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Sunday, 29 May 2011 01:12

  • If a trip into the biblical world must begin with the great cities of antiquity, surely it should start at Caesarea of the Sea, capital of Roman Palestine and birthplace of Gentile Christianity
  • Caesarea was outfitted to entertain western-types like us with all the amenities and resources ferried in
  • At the Jordan’s outlet in the south with its hot and brackish springs is the unparalleled Dead Sea, marking the lowest point on the face of our planet.
  • On the sea’s northwest shore, desert monks eked out a precarious existence at Qumran seeking authentic faith within the Scriptures they recorded and preserved (next).
  • Their livelihood brought them in touch frequently with the well-watered canyon of Ein Gedi, where a thousand years before, David hid from King Saul (I Samuel 24).
  • The desert did not limit the luxuries of Masada bordering the sea south of Ein Gedi. Refuge for its developer, Herod, meant raising an ancient five-star “Las Vegas” for his family and personal bodyguard in case of trouble.
  • Byzantine monks, five centuries later, sought a less ostentatious survival there. The desert sinks deeply into our souls.
  • Years after being there, it continues to leave a strong impression with its captivating fauna and “valleys of death shadows” (next).
  • Climbing back to the western defensive line of ancient national Israel, we find the city of Beersheba in the region where Abraham lived as a desert-dweller.
  • The mammoth water tunnel inside its walls provided dependable access to water reserves in times of siege.
  • Lachish, star city of the Judean fort system, afforded ample protection against the most formidable of foes, monarchs like Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezar who assaulted its gates and walls.
  • The Elah Valley, where David slew Goliath, demanded similar protective measures, with its corridor exposing Bethlehem and Jerusalem to their enemies, like the Philistines, on the coast.
  • This capital, Jerusalem, “beautiful for situation,” awaits us. Nothing can compare with the wonder of first sighting its towers and turrets from the Mount of Olives.
  • What passion it ignites in us still, just as it did in ancient times (next)!
  • How can we then not join with Jesus of Nazareth on the night of his agony among the olive trees in Gethsemane...
  • ...in incarceration at the House of Caiaphas...
  • ...and on the streets where he walked to Golgotha (next)...
  • ...stopping finally to celebrate hope for humanity in the midst of human despair.
  • These moments hold us captive forever and tie us to Jerusalem, yearning for world renewal.
 
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