stumbling out the gate at ten to seven with eyes still fuzzy from sleep, we made our way just below the jaffa gate to meet our classroom/bus for the next 11 hours. we saw more places than i think i can remember, but will try to relate what we saw. here is a mini preview of what we saw--nahil refaim, beth-shemesh, gezer, nabi-samwil, lookout, old-testament site of jericho, and a second lookout. some of you recognize those names, but others... you are still struggling to sound them out. don't worry... we had the same difficulties. we were working on maps the other night and reading them out loud and one of the professors walked by laughing at us.
starting out, we headed south of jerusalem and into the hill country for a brief stop over-looking a green lush terrain which was a stark contrast to the wilderness we traveled through later in the day. the first significant stop was at the ancient site of beth-shemesh. an area once filled with vines, wheat, and olives as well as foxes and lions served as samson's playground. beth-shemesh was also the place where the ark of the covenant was received when it was sent back to israel after capture by the philistines.
gezer, the front door to the hill country, 
found us in a sea of waving grasses in red and brown. looking at the ridges and valleys (nahils/wadis), the ability to understand that whomever controls this valley and the surrounding low hills commands jerusalem's first line of defense is given. the park also contained portions of a solomonic gate and an old water system. if not for a slight breeze, our walk through the thistles and tall grass would have been much warmer as the sun bore down on us. i think i understand why they recommend bringing hats and large water bottles.
found us in a sea of waving grasses in red and brown. looking at the ridges and valleys (nahils/wadis), the ability to understand that whomever controls this valley and the surrounding low hills commands jerusalem's first line of defense is given. the park also contained portions of a solomonic gate and an old water system. if not for a slight breeze, our walk through the thistles and tall grass would have been much warmer as the sun bore down on us. i think i understand why they recommend bringing hats and large water bottles. 
that he was buried on the hill at nabi-samwil. from our vantage point on the roof of the mosque, we traveled the four corners and could see at times over 15 miles into the distance. we could see the dome of the rock, the mount of olives, ramallah, gibeon, and others. we chose not to go the gibeon due to their negative attitude toward outsiders. after listening to dr. c's lecture, we acted like children playing on the roof and skirting across the domes on top. all to soon.. we heard dr. c's whistle for us to head back to the bus and head on to the next stop.around this time, the majority of the class was beginning to realize that the sun was very warm and while the blowing wind kept us cooler it wasn't preventing the sun from leaving a pink hue to our skin. as we climbed on the bus, fervent application of a variety of SPF began, but the damage had been done. tomorrow's travel will be done by a darker...or perhaps brighter group.
the next stop was a lookout. from here we were able to look along the ridge route and visualize the patriarchs as they went about day to day life--abraham and lot deciding how to divide the land and jacob's travel to find a wife, to run from his brother.
leaving the lookout placed us on a road built with once switchback after another. driving in a small car, i would drive timidly, but our driver took our tour bus of several tons around corner after corner 
with expertise. grateful and safe, we arrived in jericho. although sometimes disputed, we could see the remains of what dr. c believe the be the very walls that the isrealites destroyed thousands of years ago. careful work by diligent archaeologists have made all this possible.
with expertise. grateful and safe, we arrived in jericho. although sometimes disputed, we could see the remains of what dr. c believe the be the very walls that the isrealites destroyed thousands of years ago. careful work by diligent archaeologists have made all this possible. we wandered around this oasis in the midst of barren wilderness for a while and picked up some great dried fruit and dead sea mud mask that jenni and i are going to try later.
wearily we walked back down the hill toward the bus. some rode the camel and some just laughed. it was a good end to a long day of lessons.
