Stand at the crossroads and look;
Jeremiah 6:16
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
I think all or most people who go through JUC in one way shape form or another do the mapping assignment. What is the mapping assignment?
The mapping assignment is pre-homework to complete before you arrive at JUC (whether short or long term). It consists of seven maps of Israel at different scales and of different regions. There are instructions to highlight different cities or routes. After that it has you read a passage from the Bible or another historical source that is being shown, shedding light on how geography plays a role in the story.
For instance, the Bible records how King Solomon fortified the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (1 Kings 9:15). It’s easy to skim over those names. Having been to each of them, I have an image in my mind of what they’re like and where they’re situated. Looking on a map, it becomes obvious that these three lay on a main north-south trade route through the land. By fortifying these cities, Solomon was strengthening his hold on that trade route to bring its economic benefits into his kingdom.
One thing that becomes obvious fairly quickly on the maps is how hilly Israel is. This impedes travel in many regions, forcing roads to stick to ridges or valleys. A road that goes up one and down ridge after ridge after ridge is not efficient. Israel is also composed of distinct geological regions. During my journeys, I’ll explain the differences in more detail.
The assignment is not short, taking over 20 hours, but it is good preparation for visiting Israel (or what it calls The Land Between – a land between many nations). When we’re out in the field, we can pull out our maps and see where we are in relation to them and get a better lay for the land.
Going to Israel? Yeah, there’s a map for that.
