Contact

Avinoam's Coming Home Study Tours


Judean Wilderness One-Day Study Tour

Price to be announced

 

Theme:Politics and Religion: the flight of David in conflict with the pursuit of Saul right behind him

Logistics:

  • Time: 07:30 - 16:30 (7:30am to 4:30pm)
  • Starting Location: Binyanei Ha'Uma (Jerusalem Convention Center Parking Area)
  • Return Location: Binyanei Ha'Uma (Jerusalem Convention Center Parking Area)
  • Route and Transportation: Driving west on Highway 1 to Beit Shemesh. At the end of the day, driving northeast on Highway 60, to return to Jerusalem.
  • Food: Bring money for lunch and snacks. There are plenty of different eating options available in all the areas that we will be traveling.
  • Requirements: Bible, hat, water, good walking or hiking shoes, small backpack, money for entrance fees to National Park sites (details on registration) Transportation: your own rental car or private taxi

Research Topics and Areas of Study:

  • - Tel Beit Shemesh. An important story that tracks the movement of the Holy Ark of Israel from Shilo to the Philistine city of Gath (1 Samuel 5) and then from here, it is taken to Ekron, an inland Philistine city (today referred to as Tel Mikneh, next to the railroad tracks of the Israel National Railroad that runs between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv). Beit Shemesh is the scene of a biblical story of Israelites who collectively looked into the Ark of the Covenant resulting in a great divine punishment and slaughter for their actions.
  • - Elah Valley. Here, a battle breaks out between the Israelites of Judah and the Philistines of the coastal areas. The one that comes to save the day for Judah is David of the family of Yishai (Jesse), who slew Goliath of Gath with a single stone in the forehead (1 Samuel 16 and 17). This one event establishes David not just as a man beloved of God, but also beloved as a warrior for for the people; and this sets the stage for the intense jealousy that soon follows in the heart of Saul, King of all Israel.
  • - Tel Tzafit (Gath). This site continues as a current excavation project. It shows clear evidence of being one of the five great Royal cities of the Philistines, and home to the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4), whom David slew in the Elah Valley (1 Samuel 17) not far from this site. Here, David found a time of protection and refuge (1 Samuel 27:2) as he was running from the unrelenting pursuit of King Saul. Another story that surfaces here is that of Jerusalem's Shimei as he comes to this city looking for his servants only to return to Jerusalem to face a death penalty under King Solomon (1 Kings 2). Finally, another interesting story traces the movement of the Holy Ark of Israel through the camp of the Philistines (1 Samuel 5:8) here at Gath.
  • - Tel Lachish. Though this tel comes into Judah's full historical view in the period of Hezekiah, it nonetheless shows us an important part of our Land of Israel studies in the days of the Judean kings. The king of this city joined in a coalition of thirty other kings, to come and collectively stop Joshua from taking the Land that would later become the Land of Israel (Joshua 12). Lachish plays an important role in the final days of Hezekiah when a definitive battle is lost to Sennacherib at Lachish (2 Chronicles 32 and 2 Kings 18 and 19) but won at Jerusalem (Isaiah chapters 36-37).
  • - Tel Ziph. Remembering David's flight from King Saul. Here, the residents of Ziph took political sides with Saul against David (1 Samuel Chapters 23-26) and marks the beginning of the end of Saul in his treachery against David. From this site, we'll learn a bit about Israel's ancient and modern climatology in that this area (Ziph) falls within a very special climate zone that produces a number of natural remedies from plants that grow in this region; plants that are subjected to extremes in climate and as a result, are forced to survive and we benefit from their properties.
  • - Maon and Carmel (an overlook). Looking out to the west from the east side of Highway 60 near Tel Zif, we can clearly see the ancient location of Maon (1 Samuel 23:24). Here, we can re-acquaint ourselves with the stories of David's flight for life and how he won the heart of Abigail of Maon (1 Samuel 25:2), who had been the wife of a fool - Nabal - who was a wealthy businessman of Carmel - dealing in sheep. The events that shape the life of David and his love for the widow Abigail makes for an interesting story that follows David to Jerusalem.