Negev Day 3

     Once we were all packed up and ready to go, we drove up the Aravah towards Timnah. The Aravah is Biblically known as the area along the Jordan River South of the Sea of Galilee.  In modern Israel it is more commonly associated with the southern region from the Dead Sea and down.  Across the Aravah is modern day Jordan.  It once was the territory of Edom, the descendants of Esau.  Timnah is a national park in Israel that once was used “in antiquity” for copper mining. It hosts a life-size model of the Tabernacle as well as other natural wonders and left overs from the mining days.  There are arches, pillars, left over mines, and a temple to the goddess of the miners. The main highlight was walking through the Tabernacle model. 

     Our tour guide was very helpful in widening our view of the Tabernacle.  Just as the Bible describes, there is only one entrance in.  He compared the one entrance to Jesus who is the only way to the Father.  There was a four-horned altar that would have been used for daily sacrifices and others: Jesus is our everlasting sacrifice.  Next was the laver used for washing of hands and feet: Jesus washes away our sin with His blood.  Five pillars support the front end of the Tent: possibly representing the five books of Moses, and beyond that only priests can enter.  Priests were direct descendants of Aaron who were able to go into the Tent and preform sacrifices, where as the Levites were care takers of the Tabernacle and looked after it when traveling.

     It was really neat how our tour guide directed things back to Jesus and the promises made to those who believe in Him. For example, only priests could go in, and he reminded us that we are a holy priesthood. (1 Peter) Inside the Tent was a Menorah, Table with bread, a small gold altar for the special incense and models of priests. With the Menorah and the bread, the tour guide reminded us that Jesus is both the light of the world, and the bread of life. Then there were four pillars sectioning off the Holy of Holies, with a curtain behind them.  The curtain separated the people from the presence of God. Only once a year could a priest go in.  But when Jesus died, the curtain was torn in the middle signifying complete access to God.  

     

It was also interesting that when someone dies, a symbol of mourning and grief is for one to tear his garment, the tour guide connected this custom with the tearing of the curtain as well. In the Holy of Holies was a model of the Ark, carrying the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s staff, and manna. Everything in the Tabernacle had symbolism pointing back to Christ!  I never realized how many parallels there were.

     We saw some of the other sights to see at Timnah including Solomon’s Pillars and Hathor’s Temple. After Timnah we went to a zoo!  There were not too many animals in there, many of them looked sad, and one even had rabies possibly! There were snakes, foxes of all sorts, turtles, owls, wolf like dogs, hyenas, leopards, and vultures! On the bus ride up to Masada we played a brutal game of Mafia where our own professor nearly conquered and killed everyone!

     After dinner we took a walk through the dirty, chalky, chaffy dunes by the hostel. It was dark and we had to help each other with our lights, and there was a part where we had to run up the side of a dune as quickly as we could before the sand caved beneath our feet. It was messy but fun! When we got to one spot we sang songs and had some minutes of silent prayer.  It was really cold so we wandered back to our dorms to get some sleep before the big hike of the semester…Masada!

Negev Day 2

     Our second day was a very relaxing, and sweet time.  After checking out of our rooms we walked along the Machtesh Ramon ridge, towards Camel Hill and then descended into the crater.  Benj asked us to take the hike down in silence and prayer.  In a sense I got to hike with God.  There had been many questions and thoughts that I had been avoiding, and it was good for my soul to have this memorable quite time with the Lord. 

    When we finished that hike we started our drive towards Eilat.  Along the way we drove through the Wilderness of Paran where Benj gave us some time to read the Word on our own in the desert. We read though  Numbers 13-14, and Deut. 8 and were able to take time and reflect on what it must have been like for the Israelites when they found out that they would not see the Holy Land, or when the spies came back with the news of the giants. 

     As we continued to drive down south, many of us were weary from the hikes and fell asleep along the way.  I awoke to Benj telling us that we were driving right along the Egyptian border!  It was cool looking over the barbed wire fence into a country that I have heard about so many times. Surprisingly it did not look too different than the land that we were driving on in Israel, but it was still neat! 

     When we arrived at Eilat, we were instructed on what to do and what not to do while snorkeling.  It was my first time, and it was so neat swimming with the tropical fish!  Lamaya and I both enjoyed trying to figure out how snorkel goggles worked as well. Another highlight of the day was our lunch.  Benj had ordered us pepperoni pizza!  It had been a long, long time since I had had non-kosher pizza!  We spent some more time at the beach snorkeling, freezing, and playing catch with a football. 

     

     That evening before dinner we walked on the boardwalk and looked at extremely overpriced stores and restaurants.  Our dinner was delicious, and we got to drink out of actual glasses!  (You have to understand that most of the time we use our water bottles, camel backs, or these small plastic cups.  So getting to drink out of real glasses was a treat!)

    That evening the group went back to the boardwalk and wandered around.  We ended up splitting into groups as some wanted to go to a store here, and others wanted to go there.  Four of us decided to find a little coffee place and just chat over a cup of something sweet. It was nice and relaxing to get to know them a little more.  The day was not super academic, but it was memorable and enjoyable! We did learn that only three kings were able to control and hold ports at Eilat: Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and Uziah.