pool with some stagnant rain water at the bottom. It is also quite possible that Solomon had his famous gardens in this lush area of Judea (Ecc. 2:4-7). The size of the pools was astonishing, and the flock of sheep nearby was an added bonus!

We also took an up-close look at a Judean vineyard, and for the first time, I really understood the biblical references about the vine and branches. The soil was incredibly rocky, and the vine was in its winter dormant stage, so there wasn’t any fruit or leaves. How amazing that God uses the common things in life, like farming and shepherding, to make absract spiritual concepts more understandable! In reality, when He created the universe, He fashioned it in a way that would illustrate His divine truth.

After the vineyard, we headed to the Judean Wilderness southeast of Bethlehem. Here, near the city of Tekoa, once lived a little shepherd boy named Amos. When Amos grew older, he was called by God to prophecy against the wickedness of the northern kingdom, Israel, prior to its destruction. It was in a peaceful area of the country. Not far south of the road was the impressive Wadi Arugot, rivaling even the Wadi Qilt in size and grandeur. Overlooking the gorgeous backdrop, we all sat quietly and listened to a short devotional prepared by one of the students, Andy. He shared about the life and ministry of Amos, and gave a brief summary of the book itself. Certainly, the men of biblical times lived a much simpler life, with more time to meditate and pray to their great God. How we crowd these areas out in our lives today!

Following lunch, we visited the remains of the Herodian fortress in the Judean Hill Country, named after…you guessed it: Herod the Great. It was undoubtedly a splendid sight in its time; an impressive stronghold that would strike fear in the heart of Herod’s enemies. Herod was the epitome of a man driven by wealth and power, yet his life sadly resulted in misery, dissatisfaction, and paranoia.

We visited Bethlehem for a short while, but I wasn’t able to make it through the long line to see the famous “silver star” of David, commemorating the birthplace of our Lord. It’s a bogus site anyway; no one can know for sure where He was born, so I didn’t feel like I was missing much. We do know something about the location, however, that contradicts popular belief.

When our modern versions state that there was no room for Joseph & Mary in the “inn,” it should actually be translated “guest house.” It’s quite possible that the couple had been staying at the guest house for some time already. And there’s a wide variety of reasons why the owners of the home wouldn’t want Mary to give birth inside the house (e.g. he was thought to be an illegitimate child, the delivery would be messy with other guests in the house, etc.), but at any rate, Jesus was predestined to be born elsewhere.

One place I did find interesting was a small grotto attached to the church where Jerome translated the Bible into Latin. Todd Bolen explains, “While in Bethlehem, Jerome wrote a new translation of the OT and NT (the Vulgate), which remained the authoritative version of the Bible for Catholics until the 20th century. He lived in a cave adjacent to the place of Jesus’ birth under the church (from 385-420).  One of the caves in the church is called ‘Jerome’s study.'”

We ended the day travelling north past Jerusalem to the city of Gibeah. This city lies in Benjamin and was the first capital of Israel under King Saul’s leadership. Because we had already studied the Benjamin region in depth on a previous trip, we didn’t spend much time here. Tomorrow, I will share about the second day of our trip further into Judea, and a chance to visit Hebron — a place most tourists don’t get to see.

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!

28 years ago, Natalie and I started dating, and we’ve never looked back. We met during WOW week at The Masters College, and hit it off right away. It was easy to spend hours talking, walking, studying, and attending church and chapel together.

We dated even that fall semester of our freshman year, but a friend suggested we slow down emotionally and make sure this was God‘s will for our lives and we agreed that would be wise. Those months apart were difficult.

On Friday, February 14, 1997 and into the early hours of February 15, we had a long talk in Dixon lounge and agreed to get back together again and continue dating. We chose as a theme verse for our relationship 1 Timothy 4:12. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself an example to those who believe in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.”

We’ve tried to live by that verse over the years, and God has been so kind. Happy Valentine’s Day Natalie and thanks for loving me unconditionally!

February 12, 2000. Well, we are back at Jerusalem Assembly for church once again; another week has passed by. The sanctuary is so full today that there are a half dozen of us guys standing out in the hallway. I’ll probably creep in and sit in the aisle once Pastor Menno actually begins preaching.

I have never witnessed such a multi-cultural service. The songs are sung in Hebrew, but a total of three languages are printed on the transparency: Hebrew, as well as Russian, and English transliteration. This means that we English-speakers are able to sing along with the rest of the people, but we usually don’t have any idea what we’re singing. Of course, once in a while, we’ll sing a hesed, Adonai, Hallelujah, or Yeshua. At least we understand these few words!

Bible reading is first done by the pastor in Hebrew, then read by another man in English, and yet a third man in Russian. The sermon itself is preached in about half Hebrew and half English, and a translator speaks Russian to about three rows of people on the front left side of the sanctuary. In addition to all these linguistic/ethnic groups, there are quite a few Asian people who attend here!

It makes for a complicated and quite often distracting service, but it’s a joy to see so many distinct cultures unite together to praise Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, I long to be back at Placerita with the woman I love and the church family that I’ve spent so much time with.

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!

February 10, 2000. In the Old Testament, the tribe of Benjamin was a tiny sliver of land strategically positioned between its “bigger brothers,” Judah and Ephraim. Despite its size, however, it proved to be one of the most coveted regions in all of Israel. Within its borders were the main east-west route in Isreal, the pivotal city of Jerusalem, and the highly traveled north-south highway along the “Benjamin Plateau.” Its rich biblical history demanded a field trip all to itself.

I’ve overlooked the rolling hills of Gettysburg, envisioning the bloody confrontation between Union and Confederate troops. I’ve stood on the shores of Leyte in the Philippines, imagining American soldiers dodging a barrage of bullets to advance and overtake a Japanese pillbox. But never have I been in a place of such rich military history as the Beth-horon Ridge Route just north of the Benjamin border.

Situated between two treacherous valleys, this small ridge has been the main western access to central Palestine since antiquity. It was here that Joshua drove out the Amorites in Joshua 10, where the Philistines persistently crept into the heart of Israel, where Pharoah Shishak of Egypt intruded to threaten king Rehoboam, and where the Greeks and Romans gained a foothold to assault the northern gate of Jerusalem. More recently, the British utilized this ridge in 1917, and the Israelis penetrated the West Bank via this route in 1967. This was the first main stop of our Benjamin field trip on Thursday, February 10. Here, we studied the tactics of Joshua, saw the remains of an ancient Roman road, and noticed some trenches still remaining from the Israeli Six-Day War.

From there, we traveled a few miles east to the town of Nebi Samwil, an impressive vista where Solomon probably asked the Lord for wisdom. From this plateau, we could see for miles in all directions: the Beth-Horon Ridge Route to the northwest, Jerusalem to the southeast, and the “Road of the Patriarchs” to the east, along the north-south ridge of the Central Benjamin Plateau (CBP).

From south to north (right to left), I could clearly see the Mount of Olives, Gibeah (King Saul’s capital), Ramah (Samuel’s birthplace), Mizpah (the Babylonians’ center of administration), and Bethel (I can’t begin to list all the biblical events that occurred here; just look this city up in a concordance!). I never would have imagined that all of these towns were in such close proximity! Within my view, an unprecedented amount of Scripture was actually lived out!

We then drove just a couple miles to see the Pool of Gibeon mentioned in 2 Samuel 2. Entering a small opening with flashlights in hand, we gradually descended down a stepped tunnel for several hundred feet.

Small fragments of Israelite potsherds were still scattered about the ground. And sure enough – once we reached the bottom, we came to a cistern room, where water collected from the Pool deeper back in the bedrock. I know it’s hard to understand this description, but believe me, it was exhilarating! Adjacent to the cave opening was a tower also dating to the Israelite period.

Our next stop was “The Pass,” between the biblical cities of Michmash and Geba. Roads in the Judean Hill Country tend to ride along the ridges, avoiding the steep and often treacherous river valleys. However, “The Pass” is a unique area because it actually crosses over the river bed (“wadi” in Arabic) instead of avoiding it. It is a “shortcut,” as it were, that dates back to biblical times.

Here, at “The Pass,” Joshua probably journeyed on his night expedition from Gilgal to Gibeon (Josh. 10), Jonathon launched a surprise attack on the Philistine camp, and Jesus most likely traveled on His way from Jerusalem to Ephraim (Jn. 11:54). Subsequently, we headed east into the Judean Wilderness on our way to Jericho.

When I first saw modern Jerusalem a couple weeks ago, I was surprised by the density of its population. On Thursday, I was equally shocked when I saw the desolation of the Judean wilderness! What a barren wasteland! Literally, not one building could be seen for miles around. The scattered Bedouin tents and occasional flock of sheep indicate that this region has hardly changed since the days of Abraham.

The famous city of Jericho was our next destination. It’s quite a tourist trap, complete with camel rides, cable cars, souvenir shops, restaurants, and a vegetable market. Nevertheless, the site of ancient Jericho is still intact. It has been the location of much archeological study over the years, and we spent a good hour walking around the tel and admiring its different features.

I must confess, my Sunday School perceptions of Jericho were immediately shattered. This was no vast metropolis with 100-foot high walls! It was a small town covering several acres of land. After all, the Israelite army had to march around it 7 times in one day! Still, it was a formidable barrier to the Judean Hill Country. Undoubtedly, its walls and gates would have been well-fortified, for it was the critical city that guarded the eastern approach to the heartland (much like the Beth-horon Ridge on the West). Suffice it to say Joshua knew what he was doing when he commenced his conquest of Canaan. He was a cunning general, well-educated in military strategy! And the destruction of Jericho was a big first step on the road to victory.

Heading back toward Yad HaShmona by late afternoon, we made one final stop along the “Ascent of Adummim.” This route, mentioned in the account of the “Good Samaritan,” connects the cities of Jericho and Jerusalem, and runs along the southern edge of the Wadi Qilt. We climbed out of the bus one last time, and after hiking over a small hill, found ourselves at the very brink of the river valley.

Before my eyes was an abysmal cavern, enclosed by sharp, craggy cliffs on both sides. It stretched east to west as far as the eye could see, and far below us ran the river bed itself. I can hardly begin to express the magnitude of the site! Always keep in mind: those blue lines on your Bible map are NOT gently winding streams; they can be immense gorges that plunge deep into the earth! In response to all we had seen on our field trip, we sang praises to the Lord the rest of the way home.

And just as we reached the crest of the Judean hills and caught our first glimpse of the coastland further West, God offered us a spectacular sunset. What a beautiful, awe-inspiring conclusion to our day! Grateful for all He has done, 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!

In February 2000, our IBEX class visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the Jewish temple once stood and Jesus and his apostles walked long ago. I described this experience the other day, but wanted to share another highlight which took place later in the semester.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims all consider the Temple Mount to be of great religious significance. Muslims view it as their third holiest site (Mecca and Medina being the top two) because tradition says their prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven here. Most are familiar with the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque on the mount. These date back to the 600s AD.

A less visible third mosque is also accessible from the Temple Mount. It’s completely underground, and is called the Al-Marwani Mosque, historically known as “Solomon’s Stables.” After Shabbat service on Saturday, April 8, 2000 we had the chance to visit this area. We were told it was a privilege to be taken down here, and that no cameras were allowed. So instead, I pulled out my notebook and made a quick sketch.

I suppose this drawing doesn’t help much. It was a large area with carpets on the floor and rows of arches. It’s the largest mosque in Israel and is said to fit up to 10,000 worshippers. While we were not allowed to take any photos, I did find this image in the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.

Leen Ritmeyer described the area: “Below the platform at the southeast angle are huge underground vaults that are mistakenly called Solomon’s Stables… The only Herodian elements belonging to this construction are the outer walls of the Temple Mount at the southeast corner. In its middle northern part there are the conspicuous remains of a vault which appears to be the oldest element of this underground construction.” (The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, p. 98)

Todd Bolen says “Solomon’s Stables have 88 pillars of characteristic Herodian masonry that divide the area into 12 vaulted aisles. The Crusaders incorrectly believed that this area dated from the time of Solomon, and because they stabled their horses here, they assumed that the former king did as well.  In fact, they were built by Herod only to support the plaza above it.”

This underground area served many purposes over the centuries, from structural support, to horse stable, to modern day mosque. There are still mysteries to be solved, but excavations are not allowed. A fascinating bonus spot on the Temple Mount!