HolyLandPhotos' Blog

A Visit to the Synagogue at Delos

holylandphotos — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:41:12 +0000

This past week we visited the sacred Greek island of Delos (it is about a 40 minute boat ride from Mykonos). The highlight of our time there was a visit to the synagogue on the remote east side of the island (see the end of this post).

View of the “Moses Seat” located on the west wall of the synagogue
Note the marble benches on both sides of the seat
Click on all images for high resolution versions

View to the west, southwest at the various rooms of the synagogue
Note the “Moses Seat” in the upper right part of the image
In the lower left portion of the image is one of the entrances into the synagogue

View to the west of the “Moses Seat” in context
Again, note the marble benches on both side of the seat

This synagogue is said to date to the second half of the second century B.C. which would make it the oldest synagogue yet discovered.

I knew the general location of the synagogue, but thought I would ask in the Delos museum how to get there (bad mistake). The answer was, “that side of the island is closed.” Well . . . I hadn’t traveled 6,000 miles by land, air, and sea, just to see this synagogue and be “turned away,” so we set off on the dirt road just to the north of the museum.

Dirt road/path leading to the synagogue
Take the right branch (path along the wall) heading east toward the sea
It is about a 15 minute walk to the synagogue from the museum

Approaching the synagogue from the west — looking east
The synagogue is in fact right on the shore to the Aegean Sea
The remains of the synagogue are in the center of the image

Map of the synagogue (#75) and surrounding structures
Gymnasium/Palestra (#72) and Stadium (#73)

Sepphoris Synagogue Zodiac

holylandphotos — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:01:09 +0000

In 1993, while doing construction work on the north side of the site of Sepphoris (3.5 mi northwest of Nazareth), workmen discovered the remains of a synagogue that dates to the fifth century AD.

Sepphoris Synagogue Mosaic

Although the walls of the synagogue had been destroyed, its mosaic floor was quite well preserved. The main part of this floor consists of seven panels that include scenes from the life of Abraham and Sarah, a Zodiac(!), representations from the tabernacle/ temple, the life of Aaron, and objects associated with the synagogue.

This is one of the seven synagogues that features a zodiac in its mosaic carpet! The relevant (difficult to answer) question is, why is it here?

To reference important articles and images of the Sepphoris Synagogue Click Here.

Hercules Farnese of Perge and . . . .

holylandphotos — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:00:32 +0000

Hercules Farnese From the Baths at Perge
Second Century A.D. — Antalya Museum

A beautiful second century A.D. statue of Hercules was found in the baths of Perge. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts returned the top portion of the statue to Turkey in September 2011. Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erogan personally brought the important portion to Turkey himself. Portions of over 60 such statues are known and are called the “Hercules Farnese” (named after a famous Italian collection now housed in the Naples National Archaeological Museum). This is a Roman copy of a bronze original. Note the positioning of the head, arms, and legs, and especially the body muscles. The skin of conquered Nemean Lion flows down on his left side as it tumbles to the ground.

It has now been reunited with its body and is on display in the wonderful Antalya Museum.

Below is THE Hercules Farnese that is displayed in the Naples National Archaeological Museum.

Below is a five (5) in. high image of a “Hercules Farnese” found at Pergamum and displayed in the museum in Bergama.

A Bronze Five (5!) Inch High “statue” of Hercules
From Pergamum — In the Museum at Bergama

Heracles was the son of the god Zeus and a mortal Alcmene. Although originally a mortal, he eventually attained divine status and was widely worshiped throughout Greece. As punishment for killing six of his children he had to perform 12 “labors” (= very difficult tasks). The first of which was to kill the Nemean Lion. He wrestled with the lion, strangled it, and subsequently used its pelt as a cloak. (Nemea is a site in the Peloponnese region of Greece).

Astounding Neolithic Site — Göbekli Tepe

holylandphotos — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:30:17 +0000

This past week I visited Göbekli Tepe (“Potbelly Hill”)—a Neolithic site located about 9 mi. north of Sanliurfa in south–central Turkey. This 22 acre site was functional from roughly 9,600 BC to 8,200 BC and is being excavated by Klaus Schmidt.

View of the major excavated area at Göbekli Tepe
Click on image to Enlarge

It was a religious center constructed by and used by foragers (not farmers!). The excavated portions consist mainly of rings of well-carved standing limestone pillars—the tallest 18 ft. high.

Detail of one of the rings of standing stones
Click on image to Enlarge

Note the variety of animals on the carved stone
Click on image to Enlarge

Images of gazelles, snakes, foxes, scorpions, and boars are carved on them in low bas-relief.

One of the large (almost 18 ft. tall) standing stones —note the carving on its side and base
Click on image to Enlarge

How these pillars were carved, transported, and erected—in 9,600 BC—is very mysterious.

Schmidt believes that it was a worship center for foragers, for he has not found any walls, houses, hearths, or signs of agriculture.

The finds at the site are beginning to revolutionize the understanding of the transition from Natufian culture to the Neolithic age.

The worship center is actually almost 1,600 earlier than Kathleen Kenyon’s famous Neolithic Tower at Jericho.

Beth Shemesh

holylandphotos — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:13:50 +0000

Beth Shemesh is an Israelite site located 12 mi. west of Jerusalem in the Sorek Valley where it exits from the Hill Country of Judah into the Shephelah.

The tribe of Dan settled in this area and the main activities of Samson took place here (Judges 13–16).

Sorek Valley looking west from Beth Shemesh

During the period of the Judges the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites via Beth Shemesh (1 Samuel 4–6).

During the recent excavations, a huge “cruciform” cistern from the years of the Judean Monarchy was discovered.

Interior of the Israelite Cistern

For more free, high-resolution images of Beth Shemesh Click Here.

Grass Growing On Roofs

holylandphotos — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:40:40 +0000

Throughout biblical times the house roofs of the common folk were often made of layers of plaster and mud that were laid down over reed mats that in turn were placed over branches and logs.

Logs, Branches, Matting Exposed on a “Modern House”

Because of the mud roof, grass would grow there during the winter months.

Mud Roof With Grass Growing On It

These roofs were often rolled to help make them moisture resistant.

This grass, because of a meager root system, was the first to wither and dry up. Note what is said of the wicked in Psalm 129:6:

May they be like grass on the roof,
which withers before it can grow.

Stigers, H. G. “Roof.” Page 204 in volume 5 of The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. Edited by Moisés Silva. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.

Inscribed Columns in Temples

holylandphotos — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:03:18 +0000

In the first three chapters of the New Testament book of Revelation the author addresses seven churches in the Roman Province of Asia (=modern western Turkey). In doing this he often makes allusions to cultural items that were especially meaningful to his first century hearers.

For example, in the name of Jesus he writes to the Church at Philadelphia:

I am coming soon … the one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God … I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. Rev 3:11–13 (NIV)

Inscribed columns are found in a number of temples in the Greco-Roman world, but the inscriptions on the columns of the Temple of Zeus at Euromos in southwestern Turkey are especially noteworthy.

Temple of Zeus at Euromos

Dedicatory Inscription/Placard

These inscriptions typically note who donated the column! For example, Menecrates, a physician and magistrate donated five of the 30 columns of this temple and Leo Quintus, a magistrate donated another seven.

Free, high–resolution images of Euromos and Philadelphia are available for viewing and downloading.

Churns and Liquid Containers

holylandphotos — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:09:21 +0000

Animal skins with the openings (orifices) sealed have been used for over 5,000 years for the drawing of water, transportation of liquids (water, wine, milk, etc.) and for the “churning” of milk products.

Modern/Ancient Churn Filled With Milk

Mary is on the “business end” of a live churn in the Arab village of Mukmas (biblical Michmash, ca. 1974), located 7.5 mi. [12 km.] north of Jerusalem. This type of churn is an animal skin that has its orifices sealed and that has been filled with goat’s milk. It is then rocked back and forth as it is suspended on the tripod.

Churn/Liquid Carrier

Here is a modern animal skin displayed at the open-air museum at Katzrin on the Golan Heights.

Pottery Churn from the Chalcolithic Period (fourth millennium B.C.) — Amman Citadel Museum

In ancient times even pottery vessels were modeled after these churns/liquid carriers.

Pictures from the Top of the Great Pyramid

holylandphotos — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 02:05:32 +0000

I have always wanted to climb to the top of the Great Pyramid! Some Russian “tourists” did it (contrary to the law) and some of their wonderful pictures are available here and here.

The Three Great Pyramids at Giza

Dust Storms in Israel (Hamsin, Sirocco, Sharav)

holylandphotos — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:55:27 +0000

In the lands the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea the period from early–May to mid–June is a transitional season from the wet winter months to the dry summer ones. At times the wind blows in from the desert (from the east), and not from the Mediterranean Sea (from the west—which is normal). At those times the humidity drops drastically and a fine dust that permeates everything fills the air. These dry dusty events are called a hamsin, a sirocco, or a sharav.

: Jerusalem — Hamsin/Dust Storm — 10:30 AM 11 May 2007

Under these conditions the green grass rapidly turns brown and the wild flowers die.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 40:7–8 (NIV)

The positive effect of these winds is that the hot dry weather aids the ripening of the grains by “setting” them before the harvest. It is during this season that first the barley and then the wheat harvest take place.
The Zondervan Atlas of the Bible, pp. 30–31

: Jerusalem — “Normal Conditions” — 10:30 AM 14 May 2007

All the camera settings and filters were the same.

A similar transition takes place in September/October, but this is from the dry summer months to the wet winter months.

For more free, high–resolution images of a hamsin at http://www.HolyLandPhotos.org Click Here.