The land of Benjamin

A group of young intrepid explorers dawned a new day with the exploration of the central Benjamin plateau. We left Kiriat-Jaarim at the break of dawn with buggers in our eyes and bushy tails. Our first stop consisted of a curbside excursion of the Aijalon valley. After a quick ride north, our next stop at Lower Beth Horon was not much longer, but here we had a view of the Aijalon valley where you could see the scriptural allotment borders for the tribes of Dan, Benjamin and Ephraim. After another quick ride to the Upper Beth Horon Summit, we surveyed the vibrant green Shephelah hills rolling down to the wide, fertile Mediterranean coastal plane, a distance of 10-15 miles. Here we reviewed the Israelite account where Joshua is deceived into a treaty with the Gibeonites (Joshua 5:4). Because of this treaty, the king of Jerusalem was nonplussed. He did not want the Israelites to threaten his mountain plateau, and this alliance threatened the stability of his power. For their treachery, he made plans to attack Gibeon, and the inhabitants of the city sent word to Joshua calling for assistance. Joshua and his warriors hiked all night from Gilgal and attacked the King of Jerusalem there and pursued him all the way down to the coast by the Beth Horon ridge route. The Lord caused the sun and the moon to stand still that day, and also caused hail to fall from the sky to kill Israel’s enemies, but not Israel! (Joshua 10:6) We traveled on the route Joshua and his men chased the enemy down nearly 3500 years ago. Not only did God give Joshua victory here, but He also gave Samuel, Saul, and David power to drive the Philistines down this ridge on three separate occasions by the Beth Horon ridge route. This ridge is Israel’s western gate to the international coastal highway. In his heyday, King Solomon erected three separate fortifications along this route at Gezer, Lower Beth Horon, and Upper Beth Horon because it is the most important road from the coast to Jerusalem. We then went to the modern site of Nebe Samwil, or Prophet Samuel, which is his traditional burial site. Although this is not the correct site, it is a high fortified place near Gibeon, like the one where Solomon petitions God for wisdom (I Chronicles I:I-I3) This place is Jerusalem’s guard for the upper Sorek valley. From there, we went to Hussein’s unfinished palace at Gibeah which is the Biblical site of the Gibeah town square and King Saul’s palace. Here, we talked about the Levite in Judges 19:1-30 who stops during his travels to rest for the night in the town square with his concubine and is offered a place to stay by an old Ephraimite man. The Benjamite men of the city approach the house and ask that the man be handed over to them according to their corrupt desires. Instead of the male visitor, the men hand over a virgin daughter and the concubine, of which the later is raped and killed. This incites a civil war because the other eleven tribes pursue the immoral tribe of Benjamin and kill many of it’s populace until only 600 men remain. From there we traveled to Mikmash by the Ephraim ridge to the pass at Mikmash, south of Geba. I Samuel 13:18ff records Jonathan’s victory when he climbed up the great cliff and slew the Philistines. Isaiah 10:28-32 records a geographically significant passage where it lists the towns along the Way of the Patriarchs according to modern day findings. This relevant passage proves the Biblical accounts with historical accuracy never seen before. From here on out, we explored the eastern or Jericho slope down to the Jordan rift valley. It is characterized by very rocky soil, prickly underbrush and hot conditions. Jericho is the oldest city on the face of the earth, standing for 4000 years, even though the Hasmonean/Roman cite is much younger. We had the opportunity to explore Jericho’s Tel for about an hour in the mid-afternoon sun. I swear, it felt like 150 degrees on that dirt pile, but it was worth it because I took home about 6 peaces of rim pottery shards, and a large, 4” handle of a clay pot. Archeologists use these shards to date the strata of the Tel. We then went into the modern city of Jericho for some refreshments and shade as everyone had run out of water. After a Tony Blair sighting and a couple quick camel rides, we piled back on to the Bus and headed up the Ascent of Adomiim. This ridge leads up the Wadi Quilt to Jerusalem and is the primary means of transportation from the eastern side. It is a dangerous road precariously perched on the bank of cliffs and steep ravines, yet it has been used as a highway for centuries. Stopping among the crags and rocks, Bill Schlagel read a portion of Isaiah 40:3, “Make straight the way of the Lord… every mountain shall be made low, and every valley shall be exalted.” When Christ does return, it will be with great power and authority, and it is not a stretch to think he will level these hills and come to Jerusalem in a flat plane in all his glory.

(the man, the myth, the legend, Bill Schlagel. Don't hate him because you ain't him)