Journey to Jerusalem

On Sunday, November 13, our guest was Dallas Raines, award-winning weatherman and media personality. Georgia born, now living in the los Angeles area, Dallas has been with KABC since 1984.  In our interview time, it soon became apparent that Dallas not only analyzes the weather and predicts what is coming up soon, he also creates some weather of his own.

What do I mean?

Dallas self-identifies as a religious believer and as a positive person.  In recounting his journey to his current fame and fortune, he told of times when he went out and created opportunities for himself.  Fascinated by weather patterns ever since  being in the fourth grade, when he was fifteen he went to the local radio station in his small Georgia town, Thomaston, which describes itself on the web even today as "only an hour drive from large cities, (yet) a whole world away. Thomaston, Georgia's charm is in the fact that it is quite ordinary."  He asked the station owner/manager if he could just read the weather over the air. The manager not only let him do that, but also had him spinning records and reading news. Thus began Dallas' broadcasting career.

Later, when he graduated from Florida State University in Meteorolgy, the next day he drove to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was waiting in the doorway of a station there when they opened, and asked for a job doing ANYTHING, 

Here again, Dallas was making his own weather.  Instead of waiting for the world to beat a path to his door, he went out and knocked on doors, confident that it is not so much opportunity that knocks, as that opportunity opens to the one who goes a-knocking!

Dallas attributes his positive outlook to his upbringing and also to his faith.  He believes in a benevolent God who delights to open the way for those whose heart is seeking to serve and to count for something.   Obviously, positive actions and mindsets cannot thrive in people who view life as a hostile environment.

So the lesson for all of us today is just this: to go out and make our own "weather."  In the words of the Yeshua the Messiah, in Matthew 7, to ask (and keep on asking). to seek (and keep on seeking), and to knock (and keep on knocking), because every one who asks recevies (sooner or later), and he/she who seeks finds, and to him/her who knocks the door will be opened.

That's the way it will be for us in dealings with people, and in dealings with God, because, as Yeshua says, "if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give to those who ask him?"

Now, go out and make some good weather for yourself!

Our interview with international businessman Richard Irving about AIPAC (the American Israel Public Action Committee) touches on issues that are far more volatile now than they were fifty years ago. 

As I have said on the air more than once, fifty years ago, Israel was universally perceived to be the underdog in the area.  Now even a former American President, Jimmy Carter, labels Israel the oppressor, in his words, "an Apartheid state."  Has Israel changed?

Not exactly.  Three factors are working together resulting in Israel's bad image and bad press in our day. 

1. Representatives of the Palestinian cause have been very skillful in presenting themselves unremitingly as victims, with Israel as the oppressing force. This is no accident: it is propaganda.  My friend Dr. Michael Rydelnik points out how conspicous it was that Hanan Ashwari, right hand woman to Yassir Arafat and member of the Palestine Natiional Council, would always refer to the Palestinians as "the victims."  Repeatedly linking this word to the Palestinians frames perceptions. 
2. Israel is now stronger than it was fifty years ago, and those who are perceived to be weaker tend to be perceived as oppressed underdogs, while the more powerful parties are assumed to be the victimizers.  But the answer to this is a sentence I once heard from Dore Gold, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. who said:  "The weaker party is not necessarily right, and the stornger party necessarily wrong."
3. Antisemitism and antijudaism, like a mold, infest Western Civilization. Under certain conditions, the mold grows and casts off its spores.  One condition when the mold grows is times of financial instability. For centuries it has been common to blame "those damned Jews" for the problems.  This is an old canard, frequently unearthed. It is virulent and pervasive under our current unsable conitions. 

Make no mistake, all of us have been propagandized.  But the truth is out there.  It is always a good idea to discover and reexamine one's deepest assumptions. Sometimes we will discover we have been harboring an untruth or half truth that has skewed many of our judgments.  Let's open our eyes, and weigh things carefully, rather than being suscepible to the latest wind of change. 

Join us at our next Shalom Talk Forum at 4:00 PM, Sunday, December 4, at the Beverly Hills Interfaith Center. Rabbi Dauermann’s guest will be terrorism and post-traumatic stress expert Dr. Kathleen Arai, speaking on Zionism Without Apologies.

Christians call Israel the Holy Land and recognize Israel as a special place. Jewish people around the world consider Israel as their Homeland. Whether Israel is your homeland or Holy Land, your place of birth or pilgrimage, or you are unconvinced that Zionism is relevant today, Zionism Without Apologies will inspire and challenge you.

Admission is free, with free parking behind the building. 

The Beverly Hills Interfaith Center, 315 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Phone: 424-245-4342
Email: info@interfaithcenter.us

Experience greater shalom with Shalom Talk Forums.

Shalom Aleichem!

 

It's Torah Tuesday and we bring you, once again, some perspectives on the Torah as the foundation of Jewish scripture and New Testament scripture as well.

Some things about Torah don't seem unique. It's a religious text, but the world has many of those. It's a portion of the scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, but is it really unique in comparison to other parts of the Jewish and Christian Bibles? Actually it is, as we'll see shortly.

It contains an ancient historical account, which, again, is not unique. Other cultures have histories and even histories that lead back to a mythic past before a flood. Joseph Blenkinsopp discusses Hecataeus and Hellanicus, two Greek historians whose writings resemble the Genesis and other Torah narratives in some ways (The Pentateuch, New York: Doubleday, 1992, 39-40). Hellanicus traces Athenian kings back to the time of the flood, whose hero was Deucalion and whose boat came to rest on Mount Parnassus. It definitely sounds familiar.

This will all come as a surprise to many religious Jews and Christians, who probably thought the Torah was more unique in terms of the scope of its story.

But, with all of this, is it still possible to maintain that the Torah is unique?

Absolutely. Don't be fooled by some superficial resemblances.

The Torah uniquely brought monotheism to the world. Judaism's monotheism is based on Torah and Christianity as well as Islam developed monotheism from Judaism.

The Torah is unique in biblical literature, as the text all others refer back to. The histories and prophets of the Jewish Bible refer back often to the teachings of Moses. Nothing new is taught in the histories and prophets. All is based on Torah. The wisdom literature combines a worldwide genre of literature (wisdom) with specific concepts from Torah (fear of God, obedience to commandments, adherence to instruction or torah with a little "t", etc.).

And the New Testament refers back to Moses and Torah with even more frequency than the rest of the Jewish Bible. If you view a graph of the frequency of the name "Moses" per 1,000 words in the biblical text, the New Testament lights up with frequency.

And Torah is unique among all that other historical literature form the early classical world. Herodotus, Hellanicus, and Hecataeus are not the basis of moral and spiritual life for billions of people. Only the Torah is. The Torah is the unique lawgiver, moral mapbook, and spiritual window of all the literature in all the history of the world.

A little known teacher named Yokhanan Ben Bag-Bag famously said in Pirkei Avot, 5:22 (Ethics of the Fathers, a tractate of the Mishnah):

Turn it, and turn it, for everything is in it. Reflect on it and grow old and gray with it. Don't turn from it, for nothing is better than it.

It's Messiah Monday, so little by little, we discuss ideas about Messiah from the Hebrew Bible and from the period of Judaism in which Yeshua lived.

There are two ways of looking at the concept of Messiah which I would consider inaccurate and to be avoided:

(1) There is the naive assumption of many believers in Yeshua that people in the first century had a well-defined concept of a "Messiah" who was coming to fulfill a string of prophecies. This fully-developed-Messiah view sometimes even goes as far as to imagine first century Jews reading Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9, looking for a crucified Messiah. We can completely discard this idea. None of Yeshua's disciples thought he would die and when he did, they all thought he was not the Messiah (until the resurrection changed their paradigm). But neither should we imagine the fully-developed-Messiah in other ways, as if first century Jews were walking around saying, "I wonder when Messiah will come." The notion was far more vague, the expectations uncertain. The "Messiah Mondays" series at Journey to Jerusalem will consider ideas in the Judaism of the time about Messiah and messianic themes as well as going back to the Hebrew Bible and finding these themes at their origin.

(2) There is the overly critical reaction to naive ideas about first century messianism. And the overly critical reaction says, "No Jews were looking for a Messiah of any kind." A perfect illustration of the kinds of ideas about Messiah that were possible in the first century is found in the writings of the Qumran Community (collectors and authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls) who were a sect of Essenes. These desert Essenes were not ordinary Jews and their opinions do not reflect common Judaism at the time. But they do show us how one Jewish group, a group fixated on eschatology or end-times speculation, put together the ideas of the Hebrew Bible into a concept of Messiah.

. . . they will be governed by the first regulations, by which the men of the community will be instructed, until the coming of a prophet and of the Messiahs of Aaron and Israel. -1QS 9:10-11, Rule of the Community, as cited in Fitzmeyer, The One Who Is to Come.

According to this Dead Sea Scroll text, the Essenes (or at least some of them) expected three end-times figures to come:

• The Prophet who would ultimately fulfill Deuteronomy 18:15-19.
• The Messiah of Aaron, a priestly Messiah (and the priestly aspects of Messiah will be a future topic here).
• The Messiah of Israel, a kingly Messiah judging from other Dead Sea Scroll texts.

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Journey to Jerusalem exists to bring you information and inspiration about Israel, Messiah, future hope, the Holy Land, pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Messianic Judaism, and Christian love for Israel and the Bible.

Every Thursday at Journey to Jerusalem is "Tour Israel Thursday." We help you dream about, prepare for, or at least desire a Holyland Tour.
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With August 2 looming and everyone carefully avoiding using their credit cards for anything or spending an extra dime on anything, it seemed good to bring up another free way to see Israel this week. Maybe soon we will all be able to save up money and do more than have a virtual experience of Israel.

One of my favorite places on the web is Todd Bolen's BiblePlaces.com. I mean, how much more meaningful is Numbers 13:1-3 when you can read it while looking at Todd Bolen's photo at left of the wilderness of Paran?

At BiblePlaces.com, not only can you see beautiful photos of places in the land, but you can buy prints, order DVD's with collections of high-res photos, learn more about places, and -- best of all -- click on Todd's blog and read about the latest news and finds in Israel related to archaeology and Bible history.

When you have an hour to dream and learn, click here to start checking out BiblePlaces.com. And don't forget to start reading the blog also, which can get to from the left menu.

Every "Torah Tuesday" at Journey to Jerusalem we bring you insight into the first five books of the Jewish scriptures . . .


In Exodus 19:8, Israel responds to Moses, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." 

This classic verse, often used in explaining the essence of Torah, reminds us that Torah is not ultimately history or narrative or theology. Torah is a basis for living, a guide for the sort of deeds that God considers righteous. 

This claim is more complex than many realize. Torah is an ancient text with different genres of writing, archaic customs that no longer relate to life in today's world, and even allowing practices we would not clearly call wrong. How can such a text be a guide for righteous living?

The second answer is best understood by careful attention to the pronoun in Exodus 19:8. Torah is not only a guide to deeds ("will do"), but is also Israel's communal document ("we"). 

How does the community of Israel help us follow Torah better? How does the congregation of Israel transmute an ancient text in to a well-orbed handbook for justice and kindness? If you ignore the community and become an independent interpreter of Torah, you will miss some things. You might, for example, think "eye for an eye" is literal. Or you might think the death penalty should be broadly applied to everyday cases of rebellion. But if you interpret Torah through the tradition, if you become part of the living conversation about how Torah is to be lived, you will find that Torah is beautiful. You will find in it no cruelty or misogyny.

Instead, you will find a call to Tikkun Olam, to refinement of character, to selfless giving, and seeing the image of God in the other. Torah is many things and all sorts of study of Torah are valuable, including studying history and theology related to it, but its goal is deeds and its proper domain is community.

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Have you been on a Holy Land journey or do you want to go on one? Find out about our drawing for a free pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 2012. Click "Contact Us" and ask about the drawing for a free tour.

Could the idea of Messiah have its origins among the Hittites and/or Canaanites? Sort of. The larger point is that the word from which "messiah" is derived existed before Israelite times in Hittite and Canaanite culture.

Perhaps a good starting point is in the book of Judges, where Jotham, son of Gideon, tells a parable after his brother Abimelech has slain all his other brothers. In the parable, Jotham says, "The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them" (Judg 9:8).

This could be translated, "The trees went forth to messianize a king over them." The point is that the word in question, "to anoint," is למשח (leem-SHO-ach), from the same root at משיח (muh-SHEE-ach) or "messiah." 

The word messiah is based on the ancient practice of designating someone in a special role (priest, prophet, chieftain, king) by pouring or smearing perfumed olive oil on their head. There are many anointing scenes in the Hebrew Bible, such as when Samuel famously anointed Saul as king, "Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, 'Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel?'" (1 Sam 10:1). 

Anointing was not only for people, however, but also for objects specially designated such as the altar (Exod 29:36; 40:10).

And we find the same ceremony mentioned in earlier Hittite and Canaanite texts (Joseph Fitzmeyer, The One Who Is To Come, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007, pg. 8, fn. 2).

What might be interesting for Jews and Christians today is how the concepts of both faiths spring from practices and ideas thousands of years old in the Ancient Near East. And customs that would be long forgotten are kept alive through tradition and scripture. So, when we read in Yeshua's (Jesus') time, "while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head," we understand that something very ancient was happening (Mark 14:3). 

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Sometimes at Journey to Jerusalem we like to help people bridge from the Jewish scriptures to Jewish New Testament commentary.

It's Tour Israel Thursday at Journey to Jerusalem. Many of our readers have either been to Israel or at least dreamed of going. Each Thursday we'll talk about places, happenings, or online places related to touring the Holy Land.
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I like free things. The last time I led a tour to Israel was in 2008 and the cost per person with airfare, hotel, guide, bus, and two meals a day was about $3,500. Everyone agreed it was money well-spent and that few expenses could equal the lifetime of memories that come from a Holy Land journey.

But, when you're saving your money for another trip or just when you have time to dream and see and learn a little about the land, there is a great place online to get a Virtual Tour. Sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, GoIsrael.com has all the bells and whistles and you can spend a few hours seeing and learning here.

I just spent a little time on the Visual Tour section of the site, which you can find by clicking here.

I chose the "Archaeological Tour." I'll also go back and play around with the "Christian Interest Tour," the "Jewish Interest Tour," and the "Naturally Israel" tour. They have even more choices than that. You can see sites as images, some as video, all of them with 360 degree rotating views, and read site descriptions and happenings.

Why not plan a time this week to sit down with your spouse or someone close and spend a few hours dreaming of the land? 

It's Torah Tuesday at Journey to Jerusalem. Follow us every Tuesday (starting back on July 12, 2011, when we began the series) for an unfolding series on the meaning, contents, and power of Torah.
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When you were in school, you probably studied one or more of the great novels of literature. Whether it was Huckleberry Finn or Tale of Two Cities, you studied the novel for a time and then . . . your were done.

The Torah is not like a novel, in this sense. It is not something you study and then move on. It is a lifetime occupation.

Although there are deep themes, memorable themes, in Huckleberry Finn, you would not spend your life reading a little portion of it every day and making it the centerpiece of your faith and life. Neither would you form a weekly gathering to perpetually discuss Tale of Two Cities, in spite of the fact that Dickens' novel is superb. A great novel is something you read and learn, perhaps coming back to it half a dozen times in your life. Even a literature scholar will usually base his or her career on many works of literature and not just one.

What is it about the Torah that is different? It has less words than Huckleberry Finn or Tale of Two Cities. Yet it has so much more depth. You may think it an exaggeration, but in Judaism the saying is that "everything is contained in it." It is a collection of writings about human nature, the existence of God, the names and nature of God, the way of people both good and bad, and a wisdom for living that deserves a lifetime of study.

One of the ancient sages, Rabbi Tarfon, used to say:
You are not required to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it. If you have learned a lot of Torah, much reward has been stored up for you, and your Master can be trusted to pay you for your labor. But know that the reward of the righteous is held for the world to come.
-Pirkei Avot 2:21.

To understand Torah, read a little every day (Judaism follows a schedule of weekly and daily readings). Live what you read. Read diverse opinions and discuss what you read. Hold your life up to the things you learn. You will never finish the task, but never stop.

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One of our joys at Journey to Jerusalem is inspiring and informing people about the power of the Jewish Scriptures as well as the New Testament.

It's Messiah Monday again at Journey to Jerusalem. Follow all the "Messiah Mondays" beginning July 11, 2011, for a crash course in the concept of Messiah in the Bible.
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The first truly messianic idea in the Bible is found in Genesis 12:3. There is some debate about its translation, whether the verb form for the last verb in the sentence should be "reflexive" or "passive." I believe the meaning is better captured by the passive form, so that it should read like this:

I will bless those who bless you, and curse him that curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

This verse is messianic because it is about a blessing for the world. It communicates God's intent to bless the world through the Chosen People. The messianic agent, the agent of blessing, is the people of Israel. 

The messianic nature of Genesis 12:3 has not been lost on the writers of the New Testament. Matthew 1:1 notes carefully that Yeshua is the "son of Abraham." Peter quotes the same theme from Genesis 28:14 in Acts 3:25. Paul quotes this verse directly in Galatians 3:8, calling it the gospel preached beforehand. 

What does the Divine election of a people, the descendants of Abraham, the people of Israel, have to do with all the families of the earth being blessed? That is something that begins to see expression in the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph with the peoples who live around them. It is something that takes mysterious shape as the story of Israel continues in the Hebrew Bible. It is an idea that remained enigmatic for a very long time, but for those who accept the story of Yeshua, the ultimate answer lies in him. For those who do not accept the story of Yeshua, the blessing addressed here is more general: through the Jewish people monotheism and principles of justice have spread to the whole world.

Could it really be true that the blessing of the world not only comes from the people of Israel, but also that the Divine plan is about mutual blessing between Israel and the nations?

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Journey to Jerusalem exists to connect with people who love the Jewish scriptures, Holy Land trips, rabbinic literature, Jewish-Christian relations, and even Jewish New Testament commentary.

Photo by Jim Davis, taken December 2010.

Every Thursday here at Journey to Jerusalem will be "Tour Israel Thursday." There is no better way to learn Torah, Messiah, and peace than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (properly prepared to get the most out of it, that is).

One of the best things about going on Holy Land trips (repeatedly) is that every year there is something new to see, something recently discovered, excavated, or renovated. I remember back in 2005 (I may be off by a year) when they first discovered the Pool of Siloam.

Now, you know that there are some places which will be called after the name of a biblical place and which are not authentic. For decades people would see a "Pool of Siloam" that was not very inspiring and, it turns out, not the real one. Then in 2005, some road workers found stone steps, and now . . . one side of the Pool of Siloam is there for pilgrims to visit, to sit on the steps, and to read the story from John 9.

They cannot excavate the entire pool because, ironically, a church owns the property which is over the majority of the pool. Yet they have connected the steps of the Pool of Siloam to the entrance into the waterworks of the City of David and Hezekiah's Tunnel. It is a very pleasant stop in Jerusalem and, with a good guide, this can be a place you can imagine Jerusalem in its heyday with the Temple standing and pilgrims coming to worship the Eternal with offerings and tithes.

Every Tuesday at Journey to Jerusalem is "Torah Tuesday."


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At Journey to Jerusalem we bring you not only the Land of Israel, but also teaching about the Jewish scriptures, Jewish New Testament commentary, teaching about Messiah, information on Holy Land trips, and more.

A lot of people thinking about Messiah and/or messianic prophecy falter on the expectation that the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) contains a set of predictions or formulas looking for fulfillment. 

If you think about it, much of the teaching about "messianic prophecy" has been something like: "such and such verse predicted that Messiah would do this-and-that in the future." And very few passages of the Bible that even remotely fit this sort of thinking exist (there are some, of course).

If that was all the Messiah theme of the Bible was about, it would be a poor theme. When Yeshua instructed his disciples, he indicated a large body of material ("everything that was written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms," Luke 24:44). Matthew records Yeshua speaking of "prophets and righteous men who longed to see what you see" (13:17) and "every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom" bringing out "what is new and old" (13:52).

It would be better if people thought of messianic themes in the Bible instead of "messianic prophecy." And messianic themes cover many topics: the future of Israel, the human king and God's kingship, the covenant with David, the future era of messianic peace and healing, and so on. Now, in this larger Messiah idea there are many scriptures and much to say. Every Monday here at "Journey to Jerusalem" will be Messiah Monday, a time for me to explain one simple concept at a time about Messianic themes in the Hebrew Bible.

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Journey to Jerusalem teaches about the land and bring people on a journey to Jerusalem. We believe the future hope of the world centers on Jerusalem.

There could hardly be a plant more important or more associated with spiritual themes in Jerusalem than the olive. If you encounter Arab children in tourist spots in Jerusalem, one will almost certainly give you an olive branch and request a donation. The ancient symbol of peace also symbolizes many other things in Israel.

They say you plant an olive tree for your grandchildren, not for yourself. This is because a tree requires twenty years to mature. The hard wood of an olive makes for a long-lived and resilient fruit-bearing tree. 

In Jewish scripture, the olive represents the holiness and purity of worship, as it says in Exodus 27:20, "You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may be set up to burn continually." And it represents the place of anguished prayer in Gethsemane the night before Yeshua (Jesus) was crucified: "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" (Mark 14:26). In the last days, we read that God will make Israel as beautiful as an olive tree (Hosea 14:6).

A lot of us feel our lives are filled with Jerusalem meaning, Jerusalem hope. We expect to see Messiah coming to Jerusalem and filling with world with peace. But is that Jerusalem hope literal? Over the last few decades, an increasing number of Christian authors and books have been saying no.

But 19th century Scottish preacher Andrew Bonar (1810-1892) gives us food for thought:
In so far as prophecy has been already fulfilled, that fulfillment has been a literal one. Take the predictions regarding the Messiah. His being born in the house of David . . . at Bethlehem . . . his entering Jerusalem on an ass; his being betrayed by one of his disciples . . . his side being pierced; his bones being left unbroken . . . his being crucified between two thieves; his being buried by a rich man; his lying three days in the tomb; his rising on the third day . . . these and many others have been fulfilled to the very letter; far more literally than we could have ever conceived. And are not these fulfillments strong arguments in favor of the literality of all that yet remains behind?
-Prophetical Landmarks, 246-247

Hundreds of years before David established Jerusalem as the capital, before Solomon built the Temple, and God took up his abode here, the ancient song of the Israelites after crossing the Sea foreshadowed it all:

You will bring them and plant them in Your own mountain, The place You made to dwell in, O LORD, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands established.
-Exodus 15:17

This verse occurs in the Song of the Sea, right after Israel's exodus from Egypt and the sea-crossing. The mountain here is not Sinai, where the Israelites would soon meet with God, but the mountain where God's sanctuary would be built: Mount Zion.

If you dream of a Holy Land journey, consider that the city of Jerusalem was predestined to be the dwelling place of God. Before the Temple was built it was the Holy City. And now, in our time, in between the Second and Third Temples, it is still his Holy Mountain. In the words of the New Testament, "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God" (Hebrews 12:22).

Lots of great photos like this shot of an Israeli crocus at FlowersInIsrael.com.

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. -Isaiah 35:1-2.

Jerusalem isn't exactly the desert, but those who have made a few Jerusalem trips can attest: the climate is semi-arid or near to desert conditions. And the lack of rain for the past decade has left Israel in a serious water crisis.

Occasionally, though, we hear good news. This story in the Jerusalem Post, for example, can only be a hopeful sign. A large, underground aquifer was just discovered in Jerusalem: http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=223253&R=R2

Ferrell Jenkins recently posted a gorgeous photograph taken in the part of Israel known as the Shephelah, not far from Jerusalem. The time of year in the photo is summer, after the grain harvest. Think Psalm 23. Think pastoral peace and shalom in the land of his Presence. See Ferrell Jenkins' original post here.

No, it's not a nightclub scene in Jerusalem. It's the ever-expanding network of ancient tunnels open to tourists in Jerusalem. An additional tunnel will open late this summer and in a few years another section as well. Many of them interconnect.

Those on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem will, more and more, be able to walk on first century street levels and underground. In some cases, this will allow tourists to avoid some (mildly) dangerous neighborhoods. See yesterday's AP article by Matti Friedman here. See a more thorough explanation of the tunnels at Todd Bolen's Bible Places Blog here.

Photo by Jim Davis on a recent tour of the Western Wall Tunnels.