An Unexpected Adventure: Neot Kedumim!!

Neot Kedumim was actually one of my favorite field trips up to this point. It is an archaeological park that is like a national reserve thing that exhibits plants and agricultural things from the Bible. I think, if I remember correctly, that it was started by some Russian? botanist who was sick of people disproving the truth of the Bible by saying that none of the plants were accurate or anything. So he moved to Israel and found all these plants and planted them exactly how the Bible said they were. For instance, the gardens of Solomon had both cedar trees and date palms in them, and other botanists said that those two trees couldn't exist in the same environment. Well, this wonderful guy planted them 50 years ago, and they're still growing side by side. So, this is a really neat place. I'll explain all that we learned and did!

This is an Almond tree. I think it is SO beautiful! I would love to have one in my future yard someday! The significance of the almond is really neat, but I'll just copy and paste what the OT student manual has to say about it, because it's smarter than I am. :)

In the rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, the Lord gave two miraculous demonstrations that showed Israel without question whom He had chosen to lead His people. First, Korah and those who joined him in the rebellion were killed by being either swallowed in the earth or consumed by fire. Second, those who still continued to sustain his evil leadership, even after Korah’s death, were killed in a plague (see Numbers 16:49). The scriptures state that nearly fifteen thousand people died trying to prove that Moses and Aaron were not the ones who should lead Israel. Then the Lord offered one more miracle to further demonstrate who was chosen to hold the priesthood. Bible scholars have explained the significance of this miracle in this way:

“The miracle which God wrought here as the Creator of nature, was at the same time a significant symbol of the nature and meaning of the priesthood. The choice of the rods had also a bearing upon the object in question. A man’s rod was the sign of his position as ruler in the house and congregation; with a prince the rod becomes a sceptre, the insignia of rule [see Genesis 49:10]. As a severed branch, the rod could not put forth shoots and blossom in a natural way. But God could impart new vital powers even to the dry rod. And so Aaron had naturally no preeminence above the heads of the other tribes. But the priesthood was founded not upon natural qualifications and gifts, but upon the power of the Spirit, which God communicates according to the choice of His wisdom, and which He had imparted to Aaron through his consecration with holy anointing oil. It was this which the Lord intended to show to the people, by causing Aaron’s rod to put forth branches, blossom, and fruit, through a miracle of His omnipotence; whereas the rods of the others heads of the tribes remained as barren as before. In this way, therefore, it was not without deep significance that Aaron’s rod not only put forth shoots, by which the divine election might be recognized, but bore even blossom and ripe fruit. This showed that Aaron was not only qualified for his calling, but administered his office in the full power of the Spirit, and bore the fruit expected of him. The almond rod was especially adapted to exhibit this, as an almond- tree flowers and bears fruit the earliest of all the trees, and has received its name [in Hebrew, which means] ‘awake,’ from this very fact [cf. Jeremiah 1:11].” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 1:3:114).

This is a well that is connected to a cistern. Sorry that the picture is from behind, I guess my designated photographer didn't want to move from their position. At least my pants were clean, hehehe :) A cistern is a man-made underground cavern thing that collects rainwater and stores it. Water is the most important commodity in Israel because it is so dry! There are a lot of stories in the Old and New Testaments that revolve around a well. It was kind of the dating hotspot of the ancient times, because all the women of the city came here to draw water every day. Men could scout out potential wives here. That's why Abraham's servant Eliezer went to the well when he found Rebekah. And our favorite love story of the Bible, Jacob and Rachel, happened around this spot!

9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.

10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

Ha ha, our guide told us that the rock covering the well was so heavy that several men had to roll it off. Obviously, Jacob was so smitten that he had superhuman strength and rolled it off all by himself to impress Rachel :) I love that story.

I think that it is amazing that women had to go to the well twice or three times a day to get water. We are so blessed to have such commodities available to us. The women of the Bible were very tough and yet tenderhearted. We can learn so many lessons from them.

These are the wonderful girls that I shared a camera with for the day. Michelle and Alyssa! Forever my camera buddies--we always run out of batteries :)

SHEEP!!! Shepherding and shepherds have a huge role in all of the scriptures! The two greatest leaders of the Jewish nation were shepherds: Moses and David. Why were shepherds the ones that were chosen? The Jewish people say that it's because being a shepherd gives you incredible leadership skills. I'll relate a little Jewish explanation of this statement:

Because he used to stop the bigger sheep from going out before the smaller ones, and bring smaller ones out first, so that they should graze upon tender grass, and afterwards he allowed the old sheep to feed from the ordinary grass, and lastly, he brought forth the young, lusty sheep to eat the tougher grass. Where upon God said: He who knows how to look after sheep, bestowing upon each the care it deserves, shall come and tend my people," as it says: "From following the ewes that such He brought him, to be shepherd over Jacob His people."

There is no better example of a good shepherd than that of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He understands how to succor the one, how to protect His sheep from harm. John 10:

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be onefold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

I am eternally grateful for my Savior, my shepherd, who leads me down safe paths to still waters.

I loved herding the sheep. I feel like I have a special bond with them :)

Crushing hyssop to make some homemade za'tar! This spice mix is DELICIOUS, and I'm addicted to it! I guess people have been eating it for a long time!

Hyssop was an important herb in the Old Testament. It appears in several places: it was part of the ritual cleansing of the leper, it was used to paint blood around the doorposts of the Israelites, and it was used to carry a sponge of vinegar to Jesus's mouth on the cross. Why hyssop? Our guide explained that it is a special plant because it can grow without any nourishment at all. It can grow without soil, without water, without any gardening. It symbolizes humility and cleansing.

Look at us--little medicine women, crushing our herbs!!

The incredible view of this beautiful shepherd land from our little shack.

Me with hyssop. It's growing out of a rock. David pleads in Psalm 51 with the Lord to forgive him of his sin with Bathsheba:

7 Purge me with ^ahyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

We went to a little place in the forest to do some authentic Israelite cooking! Look at this beautiful place. I love forests SO MUCH. I didn't realize how much I missed them until I was walking through trees and undergrowth again. I love trees so much :)

Using flour and water and some oil, we made the dough for this pita, which we then cooked over an open fire!!

My buddies and I, all being homemakers and making pita :)

I helped make lentil soup for my group! Just boiling water, lentils, salt, and some onions. Mmm mmm, authentic Bible food...

Lunch! Lentil soup and some cracked wheat stuff. We put the wheat in hot olive oil until it cracked and then covered it with salt--SO yummy! This is very similar to the stuff that Boaz gave Ruth when he found out she was gleaning from his fields.

My only cooking this entire trip :) Pita, lentil soup, cracked wheat, and some crushed za'tar. I'm a real Israeli chef :)

Sara and Heidi! Love these girls and our smoke-stained faces!

We got to meet a Torah scribe and see some of his work. The Torah that he is opening here was salvaged from a Russian pogrom a few hundred years ago. They can last hundreds of years because of the care that goes into preserving them. Notice the really fancy covering to the left of the picture. The scribe is the gentleman in the white shirt.

A picture of the words in the Torah. Each one has to be perfect, or the page must be rewritten. This book is an incredible work of art, and so beautiful.

Our very own Professor Stratford. If only you could know him as we know him. He is very intelligent, extremely sarcastic, brusque, and has a lovely wife and family. He's the favorite around here and plays volleyball with the students. I'm not sure what emotion to describe this as, but he's holding the toppers of the Torah scroll. This is a beautiful picture of him.

When the Torah is read, it is never touched with the hands. The oils of hands will ruin it and cause it to decay quickly. A cool little silver pointer with a hand on the top is used to read and follow the words.

A picture of the scribe's worktable. You can see his inkpot and the beginnings of a phylactery box.

This is what he makes his ink out of. Pomegranate, resin, water, and some kind of spice, I think?

I guess that people can get married here! It's a lovely place, why not? :)

This was the strangest little fruit I've ever eaten. I can't remember what it was called, except that it tasted like a little tart green apple. Yummy....

An olive press! We all know how important these are! Olive oil is everywhere in the Bible--it is used for anointing in the Old Testament, it is used in the lamps of the 10 virgins, and the olive press is a symbol of the Atonement. The very word "gethsemane" means "olive press." We know that Jesus was pressed by the Atonement until blood flowed from every pore, just like oil flows from olives as you crush them with giant rocks. We have our own special Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob 5. Here is a visual so you can imagine these stories even better.

The olive press is HEAVY! It is usually drawn by animals, but we had our two strongest men try to turn the thing around.

This is a threshing floor, where workers would place their cut wheat and barely and get out all the chaff. Some interesting facts about threshing floors: they're always east of the village, because the wind goes from east to west. I think the most applicable story of threshing is that of Ruth, as she gleans the fields of Boaz for sustenance for her and Naomi.

This is what grinding wheat would be like in the Biblical times! Our guide said that it took approximately 1.5 hours to grind enough wheat to make one loaf of bread. A Biblical woman did this once a day. Can you imagine? Spending so much time, every day of your life, to make a loaf of bread to feed your family. We have things SO good now. I am amazed at the way people used to live!