"I think you've learned one thing this semester: the Jews are weird."

--Rabbi Moshe Silberschein April 28, 2009

As I sit in the library, looking out the window, watching the people down below, and hear the horns honking in the streets, it looks like a normal Shabbat in Jerusalem. But inside, my mind is racing--faster than those cars ever really drive. This entire semester I have been constantly doing--whether it's schoolwork, field studies, helping at Beit Jala School with soccer, or exploring the city. I'm leaving in less than two weeks, and I have barely had a moment to reflect. Not to say I haven’t sat and enjoyed the afternoon breeze, or spent time with my Lord, but by now, I would have expected some deep thought to come to mind, some revelation or some all-encompassing theme for my life these past 3 months. I guess in reality, all I really want to know is, how will I look back on my time here? What will I remember most?

What I have found, in spite of this anxious feeling, is that it's always easier looking in from the outside, or rather, looking back--farther back than I can look now, or will be able to in 2 weeks time. Still, tons of people back home will inevitably ask me those ridiculously vague and over-arching statements, which in no way could I answer right then, even if I wanted to: “So…what did you learn?” Right now I am thinking that my answer will probably be “I’m looking forward to finding out soon.” See, I think what I have learned here in Israel will probably show up (like they say about the Social work classes at PBU) when it has to be put into practice. It will show up when I start going back to my Bible classes at PBU and seeing the Bible come alive like never before. It will show up when I hear about the Arab-Israeli conflict on the news and understand and empathize with those living in the West bank that I now know. It’ll show up when I remember that others think differently than me, and I begin to sympathize with people more because of that. One way or another, it’ll show up.

So I don’t know if I want to publicly say (ahem!) that I agree with my professor, R. Moshe about the Jews being weird, but I know that I have learned a lot more than just one thing this semester.

Time (is ticking away.. tick, tick, tickin' away...)

Less than three weeks left here. And only the first one and a half are going to be spent in Jerusalem. When you get this close to your time being up in a place you love, its kind of a frightening thing. There are so many (unknown) things that I wish I had done, and so much to do still. How can I fit it all in? Did I make the most of every day while I was here? probably not. How do I learn to deal with that, and remain content with what I did learn, and see, and do? Will I ever get the chance to come back? How is this time going to affect my daily life back home?
As you can see, there are a lot of questions in my mind at the moment.. that is just the beginning of them.

Yesterday was our last day at the Jerusalem school in Palestine (Bet Jalla) with our soccer girls. I knew that the time would come to leave them eventually, but it just came so fast. We spent 10+ weeks talking about the Bible and playing soccer with the same 7 girls, and only in the last couple of weeks did we feel as though we were finally getting to know who they really are. During those 10+ weeks, though, we had a lot of laughs; a lot of connections were made. I went in expecting to meet a lot of very Middle-Eastern girls, when in reality, most of them are from the US or Canada. They know what life is like outside of Palestine. They know the freedoms that I enjoy even here, as a U.S. citizen with 2 parents who are U.S. citizens. They feel trapped here, behind the wall that divides the West Bank from the rest of Palestine.

I am going to miss them so much. The girls there have helped me to see more of what life is like in the west bank, and I am grateful for that. Three of the girls are Muslim. They all attend a Christian school, though because it is the only school around that speaks English, and they don’t know Arabic enough to go to a public school. Although I knew that some students there were Muslim, I just found this out about my soccer girls toward the end. In some ways, I wish I would have known earlier—maybe I would have done things differently. Who knows? But if there is one thing the Lord has taught me in my life, it’s not to worry about what has already happened. He will get the glory for what good comes of it—it should be of no concern to me.

My only prayer is that they will grow in their knowledge of and faith in the Lord Jesus. They have a lot of teachers at their school who can be good role models for them, so I pray that they would cling to them and learn from them not only the school subjects, but also about life. So, seeing as it was our last day with the girls in Bet Jalla, Krystal (my roommate) and I decided to take them out to eat. We went to Mundo’s, an apparently popular place in Bethlehem. It was good food, and for once we were able to see those young ladies outside of a school setting. Of course, we also took a lot of fun pictures, like girls tend to do.

These next couple of weeks are going to be busy still, even though I have finished classes and all that remains is one final and one final paper. There is a lot with which we are planning to fill our time like going to Bethlehem for a day and cleaning/packing, as well as getting last minute souvenirs. haha.
Well, after putting up 350 pictures on facebook, and writing a blog entry, I think it is about time to start thinking about literacy in ancient Israel, social norms, and the clothes of the priests as described in Exodus: gotta start digging away at the Cultural Backgrounds Final paper.

We just got back yesterday from our 4-day field study in Jordan. It was the most unique and eclectic trip we have taken, but we all enjoyed it. Man, was it amazing. We will write about it soon--So check back in later for an update on places like Ammon, Jerash, Petra (the site of Indian Jones!), Mt. Nebo, and more. It was a great trip and it got me really excited to go back to Jordan in 3 weeks and live with Bedouin for 6 days!

Easter Week(s) in the Holy Land

All of you back home probably celebrated Palm Sunday two weeks ago and Easter this past Sunday. So did I. But something I found out while here in Israel is that the Orthodox Church celebrates everything a week late. So 2 Sundays ago I walked down the mount of Olives with hundreds of Christians from all over the world, into Jerusalem, commemorating the final stride of Jesus' triumphal entry.

WARNING: this part of the post will be a little graphic. Continue with discernment.
That Thursday a bunch of us went to Mt. Gerezim and witnessed about 30-40 sheep being sacrificed. They have a long trough dug into the ground with a pit at the end which is under a grate. The sheep are lined up on either side of the trough and held there by the men who would eventually take their lives. All the Samaritans involved in this are wearing white "suits" resembling a astronaut's outfit. The priests have red caps on and robes of different colors. They are all gathered around down there surrounding the trough, while the outsiders (us) are up in the stands that overlook the area, sitting and waiting for the "show". The Samaritans sang a lot of songs, getting really excited. Suddenly the songs got intense and they all bent over and bound their sheep, who was now laying on its side with it's legs tied together. Quickly, more quickly than i knew or could have even seen because of the sea of white blocking our view, the sheep's throats had been slit, and some were still kicking around. The men were smearing blood on their foreheads and kissing each other on the cheeks. I stood above on the bleachers for a while before I decided to head down and get a closer look. As soon as I walked through the gate, you could smell it--dead animals and smoking sheep guts that were on the grate. I watched as some men were beginning to shear their dead sheep. Others had already moved on to cutting it open and cleaning out the insides with bare hands. And they were glad for it. They were throwing the insides on the grate. There was blood on the ground everywhere. People were crammed in all around trying to see, trying to congratulate each other. The smell was overwhelming. I felt a sudden movement from in front of me as a man stepped back. He was getting out of the way of the Samaritan passing by with a sheep on a large wooden skewer. I followed him to one of the 6 fire pits where they were already hanging the skins. As I returned to the altar and trough, I saw the man standing on the grate, throwing salt on the sheep guts. The place was so busy, and all the Samaritans were joyful, for this was there day of sacrificing the pascal lamb.

I had mixed emotions about that night. In some ways it was neat to see what it might have been like when the Jews sacrificed lambs at passover. On the other hand, it was saddening to see, knowing that they did it all in vain, and do so every year. The Samaritans only accept the Pentateuch: Genesis-Deuteronomy. They don't even believe the rest of the Old Testament. They are a very secluded group of people, with their own language, and they are barely surviving. Only 750 of them are left: in Gerezim and near Tel Aviv.

GOOD FRIDAY
Friday morning at 9am we began setting up for our triclineum passover meal. It was an awesome night. We reclined (on mattresses) at low tables with 1st-century-style oil lamps and food. We had servants wash our feet upon entering, and serve us the food. Everything we ate, we ate with flat bread as our utensil. We dressed like 1st century folk, in togas and barefooted. It was neat to experience something closer to what Jesus might have experienced in his time, with his disciples. Dr. Wright (our headmaster, professor, etc.) talked with us about what the last supper might have been like, and how things might have happened amongst the disciples. They would have sat in a "U" shape, with Jesus in the host's seat. (2nd from the end on the left). I can just picture John to his right, reclining on Jesus' bosom, as the gospel of John tells us.
It would have been strange for the disciples to eat their passover meal on Thursday night; that was early. But the Gospel of John has the events lined up so that Jesus is breathing his last as the Pascal lambs are being slaughtered. That has a new meaning and image now, doesn't it?

EASTER SUNDAY
I woke up at 5:15am on Sunday, just to go with friends to the Garden tomb and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (the real site of calvary and the tomb). We arrived at the Garden tomb at 6:40am. the service had already started. It was a very western, contemporary, up-beat, cheesy service. Oh well--I expected that. Then we headed to the Holy Sepulcher at 7:30 and saw the Roman Catholic Church enter in procession into the Church. . As we listened to the Latin songs, the police cleared a path behind us to make way for the Coptic Church to process in. They walked over on the side, and set up for their Palm Sunday service, which they would hold at the same time as the Catholic Easter service. That moment was very strange and very sad for me. How divided the Church has become is an atrocity. What kind of witness to the world is that? And the place that division is shown most is in the room in which I was standing, in the "Holy City" in the "Holy Land" where people from different faiths cross paths with one another on a daily basis. What would Jesus think of this sight? Two different holidays, just because we don't like each other and don't want to celebrate on the same day. What a shame!

Soon after, I left and walked to the Western Wall, where the Jews were supposed to do the priestly blessing. I'm sure they did, but I had to leave, in order t walk to Church in time. I got to Christ Church just before 9:30 after changing my route through the Old City numerous times due to the parade of priests with bands of drums coming down the streets. Christ Church is an Anglican Church that I have attended a few times (once for Sunday service and for Good Friday). I like the kind of service they have. Because it's Anglican, there is liturgy. Yet they mix that with contemporary as well as Jewish style music. Matt was actually leading half of the worship on Easter, which is part of the reason I went there. The sermon was good--He emphasized the distinction between Christ dealing with sin on the cross and dealing with death through the resurrection, and how they go hand in hand. Then he dealt with how the resurrection should be played out in every day of our lives. Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corintains 15:1-10, and Hebrews 2:14-15 were used in the sermon.


EASTER WEEK, TAKE 2
So now I sit here, tired as anything, about to work on a paper and then prepare to go to Jordon for 4 days. Our bus leaves tomorrow at 6am. We will miss the Orthodox celebration of Easter here in Israel, which is disappointing, ..but what is that to me? Christ was raised and he lives!

 Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne,
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o'er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save.
His glories now we sing,
who died, and rose on high,
who died, eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

 Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
those wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For thou hast died for me;
thy praise and glory shall not fail
throughout eternity.

"I'm not dead yet!" Adoption Theology

So I've kind of neglected this blog for the majority of the semester for some reason. Maybe because I'm busy/fill my time with other things to not be bored, I don't know. But there is just so much that I've learned this semester that sometimes it seems overwhelming and I don't feel like I could get it out in a blog post. And the truth is that I can't. So now that I've admitted that, I'm just going to vomit my thoughts in this blog (at least for this entry) in as a concise a way as possible.

Adoption Theology
In the West, we hear this term "adoption" and many Christian minds jump straight to certain biblical texts (mostly Pauline in origin) where Paul likens our relationship to God as being one "adopted into the family of God" or something along those lines. In the practical world, those with Western minds also think of adoption of foreign children and adopting children from orphanages, which is correct and perfectly applicable, accept that the Eastern view of adoption is much stronger.

“At the time a child was born, the father had to decide whether or not to adopt it into the household. In the world of the Bible, life began not with a viable birth, but only with adoption. Regardless of the status of the newborn at the moment of delivery, without adoption it was considered stillborn. If the father did not adopt the child, the midwife took it from the birthing room and left it in an open field to declare it eligible for adoption by another household.”

- Social World of Ancient Israel, Matthews and Benjamin, pg. 10-11

All of the New Testament pictures of adoption become much stronger in light of the knowledge of the practice of Old Testament adoption. Every child was adopted into its family, no matter its blood relation to the family, which I think speaks to the nature and origin of Paul’s sayings.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bondservant nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

- Galatians 3.27-29 (ESV)

I could continue by quoting the whole chapters of Romans 9-11 but I’ll restrain myself and only quote some key verses.

But it is not as though the Word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

- Romans 9.6-8 (ESV)

…even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed it says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.'"

- Romans 9.24-26 (ESV)

At this point I would urge all of you to read on and take in the following chapters and verses. It is clear, that with the knowledge of OT adoption, that since the time of the OT God is extending his salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. Even the very language of calling Israel “God’s chosen people” is not correct if we are referring to Israel as a blood lineage or national state, rather it is a spiritual lineage of promise, which includes those of Gentile lineage as well. Not all Israel is “Israel”, only those who are children of promise are God’s chosen people, “Israel.”

Paul is by no means a replacement theologian, in that, he is a Jew who still desires for the ethnic people of Israel to become adopted by God as children of promise (as evidenced by Paul’s next chapter of Romans 10). And Paul continues in this vein of thought by providing the analogy of the grafted tree (Romans 11), in which both ethnic Israel and ethnic Gentiles will be included in the tree of spiritual Israel, the children of promise, the chosen people of God.

Paul is not a Calvinist, and since not a Calvinist he certainly isn’t a dispensationalist (as an esteemed professor of mine once tried to convince me), but rather he is a Jew and an adopted child of promise, a true Israelite, and we must read him as such with ancient culture in mind. Not to say that Calvin didn’t derive his thoughts and theories from the biblical text, but just to say that we must not interpret Calvin, a later author and fellow brother, back onto Paul’s biblical text which is earlier, primary and inspired. We must attempt to understand what is in the mind of Paul by studying the culture of the Bible and the practices of the Jews. If we fail to do so, then we run the high risk of interpreting the Bible through our own American lens: a hermeneutical atrocity to be sure.

Lift, Praise, Adore Him
Matt@

The Busyness of Pesach

My alram went of this morning at 6. As I lay in bed I could hear a loud speaker somewhere in Jerusalem with a man speaking in Hebrew. I didnt know what he was saying but I have a guess as to what it was about.
Today was the first day of Pesach. The Jews here were all having their passover cedars tonight in their homes (and probably still are, cause they go for hours, into the night). This morning, however, was also another Jewish celebration that happened to fall on the same day. It is something that happens only every 28 years, and it's called the Blessing of the Sun. At sometime shortly after 6am this morning, the sun was suppoed, according to a Jewish tradtion, to be in the same position that it was in when it was created. So Thousands upon thousands of Jews gather in different places early in the morning to say a blessing at a certain time. That's probably what I heard going on this morning as I lay there, not wanting to get up to go hiking.
Today was also our "student activity day" with JUC. The bus was scheduled to leave at 7am. We drove to the Galilee and hiked through Nahal Amud, a wadi that drains into the Sea of Galilee. There was some water running in it, but not much. The man in the information office predicted that it would take 6 hours to hike the trail. It took Matt and myself 4 1/2 hours to hike it, including stopping for a lunch break.
Well, it is indeed the season of Passover, and hence Easter. Last sunday was Palm Sunday for the western (Roman Catholic and protestant) Churches. This coming sunday the orthodox church celebrates palm sunday and the west celebrates Easter. That should be interesting. Last week, I walked down the mount of olives, across the valley and into Jerusalem with thousands of other Christians from around the world, holding palm branches, singing, and proclaiming that Jesus is The King. It was one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen. Especially because a bunch of small arab children were trying to sell olive branches to everyone for a dollar. ;o)
Tomorrow after class, a bunch of us are taking a ride up to Mt. Gerizim (In Samaria, the mountain that overlooks Shechem) to witness the Samaritan sacrifice for Pesach. They actually sacrifice multiple lambs each year still. It is going to be bloody, but amazing. Then on Friday, in addition to a Good Friday service that I will attend at 3pm, our Cultural Backgrounds class will set up the dining hall for our own Passover Cedar, 1st Century style. And Sunday is Easter. So I have a packed weekend, and also about 8 more pages to write for a paper due monday. Oh boy.

It's time for bed.

Galilee Day 4: Sepphoris, Jezreel, Bet Alfa, Bet Shean

On our last day in the Galilee we stopped first at Sepphoris to look at their synagogue, which had a large mosaic on the floor displaying some very Greek-looking things. There were three sections to this mosaic: the first, on the top, was a religious section, depicting the torah and the Ark of the Covenant, the shofar, and a menorah. The middle consisted of a circle and inner circle, divided into 12 sections. There were horses pulling a chariot and the sun. On the 12 sections around the circle there were characters and symbols representing the different zodiac symbols. This large picture in the middle of the mosaic turned out to be a very Hellenistic looking Jewish calendar. It was set to the Jewish yearly agricultural cycle, but the pictures were quite Greek. The third and bottom section contained pictures of Bible stories such as Sarah waiting at the door of her tent, while Abraham entertained his guests. Although there were Hebrew words put into the mosaic, many of them were spelled wrong or the letters were backwards. These things give us evidence of how hellenized the land was becoming by the time of Jesus. Because Sepphoris is in the valley near Nazareth, Jesus might very well have grown up around the city. Because his father’s trade, masonry, was in high demand, it would have been likely that he helped to build at Sepphoris. If Joseph worked there, he probably taught Jesus his trade in the same place. Thinking about Jesus’ life outside of his ministry makes him so much more real. Just as the scripture says, “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet was without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He was not just some supernatural creature who looked like a human—he was human. He did things that we do; he worked with his hands and had to learn the ways of society like we do.
There was a room called the vomitorium in the Roman times. It is one of the most disgusting things that I have ever heard of. It is not only what physically occurred in that room that disgusts me either; the entire concept of people eating so much that they would have to throw up, then actually throwing up and gorging themselves again. It gives more meaning to the times Paul tells people not to be gluttonous. Sure, we can take that as just not eating anything we don’t need, but there were specific extreme cases that he was probably addressing when he wrote that.
The warm pools at which we stopped for lunch were beautiful. I was surprised at how warm they actually were. The best part of that was probably that there was a cave to go in where you could stand on the rocks below. The waterfall made for a nice background sound to which to relax. It was nice to have a long break in the middle of the day after three days of field studies already.
We ended the day and the whole trip to Galilee at Beit Shean, which was a really good thing. Beit Shean is probably one of the most impressive sites that we have seen so far. The city was pretty big, but beyond that, it was amazing how much of the remains are still there. It was really helpful to have a model of the whole city as well as a map. The view from the tel of the Roman city was also convenient, allowing one to see most of the city from above. It was somewhat disappointing to see that parts of the city on the model are not actually there to see, because they are pretty much under the modern city right now.