Day 9 – Sunday, September 18: Nebi Samuel, the Shephelah: Gezer, Beth Shemesh, Socoh, Beit Guvrin, Lachish
Today we traveled to the Shephelah (lowlands) of Judah. It was a day with many connections to the Old Testament in this region that served as a buffer between the Hill Country of Judah and the Coastal Plains. With partly sunny skies, the temp was quite comfortable, with highs only in the low 80s. We read from 2 Chronicles 1 as we left the hotel at 7:35.
Nebi Samuel
Our first site of the day was Nebi Samuel. This is the traditional tomb of Samuel the prophet who grew up in nearby Ramah. While there are Hasmonean ruins here, most of the site dates to the Crusader Period. We climbed to the roof of the Crusader structure to get a good view of the Central Benjamin Plateau and the OT city of Gibeon. Joshua battled on behalf of the Gibeonites here (Joshua 10). Gibeon also served as the “high place” for David and Solomon prior to the Temple (1 Chronicles 16, 21, 2 Chronicles 1-2). Lastly Joab and Abner faced off here on opposite sides of the pool (2 Samuel 2).
Gezer
Descending from the Hill Country, we entered the Shephelah (Lowlands) of Judah to see a few Old Testament sites. Our first site was Tel Gezer. It is located in the Aijalon Valley. Dr. John excavated here in 2017. This was a Canaanite and Israelite/Judean city. We saw city walls and gates, including one built by Solomon (1 Kings 9). Some descended down to the impressive water system. Leaving the site we saw the standing stones most likely from the Canaanite Period.
Beth Shemesh
Further south is the Sorek Valley where the city of Beth Shemesh is located. We climbed the tel (ancient mound) to see the view of the valley. The stories of Samson (Judges 13-16) and the return of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 6) unfolded before our very eyes!
Socoh
Socoh was the next site of the day. Located along the Elah Valley, we climbed this unexcavated site to see where David and Goliath battled. David was armed only with five stones but he found his confidence in the Lord. The battle was God’s and David placed his faith in Him! We read the story from 1 Samuel 17. After the reading, some in the group climbed to the very top of the site.
“Today we saw a completely different region of Israel, the Shephelah. This regions of rolling hills and valleys was marked with many Canaanite and Israelite/Judean sites. We visited one right after the other. I am amazed with how many connections to the Old Testament were made today!”
Beit Guvrin
An extra site put into today’s program was Beit Guvrin. After grabbing a sandwich at a gas station for lunch, we drove to see the Columbarium cave (built for raising pigeons) and the Bell Cave. These caves were cut out from the softer limestone of there area. Shlomo played his recorder in the Bell Cave. We also sang a song of worship there among the doves above us.
Lachish
The last site was a Canaanite/Judean city called Lachish. It was a city taken by Joshua during the Conquest (Joshua 10). In the end of the 8th century, the city was conquered from the Judeans during Hezekiah’s time by Sennecherib and the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 32). It would recover in the decades to follow only to be destroyed for good by the Babylonians at the beginning of the 6th century BC. We saw the double fortification walls, the two gates (inside the outer gate is where the famous “Lachish Letters” were discovered), and the palace probably built by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11). A Canaanite temple was found here just a few years ago.
We end the day by driving back to Jerusalem dinner and an optional walk south on the Promenade.
Day 10 – Monday, September 19: City of David, Southern Excavations, Western Wall, Jewish Quarter, Free Time
