Yad Vashem

I visited the Yad vashem today. The Yad Vashem is the holocaust museum for Israel. I don't really know what to say, honestly. Museums like this one are always so incredible because they are meant to carry a message. This one's message was don't forget. In all honesty, I have never encountered the holocaust in such a graphic way. There is just no other way to describe it. They had plenty of artifacts, and together with the layout of the building, the designers conveyed a powerful messageThe museum left me feeling very hopeless and heartbroken. It was incredibly moving to see the faith that was in that place as well. I was put to shame seeing the testimonies of people who had suffered exile, imprisonment, torture, and death still standing on the promises of God when I can barely muster enough faith to even get through a few bumps on an airplane. The actual memorial to the victims was really beautiful as well. It was a circular room with a giant hole in the floor, about fifteen to twenty feet deep. At the bottom was water. All around the room were shelves. On many of them were books listing the names of every victim. Some of the shelves were empty, symbolizing those who died anonymously.
It was a well designed museum, one that truly left one feeling with the people who suffered.

Like a Mother Hen Gathering her Chicks under her Wings

"There I have seen a temple with no statue, a day on which no work is done, and a sea in which no one drowns"

Pliny the Elder, the great Roman scientist and explorer (although he was strictly the armchair variety when it came to Israel) described Israel in this way. I found it a rather beautiful quote, and appropriate for beginning my journey to the holy city. We began the day in Area 51 and after 2nd breakfast we returned to the hotel and got ready for our journey. We met our guide, a very amiable Israeli Jew with a ponytail and a very good command of the Old Testament. Our journey took us to several places before Jerusalem, including the site commonly believed to be the ancient Philistine city of Gath, hometown of Goliath. We also went to a city facing Sokho, another important stronghold in ancient Israel. At the site of the ancient southern gate, our guide told us about David and Goliath, bringing the story to life in a way like never before. He described how the stone David likely used was no pebble, but much larger. He then told us that slings and stones like David used against Goliath were used against him when he served in the IDF, breaking his best friend's cheekbone. After crossing into the West Bank, we came to Jerusalem. We dropped our bags at the hotel and then explored the old city, finally coming to the wailing wall, the last surviving wall leading up to the temple mount. Since Shabbat begins Friday nights, the wall was packed with people, and the Orthodox Jews were everywhere. Sarah Seibert could barely contain her joy when she saw several of them wearing the giant fur hats indicative of a family that had lived in the holy land for five generations. Her excitement became a general theme for the rest of our walk around Jerusalem. Archeological digs were all over the city, including right by the wall. Whenever we saw one, all that came to mind was the sayings of Sarah, our area supervisor, often referred to as "bootcamp" for her slave-driving tendencies:
"That color is disgusting. It looks so washy."
"make those rocks pop."
"I can't force you to work through your break but I also won't discourage you."
Upon our return to the Post Hostel, our home for the weekend, we were met with an excellent dinner and Jonathan Kirkpatrick who came in from Oxford to see us. After that, we went to bed.

Penetrabis Ad Urbem

Although I have not received a vision that I will sack the city of Rome as Alaric did, I do know that I am off to enter another city, Jerusalem! The dig today was quite fun. Sarah found a piece of iron, which I thought was rather cool. There was not much I could do given that my ankle is sprained. With that said, I am quite pleased to be out of the compound.

Walls and Holes

My life currently is naught but walls and holes. However today I made my first finds: One was a piece of beautiful Philistine pottery (which I could not take a picture of, unfortunately, because I fell asleep last night before I put the memory card back in my camera) and a small Persian figurine, which I did get a picture with thanks to the amazing Sarah Seibert. Today proved interesting for several reasons: We got a tour of the tel, and I twisted my ankle pretty badly. Pottery washing will follow later tonight, and it will be quite tedious. Also, it must be Israeli spring break because right outside my window loud music is playing and people are screaming. Mucho rasta horns. My roommate Ben took a video. It was pretty great. Also, I waded into the Mediterranean sea. The water was the warmest ocean water I had ever been in. The wading was preceded by a lovely walk and some icecream with my new friend Taylor. She is from Ohio, but managed to get a bit of southern twang during her college days in Alabama. Pictures of the artifacts will follow.

Israel, Land of Tels

A Tel has once been described as an archeological layer cake: when one town is ruined, it will often be recycled, brought to an even grade, and then used as a foundation for another city. When this sort of thing happens (as it has in Israel in some places since the Neolithic age, i.e. the first time humans decided to live in cities), an artificial hill is formed, which archeologists LOVE to explore. We are working at the tel at Ashkelon. Because we didn't wash pottery today, we went to explore two other tels. We first explored Azeka, which was built atop already existing high ground. The city was extremely important to the ancient Israelites because it gave both the obvious strategic benefits of high ground, it also overlooked an important trade route that ran through the Elah valley underneath. This valley would be the battleground for one of the most one-sided battles of all time, the battle between David and Goliath. Atop the tel was a monument to the battle. Next, we visited Tel Burnai, considered by many to be the biblical city of Libnah. Tel Burnai was an incredibly fortuitous discovery for the archeologists. Only a few centimeters below the surface, the ruins of a bronze age religious site was discovered. Further up the tel, iron age grain silos were dug into rock in numerous places and the iron age fortifications could still be seen in places. Pictures below:

Archeology for newbs

"The bigger the scorpion, the less venomous it is."
I awoke this morning in the pitch dark and readied myself for the first day at the dig site at Ashkelon, a city once controlled by the Philistines, one group of the infamous sea peoples who brought low such noble states as classical Egypt and the Hittite Empire. I was assigned to grid square 51, which I affectionately will hereafter refer to as Area 51. Area 51 froze in time a horrifying scene. In the 7th century BC, the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (the same Nebuchadnezzar as appears in the Bible. A surprisingly uncommon name, actually) in his conquest of Israel laid waste Ashkelon, and leaving signs of his wrath to be discovered by archeologists like us. Approximately 10 minutes into our orientation, someone came over to the supervisor, and showed her an Egyptian bead. There were visible anks on the back, along with incredibly legible hieroglyphics (unfortunately my hieroglyphics are rusty). Just as our appetites were whetted, we were instructed to clear out the infamous winter wash, or dirt that washed into the dig during the rainy season. In digging through the wash, I was left dumbfounded by the amount of 7th and 8th century BC pottery that was found, and horrified at the way I was instructed to deal with it. "If it's wash, just dump it" they told me. A part of me considered snagging a few pieces and bringing them home, however there were none cool enough. As I dug, I kept an eye out for several things: Palestinian shells, which occasionally fly overhead, although they are not aiming for the dig, and finally small, green scorpions. The small green ones will sting you and leave your fingers numb for 2 years, as one of the dig supervisors attested. To make matters worse, I later saw one of these scorpions, although it did not look particularly angry. After the dig, we were given a break, and then we went afterward to wash the pottery unearthed during the day. Although I did not find an inscription, I still did find a very nice piece of archaic Greek pottery, which can be seen below.
Today was a hard day, but hopefully I will sleep better.

 The archaic Greek potsherd

  An Egyptian beed boasting a cartouche flanked by anks

The Saga Begins

"The time has come, the walrus said..."
Well, here I am in the airport. Next stop New York and then on to Israel! Its kind of a buzzkill going on a domestic flight first. It lacks a certain excitement. Anyhoo, I am off to New York in less than one hour! One thing I certainly won't miss is allergies! I have been sneezing endlessly.
An additional update:
I am in New York after the shortest flight EVER. Now to get on the longest I have ever gone on. I saw the schedule for what I'll be doing and it looks pretty awesome! WE ARE GOING TO MASADA. I AM SO EXCITED. Anyhoo, further updates will follow

Packing

I haven't actually done any packing yet; I have, however, finished 3/4 of the homework that I will need to get done before I go. Because I will be missing out on 3 weeks of Mexican food, my parents are taking me to dinner my last night stateside before I go, and there are some fajitas cooking for lunch as well. The weather in Israel is not as bad as I thought it would be, averaging 93 degrees Fahrenheit. I am considerably less nervous at this realization. I am looking forward to it greatly!

Obligatory pre-trip post

Last year, the Museum of the Bible sent me to Oxford University to participate in the Logos papyrology conference. This year, they offered me the chance to get the other side of the story with a three-week excursion to Israel to learn about Biblical Archeology. I will be working at the dig at Ashkelon, a Philistine city, located on the coast of Israel. In addition, the Center for Holy Land Studies will be leading me and a group on a tour of significant sites around the country. I am, of course, very excited I have had to fill out two different "you won't sue us if you get kidnapped/murdered/mutilated" documents. This coupled with the potential for raging diarrhea in the torrid temperatures of the region has also left me a tad nervous. With that said, I am going to be walking where Jesus walked which is, needless to say, a very exciting prospect. As with last year, numerous photographs and snapchats will follow. For those interested, my snapchat is carnifexmaximus. Otherwise, the pictures can be seen here! The background here is a stock photo of the ruins of Ashkelon. Its proximity to the sea is closer than I previously believed.