Bethlehem

  

As Christmas approaches, our thoughts turn to Bethlehem, where our Messiah was born. I decided this was a good time to reflect on our visit to Bethlehem earlier this year. My mother-in-law, Bea, was with us and foot the bill for our expensive taxi ride. We appreciate her helping us see some sites, including Bethlehem, that we would not have been able to visit otherwise. (Since we operate on a fixed budget when we work overseas, we have to carefully monitor our finances, and we do not do a lot of sightseeing that requires a lot of additional funds.) I hope you enjoy reading this blog article: my analysis of Beit Lechem - then and now. Merry Christmas!!!

“Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…” This traditional Christmas carol evokes soothing images of stillness, peace and rest. The song makes me think of a Thomas Kinkade painting depicting a quaint little Bavarian-style village. Warm light spills from the windows of cozy cottages, beckoning weary travelers, inviting them to be refreshed by the serenity of a perfect world.

In reality, the modern town of Bethlehem has little tranquility to offer. Currently, Bethlehem is a town politically divided. The population of 30,000 is a blend of ethnicities and religions, with Palestinian Muslims now taking the population lead. The constantly shifting political atmosphere produces an unstable environment in Bethlehem. No one – regardless of ethnicity or religion – is insured a safe haven in the not-so-little town of Bethlehem.

Even when Jesus was born, Bethlehem’s inhabitants probably did not live with a sense of perfect security. After all, Herod, an unpredictable and paranoid madman, ruled over their lives. He didn’t flinch at ordering the slaughter of children in Bethlehem two years and younger, in his attempt to destroy Jesus.

Like most of Israel, the buildings are constructed of stone, close together, in a peg-leg style along the sides of hills. And like many ancient biblical cities, Bethlehem sits atop a winding ridge. It is hilly country, green enough for shepherds to keep their flocks supplied with adequate pasture. Bethlehem is a mere five miles south of Jerusalem. In biblical times, it was within the boundary of the tribe of Judah.

What English-speaking people call Bethlehem is Beit Lechem in Hebrew. It means “House of Bread.” The Arabic pronunciation is similar – Bet Lahm – and it translates to mean “House of Meat.” In the Bible, “bread” and “meat” are often generic words that simply mean “food.” Simply, the overall meaning of Bethlehem is “House of Food” with an unstated special reference to grain and bread. An example of Bethlehem’s grain industry is seen in Ruth 1:22. Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem in “the beginning of barley harvest.”

Bethlehem was also called Ephrath (Ge 35:16,19; 48:7), Ephratah (Ruth 4:11), Bethlehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2), Bethlehemjudah (Judges 17:7-9; 19:1-18; Ruth 1:1-2; I Samuel 17:12), and the City of David (Luke 2:4,11).

I suppose my visit to Bethlehem was a bit jaded from the start. I wanted to visit the town but I had repeatedly been told that Bethlehem was not the dreamy town of manger scenes and cute Christmas plays. Not only is this historic town rife with political dissent, it is also monopolized by religious groups who cater to tourists’ inclination to gravitate to sacred and supposedly-sacred places. Tourists, Christian clerics, Arab merchants, and taxi drivers all make for quite a colorful – and slightly chaotic – crowd.

Since Jewish rental cars cannot be driven into this Palestinian-controlled area, my mother-in-law hired a taxi to take us to Bethlehem. Our pass through the Bethlehem checkpoint was a breeze, thanks to our taxi driver and checkpoint personnel who took one quick glance at us and decided we did not look too threatening. Once in Bethlehem, our taxi driver pulled up to a hotel, not our destination. Turns out he thinks we need a guide…one of his friends. We don’t want one but it takes a while to convince them of our decision.

Manger Square is dominated on one side by the Mosque of Omar and on the other side by the unembellished Church of the Nativity. This church is a hodge-podge blend of architecture. Three different religious orders are allocated space in this building: the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church. We bent low as we entered through the undersized door of the threshold. The dimly lit, stone-lined central room was supported by Corinthian columns and adorned with various religious icons, wall murals, and garish chandeliers.

A long line had formed to the right. An unofficial Arab guide approached us and told us that the people were waiting their turn to view the traditional place of Jesus’ birth. He forcefully offered to help us, and we soon learned that he was skilled at edging his way into the crowd. It was not our idea of making friends and influencing people. But by this time we were committed, so we followed him as he wormed his way into the mass of tourists. It reminded me of public grade school children cutting into a long lunch line, eager to get their favorite government-issued meal.

Rather than a slice of pizza or sloppy Joes, however, everyone was eager to view the place where Helena declared that Mary had given birth to Jesus. With our “guide” beside us, we merged into the crowd, following a group of men in black suits; I assume they were monks. At one point they broke into singing, in Latin, I presume. After inching through a narrow hallway, where wax from overhead candles dripped onto one of my favorite sweaters, we reached our destination.

Over a grotto that is under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church, a 14-pointed star adorns the marble floor of a dimly lit altar. No one seems to know why there are 14 points on the star, but the most plausible explanation is that the number 14 represents the 14 generations between Abraham and David, as well as the 14 generations between David and Jesus. At this place that allegedly marks Baby Jesus’ delivery room, people bent to kiss the star on the floor. We declined the kissing procedure, preferring to simply pause briefly to view the décor and engage in some people watching.

  

Several notable Bible figures – Rachel, Ruth, and David – have connections to Bethlehem.

Rachel was Jacob’s beloved wife. She was buried near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). A tomb commemorates her death and women go there to pray for safe pregnancies.

Ruth, a woman from the land of Moab, married a man from Bethlehem who had moved to her land with his mother, father, and brother to escape a famine in the land of Judah. Ruth’s husband died and she traveled to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi, who had also become a widow. It was in Bethlehem that Ruth married another Bethlehem native, Boaz. Ruth and Boaz were David’s grandparents. Ruth and Boaz are also listed in the genealogical account of Joseph, Mary’s husband. Since genealogical records were not kept for women, but men only, this provides a legal record of Jesus’ earthly ancestral line (Ruth 1:1-22; 4:13; Matthew 1:5; Luke 2:4; John 7:42).

Bethlehem was David’s hometown. It was here that he was anointed king by the prophet Samuel. It was on the hills of Bethlehem that he guarded his father’s sheep, cultivated his ability to use a sling, and killed a bear and a lion to protect the sheep. Samuel, at the command of the Lord, traveled to Bethlehem to anoint David king of Israel (I Samuel 16:1-13).

One of the more interesting sites in Bethlehem is one of the most obscure. King David’s Wells are three cisterns that were discovered in 1895. They are surrounded by a low metal gate. Since we did not know that the wells could be reached by walking just a short distance from Manger Square, we opted for the long way. (That seems to be our trend, since we serve as our own tour guide!) We climbed up an entire hillside of steps, hurrying since the taxi driver was waiting for us. The wells, which were located on the property of a Catholic school, were deserted. We opened the unlocked gate and let ourselves into the site.

Why are these wells significant? Even though it is unknown if these wells have a biblical connection, it is tempting to imagine heroes from David’s army furtively drawing water from them.

When David was in hiding, trying to preserve his life from Saul’s wrath, he longed out loud for a drink of water from Bethlehem’s well: “Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” Then as now, Bethlehem was a city in conflict. The Philistines had invaded the area and taken control of David’s hometown, turning it into a battle zone. Three of David’s loyal warriors broke through the enemy lines and brought David precious water from the well. David was so overwhelmed by the loyalty and courage of these mighty men, he poured the water out onto the ground (II Samuel 23:14-17; I Chronicles 11:16-19).

Yom Kippur

  

At Timna, in southern Israel, is a reconstruction of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. To the left is a picture of the outside of the tabernacle. The Ark of the Covenant, covered by the Mercy Seat, was in the Most Holy Place.

Guest Blogger: Imelda Quibin

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the sixth of the seven Feasts of the Lord. According to the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur falls seven days after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).

Old Testament References

Leviticus 16 is about the Scapegoat. “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities” (Leviticus 16:21-22).

“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God” (Leviticus 23:26-32).

Many verses, especially in Leviticus and Numbers, taught the children of Israel how to strictly observe the Day of Atonement. It was a day of contrition, repentance, a day for sins to be atoned by God.

(Sylvia's Note: "Yom" is Hebrew for "day." The root word of "Kippur" means "to cover or hide." It also means "to obliterate." A similar Hebrew word is "Kapporet," which means "Mercy Seat.")

Current Jewish Practices on Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is a solemn day of fasting. When my employer hears the word "Latsum" (the Hebrew word for “fasting”), she automatically responds, “I’m exempt!” Old people, young children, and servants are exempt from fasting.

Public and private vehicles are not seen on the streets, aside from police and medical emergency vehicles.

Nowadays, each religious sect of Jews observes the Day of Atonement differently. My employer is a 96-year-old non-observant Jew from Europe. She is Ashkenazi by origin. She cannot move from her house to the synagogue so an older family member comes to her home. He brings very old coins, maybe from their ancestors. He puts the coins in a plastic bag and waves them over the head of my employer as he recites some prayers.

I asked my employer’s granddaughter, “Why coins?” She explained to me that they do this to ask God’s forgiveness. She said that God’s forgiveness cannot be bought for any amount of money. That is very true; we can't bribe the LORD JESUS.

Some ultra-orthodox Jews like Haridim perform the "kapparot" ritual, synonymous to that of the scapegoat. They wave a live chicken over the heads of their loved ones to transfer the individual's sins to the animal. The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the poor, or the family shares it. (Some people, like my employer, use coins instead of a chicken.)

Jesus Christ as the Atonement
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). What a great promise LORD JESUS! We do not have to receive atonement for our sins every year but we are washed completely by your precious BLOOD. We just have to repent of our sins, and continue in our walk with Him until His second appearing, as the above verse implies. There are many other verses in the Scripture about the Atonement; even the prophet Isaiah prophesied about this.

Yom Kippur, 1973

 
   

In 1973, Syria from the Northeast and Egypt from the South, backed by other Arab countries, invaded Israel on Yom Kippur. They took advantage of the one day of the year when nearly all Israelis would be indoors, resting, fasting, and praying. Many soldiers left their posts to spend the day with their families. Public transportation and broadcasting were shut down in observance of that day. However, some analysts believe that the surprise attack was to the Israelis' advantage. The roads were clear to mobilize forces and broadcasting was free to focus the public's attention on the conflict. The war lasted just under three weeks, from October 6 to October 25. In the end, Israel resisted the invasion and pushed back the Arab forces.

We visited Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. This was a strategic point during the 1973 war. As Syria tried to invade their land, the Israelis defended Mount Bental. The Syrians had 1,500 tanks to Israel's 160 and 1,000 artillery pieces to Israel's 60. The battle was brutal and casualties were high but in the end, Israel still controlled the Golan Heights. Between Mount Bental and Mount Hermon to the north is a long valley. It came to be called Kuneitra Valley, or Valley of Tears.

The Israelis overtook the Syrian town of Kuneitra during the war in the most interesting way. On the final day of the war, a Syrian broadcast announced that Kuneitra, the Syrian headquarters for the area, had fallen to the Israelis. It hadn't, but the Syrian soldiers didn't know that, so they retreated further into Syria. The Israelis then captured Kuneitra without a fight. A ceasefire was called and the Yom Kippur War officially came to an end. What remains of Kuneitra lies in a demilitarized zone between the two nations.

Interestingly, Paul's dramatic encounter with the Lord on the Damascus Road is traditionally believed to be in Kokab, a village to the northeast of Kuneitra.

We walked through the old bunkers and trenches, some of them pockmarked, mute reminders of the blood that was shed in this area in October of 1973.

The view from the top of Mount Bental is beautiful. On a clear day the observant eye can see far into the distance. A weathered signpost points to regional cities - Damascus, Amman, Baghdad - and tells the distance to those places. A United Nations compound in the valley is easily observed. They are there to maintain the sometimes volatile, paper-thin relationship between Israel and Syria.

On top of Mount Bental, it is easy to understand why the Israelis founght so hard to retain the Golan Heights. They are a formidable mountain range, a natural defense barrier, a protective wall.The Golan Heights are towering mountains of rock which rise steeply and immediately from the valley floor. I am a far cry from a military analyst, but after seeing the terrain, I presume that whoever holds the Golan also controls the area around it, and that is what makes the Golan Heights worth dying for.

       

A Rose-Red City - Part Five (Final)

  

Petra: Past, Present, and Future
Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Its eclectic blend of architectural styles, combined with the sheer wonder of its creation, make Petra an amazing place to visit. In 1993, King Hussein of Jordan said, “Petra is a stunning physical monument from ancient times, but it is also much more than that; it is a timeless message that speaks to us still of an eternal human capacity to dare, and therefore to achieve bold feats and beautiful wonders.”

John William Burgon, a British theologian, is remembered by history as a fierce opponent to Westcott and Hort, the two men chiefly responsible for the revision of the King James Version of the Bible. But Burgon also went down in history for his poem simply entitled Petra. Though he never visited Petra, he formulated his poem from explorers’ descriptions. The poem’s famous line describes Petra as “A rose-red city – ‘half as old as time.’”

Petra’s past connections to the land of Israel – from the Edomites to the Nabateans – have definite and important biblical links. Today, Petra serves simply as a tourist attraction. Even the Bedouins that once lived in some of Petra’s many caves have been relocated to nearby desert housing. But some people believe that Petra is only lying dormant, until it is once again inhabited. It is possible that Petra might be where the Jews will flee during a time of future tribulation. Prophecy students refer to verses such as Matthew 24:16, Isaiah 33:16, Jeremiah 49:13-14, and Micah 2:12-13 to back their supposition. Prophecy is one topic I have little interest in, so I am highly unqualified to comment on this idea. But I do know that Petra is a natural stronghold, an excellent defensive position. If I needed to suddenly escape from Jerusalem, I might head for Petra. As the crow flies, the two cities are only about 100 miles apart.

Regardless of what the future holds for Petra, its past holds many lessons for us today. We simply need to read the records of Esau, Doeg, Herod Antipas, and others. Unfortunately, it is their mistakes that provide our lesson material. But, if we take heed to their errors, we can take a different path than they chose. Past the din of tourists’ voices and camels’ bellows, Petra’s rose-red walls echo a message: "Learn, glean...remember."

  

A Rose-Red City - Part Four

Paul and Aretas IV

In II Corinthians 11:32-33, Paul recounts that “In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.”

Acts 9:1-27 gives us more background and explanation to Paul’s explanation in II Corinthians. Damascus, Syria is the setting of Paul’s dramatic conversion experience. There Paul’s physical and spiritual eyesight were restored. He was filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized. He did not immediately return to Jerusalem but he stayed “certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.” The gospel is powerful, and overnight Paul went from a persecutor of the gospel to an evangelist promoting the gospel. He went into the synagogues, places where Jews gathered to worship and learn, and “preached Christ.”

As is usually the case, not everyone was thrilled about Paul’s conversion, even though it meant that he was no longer trying to imprison and punish innocent people. So, after a while, “the Jews took counsel to kill him.” People were assigned to lay in wait for Paul, to apprehend him. But “the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket” and he escaped unharmed. This account is similar to how Rahab helped Joshua’s two spies escape from Jericho. “Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall” (Joshua 2:15). In Bible days, domestic dwellings were built along the rock walls of the city. Small openings, or windows, made it possible for such escapes.

Aretas IV was the king of the Nabatean kingdom of Petra and the surrounding area. An article in the Jewish Encyclopedia says this about Aretas IV: “Being the most powerful neighbor of Judea, he frequently took part in the state affairs of that country, and was influential in shaping the destiny of its rulers.” Aretas IV was father-in-law to Herod Antipas. It is likely that Aretas IV may have favored this marriage to encourage political harmony with Israel and Rome.

Damascus was under the control of Aretas IV. Apparently, the Jews appealed to the ruling government leaders to assist them in apprehending Paul. Exactly how much involvement Aretas IV had in this plan is unknown, for Scripture and history are silent on the subject. But the connection is clear. The governor who worked under the authority of Aretas IV was in favor of suppressing Paul’s voice as he spoke of Jesus in Jewish synagogues, assured that Aretas IV would approve of his actions. Because Aretas IV, an idolatrous king, would not have been in favor of Paul’s message.

Bibliography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretas_IV_Philopatris
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1752-aretas

A Rose-Red City - Part Three

  

Herod the Great
Herod, usually called Herod the Great, reigned over the land of Israel during the time when Jesus was born. At that time, Israel was not free, but was under the domination of the powerful Roman Empire. Herod the Great’s authority to rule over Israel was given to him by the Roman Empire and he was subordinate to their commands.

Herod the Great is remembered in history for his stunning and innovative building projects. He built Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast; the aqueduct and some other structures are still standing. Driven by paranoia, he built two mountaintop fortress-palaces – Herodian and Masada - in case he needed to escape for his life. Herod also designed state-of-the-art water storage cisterns and stone conduits to transfer the water into Jerusalem. But Herod the Great’s crowning achievement was the Temple in Jerusalem. He built a massive and magnificent complex to support and surround the Temple. The Western Wall is a remnant of that structure. (Most of the Temple complex, along with almost all of Jerusalem, was destroyed by Titus in 70 A.D.)

There are many 2,000 year old relics that still exist as testimony to Herod the Great’s building achievements. One day, as I was walking through Independence Park in Jerusalem, I noticed a huge stone reservoir. Turns out that this reservoir, called Mamilla Pool, was a part of Herod the Great’s water supply system. It was linked to the Old City of Jerusalem by an underground channel. It measures 291 feet by 192 feet. It was designed to hold 30,000 cubic meters of water. Another time, as we were walking through the park, a man sat in the (dry) reservoir reading a newspaper. It was a funny sight, but I suppose it was a quiet place to read, there in the ruins of Herod the Great’s handiwork.

But Herod’s personal and political life reads like a bad dream turned into a horrific nightmare. Deceit, murder, and other abnormal behavior defined him and produced sour fruit on his family tree. He ordered the assassination of one of his wives, Mariamne I, and her mother, Alexandra. Two brothers-in-law died as a result of his insane behavior and paranoia: Aristobulus III and Kostobar. In addition, he accused three sons – Antipater III, Alexander, and Aristobulus IV – of plotting against him and they were also executed. Considering Herod the Great’s tendency to kill anyone he considered a threat to his kingship, it is not hard to believe that he ordered the death of innocent children, since he feared that one of them would someday take away his power (Matthew 2:1-19; Luke 1:5).

When we read the Bible, it is easy to get confused when we read the word “Herod” because this title belonged to several different people. Sometimes “Herod” refers to Herod the Great. Other times, it refers to one of his sons or grandsons. For well over 100 years, Herod the Great and his descendants played prominent roles in Israel’s history. When Herod the Great died, his kingdom was divided between three of his sons. Throughout the gospels and the book of Acts, the Herod family is connected to key biblical events.

Here’s a summary of the Herods mentioned in the Bible.

Herod Antipas Matthew 14:1-10; Mark 6:14-28; 8:15; Luke 3:1; 19; 9:7-9; 13:31-32; 23:6-12; Acts 13:1
This is one of Herod the Great’s sons. After his father’s death, he ruled over Galilee and Perea. (Perea is the area east of the Jordan River, in modern-day Jordan.) Herod Antipas is best known for ordering the beheading of John the Baptist.

Herod Antipas’ first wife was Phasaelis, the daughter of Aretas IV, king of the Nabateans in Petra. Herod Antipas divorced Phasaelis to marry Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Herod Philip I. Phasaelis returned to Petra. Shortly thereafter, Aretas IV and his army invaded the territory of Herod Antipas, capturing some of his holdings. Although history does not specifically say that Aretas IV’s invasion of Herod Antipas’ land was because he divorced Phasaelis, it is highly probably that Aretas IV retaliated because Herod Antipas had shamed his daughter and their family.

Because John told Herod Antipas, “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife,” Herod Antipas put him in prison. At least on the surface, Herod Antipas liked John and listened to him, “and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” However, Herodias was a wicked woman and, using her daughter Salome, connived a deceitful plan to trick Herod Antipas into beheading John the Baptist.

During Jesus' trial, he was brought before Pontius Pilate. When Pilate found out that Jesus was a Galilaean, he sent him to Herod Antipas, since Galilee was within his jurisdiction. Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time and the the Bible says that "when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracles done by him."

Was Herod Antipas sincere in wanting to listen to Jesus? Or was he just interested in watching a show of healings and miracles? Earlier in his ministry, Jesus called Herod Antipas "that fox." Perhaps Jesus knew the real intentions of Herod Antipas' heart and so "he answered him nothing." This must have infuriated Herod Antipas, so used to wielding his power and expecting his commands to be obeyed. His initial gladness turned to wrath and he and his men mocked Jesus, placing on him a "gorgeous robe." He could find no reason to sentence Jesus, so he sent Him back to Pontius Pilate.

Herod Philip I Matthew 14:3-11; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19
This is one of Herod the Great’s sons. Herodias was married to Herod Philip I but decided to leave him and marry his brother (Herod Antipas) instead. He and Herodias had a daughter named Salome. Herod Philip I did not become involved in civil leadership. Perhaps his lack of political ambition is part of what motivated Herodias to seek a more illustrious life with Herod Antipas.

Herod Philip II Luke 3:1
This is one of Herod the Great’s sons. After his father’s death, he ruled over Ituraea and Trachonitis, modern-day Syria. Herod Philip II rebuilt Caesarea Philippi in the northern area of Israel. He married his niece Salome.

Herod Archelaus Matthew 2:22
This is one of Herod the Great’s sons. After his father’s death, he ruled over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (Edom). During the reign of Herod the Great, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt to escape Herod the Great’s brutal wrath. When Herod died, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to return to Israel. But when Joseph heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea, the area that included Bethlehem, he was afraid. Then, “being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:19-23). Herod Archelaus ruled for only two years before being banished to Gaul by Rome.

Herod Agrippa I Acts 12:1-23
This is one of Herod the Great’s grandsons. He ruled Galilee, Trachonitis, Perea, and Judea. He persecuted the New Testament church and is especially remembered for the murder of James and the imprisonment of Peter.

Herod Agrippa I sat on his throne and made a speech. People shouted and said, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” The angel of the Lord smote him and he died, “because he gave not God the glory.”

Herod Agrippa II Acts 23-26
This is Herod the Great’s great-grandson, the son of Herod Agrippa I. He ruled over Chalis, in southern Lebanon and was later given authority over other areas as well. Rome issued to Herod Agrippa II the oversight of the temple in Jerusalem, and he was authorized to appoint the high priest.

Paul was being accused of the Jews when he was transferred to Caesarea Maritima for judgment before Felix, the governor of Judah. Felix was married to Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa I. They listened to Paul, and “Felix, trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” Felix was sympathetic toward Paul’s plight and was drawn by Paul’s words, but He never relinquished his will and became a Christian. He kept Paul in prison.

After two years, Festus succeeded Felix as governor. He brought Paul before him for trial and Paul was again accused by the Jews. During this time, Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice came to visit Festus in Caesarea Maritima. Herod Agrippa II decided to hear Paul himself. Paul described his conversion and concluded his statements with a gripping question directed to Herod Agrippa II. “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

History tells us that Herod Agrippa II had been raised and educated in Rome. So his sympathies must have favored Rome rather than the Jews, for, during the Jewish rebellion against Rome, he sided with Rome. After Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in 70 A.D., Herod Agrippa II returned unscathed to Rome, where he lived out the rest of his days.

Herod Agrippa II was the last member of the Herodian dynasty. Four generations of his family had been in direct contact with opportunities to welcome and embrace the Messiah. Herod the Great could have met baby Jesus, but he tried to destroy Him instead. Herod Antipas had personal audiences with John the Baptist. Herod Agrippa I chose to persecute the new church. And Herod Agrippa II was taught by the great apostle Paul. So many opportunities to turn a dysfunctional, mixed-up family into something good. So much rejection of the one thing that could help them.

Herod the Great was not really a Jew. His father – Antipater – was an Idumean. His mother – Kufro – was a Nabatean. History records that Herod the Great spent most of his childhood in Petra.

Idumean was the Greek word for Edomite. Herod the Great and his descendants were actually Edomites.

Herod the Great’s father was forced to convert to Judaism by John Hyrcanus. I asked Rachel, a tour guide at the Second Temple (Herod's Temple) Model, if she considered Herod a true Jew. She did not seem to want to answer but, without elaboration, she abruptly said, “If you’ve converted to Judaism, you’re Jewish.” Yet, the Jews of his time did not like Herod the Great, not just because he was partial to Rome, but because they knew he was not really one of them. The word “Herod” is akin to the word “hero.” Yet the Jews did not consider him their hero. The Pharasaic traditions of that era did not consider forcible conversion legitimate.

So here may be a clue as to why the Herod dynasty was filled to overflowing with not just political intrigue, but personal moral failure of the worst kind. When they converted, it was a political necessity. It was not a heart conversion. Inside, they did not change...even when they encountered the Messiah - the best Jew of all.

  

A Rose-Red City - Part Two

The Edomites

When describing Petra, most guide books refer only to the Nabateans. As a result, few people know that Petra has some fascinating biblical links. Long before the Nabateans moved into the neighborhood, the Edomites occupied Petra.

Question: Who were the Edomites? Answer: The Edomites were descendants of Esau.

Esau was Isaac’s son and Jacob’s twin brother. When Esau was born, he had red hair. Of Esau’s birth, Genesis 25:25 says, “The first came out red, all over like an hairy garment, and they called his name Esau.”

One day, Esau, a skillful hunter, came in from the fields fatigued and famished. Jacob was preparing soup. Esau said, “Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint.” Here the Bible says, “Therefore was his name called Edom” (Genesis 25:21-34). “Edom” means “red.” The soup Jacob was preparing was red, possibly red lentils.

Esau moved to “the land of Seir, the country of Edom” (Genesis 32:3; 33:16; 36:8). This is a large section of land in modern-day Jordan, south of the Dead Sea, primarily a range of rugged, high mountains punctuated by steep, awe-inspiring ravines. Petra is within its boundaries.

The Bible calls Esau the “father of the Edomites in Mount Seir” (Genesis 36:9). The Lord said that He gave “mount Seir unto Esau for a possession” (Deuteronomy 2:5). Interestingly, the soil of the land where Esau settled is reddish-brown. So, from start to finish, Esau’s life aptly matched his alternate name of “Edom.”

On a summit above Petra’s ruins is Umm al-Biyara, which means “Mother of all Cisterns.” Among the ruins was found a clay seal impression inscribed with the name “Qos-Gabr, King of Edom.” Although archaeologists cannot agree as to the date of the seal impression (some suggest the seventh century B.C.), it is testimony that this was indeed an Edomite settlement. Although it may not have been exactly where Esau lived, it was definitely inhabited by members of his tribe, the Edomites.

The day we headed to Petra, we left the Movenpick Resort at the Dead Sea and drove south on Highway 65. Somewhere soon after we passed the Salt Plains, we entered the biblical land of Edom. (The Zered River was the boundary between Edom to the South and Moab to the North, but we did not see it.) We turned east unto unmarked Highway 60. (In Jordan, most highways and towns are unmarked, at least in English. When we travel, we rely on my usually-accurate-but-not-foolproof innate sense of direction, a sketchy highway map, and a lot of advice from others.)

We came to Tafileh, a town built on the ruins of biblical Tophel (Deuteronomy 1:1). We then turned south on Highway 35. This highway closely follows Jordan’s stretch of what for millennia has been known as the Kings Highway. It was a trade route that passed through Petra, Karak, Madaba, Amman, and Jerash. It originated in Egypt and ended in a town deep within Syria, Resafa.

Moses asked the Edomites if the children of Israel could use this part of the King’s Highway that passed through their land. They refused, and the children of Israel were forced to take a more circuitous and difficult route (Numbers 20:14-21; Judges 11:16-18).

Ah, if this ancient road could speak, what stories it would tell!

  

Sometime after our turn onto Highway 35, the little Ford car climbed and climbed, up and down, before it finally protested. We stopped on the top of a hill to let it cool down. There we were, far from a service station, and the few people who drove by us did not stop to ask us if we needed help. (That may have been a good thing.) My mom was with us, but fortunately, neither she nor I get easily alarmed about things like that. We just walked around a little, stretching our legs and enjoying the view of the rocks. After quite a while, Bill filled the radiator with some of our precious drinking water and decided that the car was good to go.

We passed through Buseirah, which is the modern city built near ruins of biblical Bozrah, said to be the capital of the Edomite kingdom. Now we were in the heart of Edom. Bozrah means “sheep fold.” It is mentioned throughout Scripture (Genesis 36:33; I Chronicles 1:44; Isaiah 63:1; Amos 1:12; Micah 2:12).

Soon, visibility decreased, and it began to rain a little. Whether we were in fog or clouds, I do not know. Finally, we arrived in Wadi Musa – the Valley of Moses – and checked into the Beit Zaman, our hotel-home for two nights while we explored Petra. Without a doubt, the Edomites of old were a lot tougher than us; we were tired from just one afternoon’s drive through Edom in a modern automobile! What it must have been like to live in such a rugged world!

  

Jacob and Esau were twin brothers. Jacob is the ancestor of the Israelites. Esau is the ancestor of the Edomites. To the Israelites, God said, “Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother” (Deuteronomy 23:7). Yet, as they became neighbors, conflicts seemed inevitable. The saddest part of the conflicts was that, when the Israelites and Edomites fought one another, they were destroying their own blood relatives.

Many of Israel and Judah’s kings warred with Edom: Saul (I Samuel 14:47), David (II Samuel 8:14; I Chronicles 18:13; Psalm 60), Joram (II Kings 8:20-22), Amaziah (II Kings 14:1,7), and Ahaz (II Chronicles 28:16-17).

Personally, I think that the story recorded in I Samuel 21-22 is the most heart wrenching of all Israelite-Edomite conflicts. David was fleeing from King Saul and went to the house of the Lord. Ahimelech the priest helped David, giving him food and the sword of Goliath for a weapon. Almost as a footnote, I Samuel 21:7 tells us that “Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul” was in the temple that day.

Later, Doeg told King Saul that Ahimelech had helped David. In his wrath, King Saul commanded the death of Ahimelech and other priests. “But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD” (I Samuel 22:17). They had too much reverence for God and His priestly servants.

But King Saul knew who would do his dirty work: Doeg the Edomite. Doeg promptly “slew on that day fourscore and five [85] persons that did wear the linen ephod.” His murders continued in “Nob, the city of the priests,” with the killing of more men, women, children, babies, and animals (I Samuel 22:18-19).

Why Doeg was living in Israel in the first place, especially in such close alliance with King Saul, is itself a mystery. But what gave him the cold nerve to kill the priests of the Lord, when no one else would? The probable reason why he had no compunction about destroying the priests was because Edomites were not true worshippers of Yahweh.

One of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, escaped the slaughter, and came to David. I can almost hear the anguished cry of David’s heart as he admitted, “I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house” (I Samuel 22:22). In Psalm 52, David speaks of Doeg. “Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength… But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” David could have said to Doeg, “Yes, you are my blood relative. But in the ways that matter most – worship and reverence of the One True God – we are not related.”

Although the Edomites probably began with the knowledge of Yahweh, they eventually adopted the worship of multiple gods, especially fertility gods and a chief god named Qos.

Because Solomon loved strange women, including Edomite women, his heart was eventually turned away from God. He built high places so his foreign wives could sacrifice to their gods (I Kings 11:1-8).

After King Amaziah had a great victory over the Edomites, “he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them” (II Chronicles 25:14-20).

The Edomites have a sad beginning and a sad ending. Esau will always be known as the brother who despised his birthright (Genesis 25:34). He was the firstborn, and according to Exodus 34:19, the firstborn belonged to the Lord. The firstborn was entrusted with both great blessings and great responsibility, in spiritual and practical matters. For whatever reason, Esau hated his birthright. So the blessing that should have been his was given to his brother Jacob, who, for all his faults, craved the blessings and benefits of the birthright. Although Esau begged his dying father Isaac to bless him also, the blessing he received was not the one he wanted (Genesis 27:18-40).

Esau failed to value what was most important. Unfortunately, his maverick ways transmitted to generation after generation of Edomites. The Prophets issued scathing denunciations of Edom. The book of Obadiah is devoted completely to the Edomites, replete with language that seems to paint a picture of Petra: "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD” (Obadiah 1:3-4).

Esau provides us with an intensely sobering lesson. Our single actions – good or evil – can have long-reaching results. We should not underestimate how our priorities will affect our families, friends, and our society. In the Old Testament, God wanted the firstborn to be sanctified to Him, dedicated to Him and Him alone. Today, God wants the best we have to give Him. He doesn’t want our leftovers. He wants to be first in our lives because He knows that nothing but His Spirit can give us the deep, deep peace we need and crave. If we exalt anything in our hearts above Him, then that is what we worship and that is what we trust.

A Rose-Red CIty - Part One

  

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a young Swiss explorer, was the first Westerner known to view Petra in recent history. In 1812 he traveled to Wadi Araba under the assumed name of Ibrahim ibn Abdullah. At that time, Petra, a maze of ancient rock-hewn temples and tombs, was seen only by Bedouins.

These days, Petra is a popular tourist attraction in Jordan, drawing visitors from far and near. Most of the magnificent sandstone structures are facades of tombs. Some of the carved structures served as banqueting rooms and places to have memorial ceremonies for the dead. Homes and public buildings are still being excavated. Other ruins on the site are from the Roman era, more recent additions to the towering carved rock walls.

I found Petra hauntingly beautiful, a strange place that, if not for the hordes of tourists milling about, would have seemed desolate. It is a natural fortress isolated in the middle of the desert, seemingly a million miles from nowhere.

The Nabateans

Little is known of the enigmatic Nabateans. Who were their ancestors? Why did they disappear from the record of history? These mysterious people leave historians and tourists with a lot of unanswered questions. But what we do know forms a picture of an unusual society, most likely comprised of 20,000 to 30,000 residents.

Dates vary, since there is so little history about the Nabateans’ move to Petra. It is a wide spread, but it is likely that they began to inhabit Petra between the sixth and third century B.C. As they developed into a highly sophisticated society, several things set them apart from the nations around them. For one, to maintain harmony with others, they employed diplomacy instead of warfare. Also, it was acceptable for women to assume prominent roles in governmental leadership. And the Nabateans were obsessed with the afterlife; hence, such elaborate burial places.

Without a doubt, the Nabateans were polytheistic. In Petra is no shortage of niches where statues of gods would have been placed. Altars, including the elaborate High Place, indicate that pagan worship was a central part of their lives.

The success of the Nabateans was due in large part to their ability to store water. They built huge cisterns to preserve water during winter’s flash floods. I read about a stream that runs through the city. I did not see it; it was probably only a dry bed during the time we visited. Nevertheless, the Nabateans created an elaborate water containment and distribution system, strategically carving water channels out of the rock. Apparently their water engineering system was so good that they had sufficient water to not only bathe and supply households with water, but some people even cultivated vineyards and orchards. Plus, they provided water for the visitors that frequented their city.

Petra was located along an ancient trade route, the Kings Highway, and this self-governed city capitalized on its location. Petra became an essential stop for caravans of merchants and traders from places like Egypt, Syria, and India. Some of the trade goods that passed through Petra were cloth, art, incense (especially frankincense), precious metals, and exotic spices. Strabo, a Greek historian, recorded that Nabateans considered financial success so important that unprofitable merchants were fined.

Most modern visitors enter Petra through the Siq, a narrow gorge that continues to taper until the visitor rounds a bend for his first glimpse of the magnificent Al-Khazneh, better known as the Treasury. Visitors to Petra long ago would have also entered this way. It is said that the Nabateans intentionally carved the Treasury in this location to impress visitors and traders with their prosperity and progressiveness. Especially at that time, the magnificence of such a structure would have awed travelers, weary from a long trek through the hostile desert.

For several centuries, Petra was successful at maintaining its political and financial independence. But as sea trade began to replace land routes, Petra’s industry fell into decline. Also, Petra was unable to withstand the powerful Roman Empire and capitulated to its rule in 106 A.D. Little is heard of Petra again until the arrival of Burckhardt in 1812.