On April 22, 2000, IBEX students visited Jerusalem to learn about its tombs. It was a combined field trip of both Jerusalem Studies and Archaeology classes, and thankfully a few extra spaces were available for those enrolled in neither class. Being the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it was the perfect day to go visit tombs in Jerusalem.

Our first tomb was the “Tomb of the Kings,” named after Queen Helena of Mesopotamia, who converted to Judaism and contributed heavily to its cause during the first century AD. This tomb is considered the “best of the best,” and is a textbook example of Second Temple Period design.

Matthew 27:59–60 tells us that shortly after Jesus died on Good Friday, Joseph of Arimathea “took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.“

The Tomb of the Kings dates to the same general timeframe as Jesus’ tomb, and bears some of the same characteristics – including a rolling stone, koch and archesolium benches, and distinct “comb chiseling” on the walls.

Beyond the antechamber were eight burial chambers – six on the first level, and two on a second level. Two sarcophagi were found here in 1863 that are now displayed in the Louvre.

Tombs during this time had one of two types of burial “benches” where a body would be laid. A koch was a shaft-like tomb, similar to what you might find in a morgue. Only the head or feet of the corpse would be visible, and the chamber would be sealed off with a stone slab while the body underwent decay.

The second type was an archesolium, named for the semicircle “arch” above it. Jesus was probably laid to rest one of these, since Mark 16:5 says that when the women arrived on Easter morning, they “saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe.” It would have been impossible for a figure to sit on a koch, so it seems likely he was sitting on an archesolium.

After our visit to the Tomb of the Kings, we climbed back up the stairway and headed to another area to see an even older tomb from the First Temple Period.

St. Etiene Church north of the Old City was built directly above some First Temple Period tombs (hundreds of years before the time of Christ).

At least one of the tombs belonged to a wealthy family and has remained largely intact since the 8th century BC. Archaeologist Gabi Barkay says some of the bones found here date all the way back to the Iron Age.

Of special note was a double cornice on the wall near the ceiling, which added decoration to the tomb and helped support the ceiling structure. There was also a hole in the ceiling which may have been for a metal chandelier. Dimensions throughout the tomb were very exact and well planned.

2 Chronicles 16:14 provides a description of First Temple burial practices, saying that king Asa was buried “in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer’s art, and they made a very great fire in his honor.”

Bodies would be laid out on a burial bench and treated with spices, where they would decompose for about a year. After the body had decayed and only the skeleton was left, family members would re-enter the tomb and a second burial took place, collecting the bones and placing them in a repository underneath the tomb. Literally, your bones were gathered and mingled with your ancestors and you “slept with your fathers” (1 Kings 2:10).

Etiene is “Stephen” in French, so I made sure to get a picture inside the church before leaving.

Next we visited the “Garden Tomb” near St Etiene. This area is one of the few evangelical holy sites in Jerusalem and has become a cherished place to quietly reflect on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Having seen tomb architecture from both the First and Second Temple Periods, we were invited to assess what period this one dated to. We concluded this tomb could not be the actual tomb of Jesus. It was neither in the right place, nor did it bear the right features, to be a Second Temple period tomb. His tomb is likely closer to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Most importantly, it’s empty!

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!

April 19, 2000. My day started out rather slow. I got up early (7:30-ish), hoping to get a lot accomplished, but my body seemed to tell me otherwise. Once I had finished breakfast and found out that I couldn’t make it to Tel Aviv to pick up my camera (which I left there during our field trip last week – sometimes I’m so irresponsible!), I tried to do some reading, but I was just too tired. Most of the morning was spent dozing.

My afternoon and evening were far better and more productive. After lunch, I did a little reading and started a load of laundry, then Justin and I walked about a mile to Kiriat Jearim, where the Ark of the Covenant once rested. Today, there is a large sanctuary (Byzantine, I suspect) with some mosaic floors and great acoustics.

There is also a Catholic convent on the hilltop. Justin and I walked around for a while and then headed back after we’d seen everything. Our whole trip lasted just under two hours, and it was well worthwhile. Then, I came back to the room and read most of the afternoon.

Dinner was a highlight of the semester, for we had a formal Passover Seder in the Conference Hall (just the IBEX students and faculty were there).

It was such a wonderful time of reflection on God’s deliverance. And how amazing to think that we were taking part in the oldest, continuously observed religious holiday in the history of mankind!

I would really like the churches in America to better understand the Jewish religious festivals. While these practices are not mandated for the Gentile church, I think it very valuable for everyone to at least experience one Passover Seder, Sukkot celebration, etc. It makes the Old Testament come to life, and it helps us to see how Christ was the fulfillment of many Old Testament symbols.

After our Seder, the Moshav volunteers put on a play about Moses delivering the Israelite people out of Egypt. It was a riot!

Then, I went down to the miklat and played a couple rounds of Pit, followed by an intense game of Scrabble against Cameron (which I won😊). Now, I’m going to read more of the Passion Week gospel harmony, take a shower in the sauna (my nightly tradition), and hit the sack.

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!

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!