Strong Tower

Herod's Tower at Herodion

Sunday in the Holy Land! Mike, our guide, kept telling us today was an "easy" day—but there was still a lot of uphill climbing! We began the morning at the Olive Tree with a full breakfast and then we headed back through the security checkpoint to Bethlehem in order to visit the Herodion. Herod the Great (so called not because he was nice or a benevolent ruler—he was neither—but because he built so many great things in the nation of Israel) built this as a palace, literally moving one mountain to another place so that a small hill became a huge fortress—and we all walked to the top of it! This palace had two walls (outer and inner) and many soldiers lived here whose sole job was to keep Herod safe. He had a private bathhouse, private staircase and a lavish reception area, much of which is still being excavated (they were working today even). The Herodion is in sight of both Jerusalem and Bethlehem, so Herod could keep an eye on the nation while he was here. It also had a lavish swimming pool at the foot of the mountain—quite an extravagance in the desert!

I was most struck today by standing beneath the ruins of a huge tower Herod built on one end of his palace. It was a tower that was only for soldiers to use in defense of the fortress. As I stood beneath that huge construction of stones, I kept hearing Psalm 61:3 in my heart and mind: "For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe." Herod thought he needed a literal tower to protect him; what he really needed was the God who is our strong tower.

Herod was mad, paranoid and yet a genius in terms of building. This palace was also his burial ground, and in 2007, his tomb was found (it had been looted and desecrated after his burial); today the sarcophagus is in the Israel Museum (which we visited in the afternoon). Herod the King was a megalomaniac, and a distinct contrast to Jesus the King.

It was Jesus the King whom we celebrated next as we went into Beit Sahour ("house of the watch") and we visited Shepherd's Field...as in "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night." As in Luke 2. The site we visited is only one of several possibilities for the location—we're not sure where it happened exactly—but while we visited the caves and the beautiful Franciscan church, we sang Christmas carols...Joy to the World...Hark! The Herald Angels Sing...Away in a Manger...and concluded with a chorus of "Alleluia." Cathy—the only time it's permissible to sing Christmas carols in June is when you're in the Holy Land!

But the biggest surprise was yet to come. Today was not only Father's Day, it was also Doug & Cindy's anniversary, so Cindy surprised him with a time to renew their vows here in the Holy Land. Pastor Rick led a brief service and we celebrated their marriage. (The highlight of the service was Doug's pants, though—check the pictures.) After the vow renewal, we all went for the "reception" or, as it was called, lunch at Ruth's Restaurant in Beit Sahour. Yummy chicken shawarma and french fries.

With lunch over, we did a bit more shopping, then headed to the Israel Museum. When I first came to this place, the model of first century Jerusalem was on the grounds of the Holy Land Hotel and had been created for those who could not get to the Old City (before 1967, Jerusalem was a divided city). Today, that model has been relocated to the Israel Museum, and we went to study it before we go tomorrow into the Old City. We also visited the "Shrine of the Book," where the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display. The importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls cannot be overemphasized as their discovery beginning in 1946 gave us copies and fragments of Biblical (and other) texts that are among the oldest in anyone's possession today. They serve to verify that the text we have today has been passed down so accurately from generation to generation, from copy to copy. I was surprised at how small the writing is on many of the scrolls. It would certainly take a steady hand to make such detailed copies of these texts!

The rest of the museum was then ours to explore, though much of it is modern and...strange. We did finally find our way to the archaeological section, and what caught my attention was a "holy of holies" on display from a non-centralized Temple. It was found with the last incense offered still on the altar, and that has been preserved. Centuries of history in those rocks! The last worship service, still evident. I kept going back to this display and studying it, trying to memorize its details, and reflect on what worship meant to the people who came to this sanctuary.

There is much in the Israel Museum, and I see new things each time I go. The history is incredible, the collection is wonderful, but it's not worth anything if it doesn't propel us toward the future. We should learn from the past, determine how our ancestors relied on God the strong tower (as opposed to other means of protection) and move forward in that confidence.

So now we prepare for a filling dinner here at the Olive Tree (with gelato, of course), then a good night of rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day once again!