So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today–to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul–then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Deuteronomy 11:13-15 Often when I read the Bible, I ignore what time of year events take place. Sometimes this is because the passage doesn’t mention it. […]
Tag Archives: Beersheba
Negev
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. Genesis 21:33 We turned south, leaving the Shephelah and Coastal Plain behind us. It is obvious that less and less rain falls the farther south you go. The plants became smaller, sparser, and browner. We entered the Biblical Negev. While the modern Negev region covers the whole of the south of the country, in Biblical times it was a small region, forming the southern extreme of the ancient nation. At the center is the site of Beersheba, located where two […]
So Many Questions
Any questions? [pause] You have no questions? You are so lucky; I have so many questions! Dr. Gabi Barkay Archaeology is a tough subject. You dig up some object in the dirt; it’s often broken and partly decomposed and you have to determine its function. Biblical Archaeology Review, a magazine that covers archaeology of the Biblical world, often has a picture of an object with multiple choice of what the object is. Taken completely out of the context it was found with no size information, it is often challenging. Debates often take place over various objects, structures, and even identifications […]
The Dry South
What a desolate place this is. C-3PO, Star Wars: A New Hope Continuing my long weekend journey, Sunday was our journey south to the dry land of the Negev. Negev is Hebrew for dry and south, which accurately describes the region. The first part of the Negev is what we can call the Biblical Negev, which is a set of basins immediately south of the regions mentioned last time. This region is just past the rainfall line, receiving less than the amount needed to grow grain. Instead, shepherding works better. The ancient city of Arad was in the eastern Negev. […]