The Newest Discoveries in Israel!

Did you hear about this?

Apparently, it's long been believed that there was a church of the apostles in the village of Bethsaida, the home of the disciples Peter, Andrew, and Philip, in the Galilee; however, until recently, it has never been found. 

According to The Jerusalem Post, archaeologists have searched for years for this church, which was visited by the Bavarian Bishop Willibald in 724AD and was chronicled in his writings. A few decades after his visit, a major earthquake shook the country, and the Muslim ruling dynasty changed, and many Christian sites—and the memory of their exact location—were lost. 

In 2017, archeologists identified a tel (hill) they wanted to explore as a possible site for Bethsaida. Not long after, they discovered "the Roman layer dating back to the time of Jesus, unearthing houses, pottery, coins, and so on. Since the beginning, some finds suggested us that the there must be a church somewhere, such as pieces of mosaics," said Professor Rami Arav of the University of Omaha, Nebraska.

Then, the archeologists decided to investigate another tel 2 kilometers away. 

There, they found a large basilica, about 89 ft x 53 ft. " We found mosaics, two inscriptions, the apses, all dating back to the Byzantine period," Aviam said. "The church was built at the end of the fifth or the beginning of the sixth century and probably remained in use until the eighth century."

In the last season of excavations of 2021, the archaeologists found something interesting: a door-less wall in front of the basilica. Was it built to protect the church? or simply to add on to a new structure?

In 2022, we hope to find out when the team excavates around the church!

A second recent (and incredible) find is an amythest seal discovered in Jerusalem with the balm of Gilead engraved on it. 

According to the Jewish News Syndicate, this could be the first seal ever discovered with this kind of engraving, despite the written accounts of seals like this. 

WOW!!!

In Memory of my Grandfather, Pierce Nelson

My grandfather, Pierce Nelson, went to be with Jesus on Saturday morning, November 20, 2021. Born in 1927, Pierce was 94 years old.

I first came to know Pierce when I was in high school. He married my grandmother, Toot, when I was 17. He had been a widower, and I was struck by his cheerfulness and love of history. As a veteran and a former EMT, he had a vast array of knowledge, and we had some fun conversations. I called him by his first name, but he was never my ‘step’ grandfather; he was my grandfather from age 17 on.

I remember one time I visited Toot and Pierce when I was in my 20s. We went to Shoney’s for breakfast and he was late getting to the table because he stopped to talk to everyone in the restaurant- and he did the same on the way out. Toot just shook her head while we sat in the car, watching. He knew everyone in his small town, and they knew him.

When he lost my grandmother in 2017, it was really hard on him. It was difficult for us to see him in pain, and to see his body weaken over the past few years. We are so saddened by his passing, but thankful to have the assurance of knowing where he is and that He is with Jesus. (And likely already making friends with everyone, catching up with all who have gone before, and chasing his beloved dog, Izzy, around).

Exploring Akko

So, I have some BIG NEWS that I haven't posted about on here yet:

One month ago, I moved to Israel!

AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm here studying Hebrew and learning all about the culture, language, and everything else I can about this beautiful country. 

I still have some previously written posts that are scheduled for the future, which is good because learning to live in a new country (while also learning the language!) is a lot! But I hope to post as often as I can about new places I see and explore. 

For example, I went to Akko last week. 

Mentioned in the Bible as both Acre in Judges 1:31 and as Ptolemais in Acts 21:7, Akko sits on part of the only natural harbor in the entire Mediterranean, and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world—dating back to 3,000 BC! 

Paul and Luke were there, because in Acts 21:7, Luke says: "We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day".

WOW!!! What an incredible history!!! (Can you imagine Paul and Luke sailing up to here?!?)

The city itself lies within the ancient boundaries given to the tribe of Asher, and since then, nation upon nation, from the Persians to the Greeks, the Hasmoneans, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Ottomans, the British, etc conquered and then lived in Akko, which is now an Arab village. Marco Polo sailed to the Orient from here. In the 12th and 13th centuries AD, it was the capital of the Crusader kingdom. 

One of the coolest things we did was walk through underground tunnels and into an entire city that is now mostly underground. It was from the time of the Templar Knights, and it was so cool (and this post is getting so long), that I will continue it next week. 

Stay tuned for the tour of the Knights Hall and Templars' Tunnel!

The restoration of the Prophet Nahum's tomb in Iraq

In April 2017, two jeeps sped towards the tiny Christian town of Alqosh in Kurdistan, Iraq, with a secret mission—to find the deteriorating tomb of the Biblical prophet Nahum who prophesied about the great destruction to the Assyrian city of Ninevah.

Only 15 miles away, ISIS was battling the Iraqi Army. It was a dangerous mission.

What they found was a crumbling, crooked building. One strong storm could easily level it.

The truth was, they didn't want to just find the tomb; they wanted to restore it. 

Nahum, who lived in 7th Century AD, grew up in this area in a community of what were likely exiled tribes of Israel. For millennia, Jews in this area identified this building as the resting place for the body of Nahum, who was a minor prophet, and later, a synagogue. This common knowledge of this place continued for more than 2,000 years, and the building was saved from being turned into either a mosque or a cathedral. In the 1950s, the Jews of Alqosh fled Iraq for safety, asking local Christian families to care of the building. They did, but when ISIS came through, the building was badly damaged.

Still, the historicity of this place was clear, from the Hebrew inscriptions on the walls to its very architecture. The three men who led this project, Israelis Yaakov Shaffer and Meir Ronen, and American Adam Tiffen, examined the structure. Of his first visit to the tomb in 2016, Tiffen said, "I was amazed at its beauty and the dozens of Hebrew inscriptions on the walls. I was also shocked at its terribe condition, with several parts of the roof having fallen in, and mounts of rubble surrounding the tomb." Now, a year later, its condition had only worsened. But together with the 2 Israeli engineers, the 3 men began to dream.

First, they needed to protect the structure, as one strong wind would blow it all down. Then they could go about the work of restoration. They needed permission from the local authorities, as well as funding, and deeper knowledge of the ancient Jewish community of the area. They also needed rabbinic blessing to undergo such a work.

Four years later (delayed because of covid-19), the project was complete, and the tomb of Nahum and its surrounding synagogue has been restored. It's an incredible story, and I hope you go to read it here from the Times of Israel. It's incredible! They did a beautiful job!

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

Pearl in the Sand, by Tessa Afshar, is an incredible book!

Following the story of Rahab, Afshar gives the reader a beautiful glimpse into what it might have been for this woman, a Canaanite prostitute in Jericho, to betray her people by helping the spies of Israel and then joining the people of Israel... later to marry a leader in the tribe of Judah and give birth to Boaz, who is in the line of Jesus. What an incredible redemption of her story!

I was fascinated by the cultural elements of this story, and the in-depth exploration of Rahab's journey as a foreigner, a member of an enemy people, and a prostitute, to 'ancestor' of Jesus. In addition to her struggle, Afshar also gives insight to the current conflicts in the people of Israel, highlighting that this is not long after Moses has died, as well as the last of the earlier generation of people who escaped Egypt. This is a group of people—millions—who didn't know what it meant to stay in one place, to work the land, or to settle down. The psychological dynamics of that are so interesting to me! 

There were definitely physical, mental, and spiritual elements of this dynamic as well, as Joshua says to Salmone on page 100: "'I understand the root of your opinions; I know how you formed them. It's part and parcel of the way you young ones grew up. Your generation has had a hard lesson to learn. Your parents' and grandparents' lack of faith and disobedience changed your lives. Instead of being born and raised in homes of your own, you've endured the hardships of a meandering existence. You have never known the routine of a stable home life. The one security you young ones have known has been the Lord. It has made you cling to God in a way your parents weren't able to do. Perhaps your children's generation won't inherit your resolve either. Maybe that's why God allowed you to become wanderers in the first place.

But there is an underside to every strength, and yours is showing right now, Salmone. You have grown judgmental in your attempt at righteousness.'"

This book is obviously Biblical fiction, based on extensive research and also the author's imagination. But this paragraph really grabbed me, because it took me into the world of the younger generation of Israelites and their culture. Having lived with the consequences of their parents' and grandparents' sin in such a national way, it makes sense that it would greatly impact the younger generation in a powerful (and opposite) way. 

Was the problem described by Joshua (at Afshar's hand) a real problem? We might not know until Heaven, but I can't wait to find out! Let me know what you think in the comments below!