The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Friday evening we had a triclinium meal. A triclinium in the Greco-Roman world […]
Monthly Archives: March 2018
Palm Sunday Procession
The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,“Hosanna!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the king of Israel!”Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” John 12:12-15 Today is Palm Sunday. I hiked with my fellow students to walk with the procession down the Mount of Olives into the […]
Water to Wine
One beloved story about Jesus in John 2 is about the miracle of him turning water to wine. In the village of Cana, Jesus attended a wedding which ended up running out of wine. They asked Jesus for help. He instructed them to draw 5 jars of water. Upon serving it, the water had turned to wine. John says this was his first miraculous sign. I recently visited Cana. Situated on a sizable hill (over 250 feet above the base), the top offers a commanding view of the Beth Netophah Valley. Several miles south, across the valley and up and […]
Sounds of the Old City
It’s easy to picture Jerusalem as this ancient city with these old walls and all this history. All this is true. However, there is a modern side to Jerusalem, too. It’s fun when the ancient is blended with the modern. For instance, for four evenings last week there was a musical event called Sounds of the Old City. There were different venues around the Old City for concerts plus some other fun stops along the way. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea from the various nights I went. All in all, a fun and unique experience. […]
Desert Fortresses
Herod the Great inherited or built a series of fortresses on his eastern frontier. He ruled as a puppet king for Rome on the empire’s eastern frontier. He needed to defend it from possible invaders from the East. A couple weeks ago we visited two of them that I had never seen before. West of the Dead Sea in the middle of nowhere (the Buqeia Valley) is a fortress called Hyrcania, founded by John Hyrcanus. Before Herod and Rome were ruling Israel, the Hasmoneans were in charge. This was about a century (c. 165 – 67 BC) of independent rule […]
Costume Party
Chag Purim Sameach! Happy Purim! The festival of Purim remembers the story in the book of Esther. The Jews were threatened with annihilation but emerged victorious. This is my first time observing the holiday in Jerusalem, which makes it extra special. One of the traditional ways it is celebrated today is by dressing up in costumes. Picture Halloween without trying to be scary. Why costumes? In the story, Esther conceals her identity. She married the king but kept her Jewish background a secret, revealing it later. Even more, God is hidden in the book. He is never mentioned! The author […]