For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Esther 9:24-26 Today was Purim. It is a day to remember the events […]
Author Archive: Brian Johnson
The Headless Archaeologist
An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her. Agatha Christie When studying archaeology, it doesn’t take long before you come across one famous name in particular: Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie. There is a bit of connection with him at JUC because he is buried in the Protestant Cemetery next to the school. Born in 1853 near London, England, he learned surveying from his father and enjoyed roaming the English countryside searching for ancient artifacts, visiting places like Stonehenge. In 1880 he went to Egypt, where he […]
Dots on the Map
As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.” So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land […]
Teaching
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. James 3:1-2 In January I did three Sunday afternoon teachings at my church. It is said that one of the greatest fears people have is public speaking, but that’s something I enjoy. Give me some time to stand in front of group of people telling stories of Israel […]
Ancient Paths
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16 Last week my work sent me to Savannah, Georgia. This was the first time I have traveled for work, giving me a new opportunity. It was nice to leave cold, snowy Michigan behind for a few days (although it hasn’t been a very cold or snowy winter) and be able to walk around outside without a coat on. Exploring downtown Savannah, I made […]
A Day Full of Possibilities!
Only a couple days into 2011 my work approved my leave of absence to go to Israel in the fall. From there the framework of the year was set as I applied, was accepted, and continued with preparations. As I begin 2012, I’m lost as to what may happen. I had hoped to get some greater sense of direction for my life while I was gone. Instead, I feel reassured to continue with where I left off before I departed. Last night, we finally got some long overdue snow. I woke up this morning to see the world coated with […]
Mount Sinai
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God […]
Speeding to Sinai
But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert. Psalm 78:52 After finishing up our day in Thebes, we hopped back on the train to go back to Cairo. The next day (Thursday) we spent around Cairo at places like the pyramids at Giza (already mentioned). Friday we had a brief stop at the Cairo Museum before hitting the road east into the Sinai Peninsula. After crossing back under the Suez Canal, we had a brief stop at the traditional site of Elim, a place where Moses and the Israelites passed by (Exodus […]
Temples and Titans
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.’” Exodus 10:3 The west bank of Thebes is home to many temples to various Pharaohs. After visiting the Valley of the Kings, we poked around some of them. Our first stop was Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri. Hatshepsut was one of the few female Pharaohs. When her husband, Thutmose II, died, his heir, Thutmose III, was not old […]
Tombs and Treasures
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”~Exodus 14:11 Our next day (Wednesday) we went across the Nile to the west bank across from Thebes. On the east side they built their cities and palaces. On the west they built their tombs and temples. Just as the sun sets in west and is reborn again in the east every morning, so they would be buried in the west in order to likewise be reborn in the afterlife. I already talked about the pyramids at Giza and […]