The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers–to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob–and to their descendants after them.”
Deuteronomy 1:6-8
October has started in full throttle. This past weekend we had our first overnight field study, spending Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in the field, heading south. Our two nights we stayed at a youth hostel in Arad. There’s enough to write that I’ll split my weekend into three posts over the coming days.
Saturday was our day to head southwest. The region from Jerusalem west to the coast can be split into three distinct geographic zones. Jerusalem sits in what is known as the hill country, a region dominated by tall hills and deep, V-shaped valleys, which impede traffic. Our first stop was a park (Sataf) in the hill country which includes the classic elements of the hill country. We hiked up and down the hill, layered with terraces with the plants native to the region, including vines, olive trees, and fig trees. There are also a few springs that we got to see, originating in small caves.
Our next stops were in the Shephelah (or lowlands or foothills) at Beth Shemesh, Azekah, and Moresheth Gath. This region is characterized by low, rolling hills separated by broad valleys, making travel much easier. A line of valleys extend from east to west through this region, draining the western hill country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Bible includes many stories from this region because it was a flash point between the Israelites in the hill country and their enemies coming from the coast. In one of the valleys the famous battle of David fighting Goliath took place.
Finally, we ended on the coastal plain, which is flat and extends to the Mediterranean itself. This is where the ancient Philistines dwelled, who were often fighting the Israelites. We stopped at the Philistine port of Ashkelon. Two of our group had been in the archeological dig in Ashkelon, so they showed us around and talked about what they had done there.
We drove to the hostel after a long, strenuous, yet engaging day. Two more big days awaited…
