tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91260243246545127672024-02-07T18:05:25.296-08:00Ancient Stones, Living Stones: The Holy Land in Perspective<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>A Canadian Mennonite University Study Tour<br>
April 26 - May 17, 2016Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-53246461756862052442015-08-26T08:19:00.002-07:002015-08-26T08:22:21.780-07:00<br />
<img alt="http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.667835.1437894575!/image/152856090.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_2048X1536/152856090.jpg?1439292792092" class="shrinkToFit" src="http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.667835.1437894575%21/image/152856090.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_2048X1536/152856090.jpg?1439292792092" height="480" width="640" /><br />
<h1 class="mainTitle">
Jesus in Jerusalem: A guide</h1>
<div class="chap-row">
<span style="font-size: large;">On our tour (April 15-May 16, 2016) we will be visiting a good number of the churches identified here. This is not actually a "guide" to Jesus in Jerusalem. Rather, t</span><span style="font-size: large;">he map of Jerusalem in <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/st/c/prod/eng/2015/jesus-jerusalem/1/" target="_blank">this piece from HaAretz</a> shows the location of churches marking the spots where the history of Jesus in Jerusalem unfolded. Of course the accuracy of the locations is disputed. As is typical, churches were built to commemorate events, the locations of which were based on tradition. Even so, the church at each site doesn't so much identify the location, as it invites pilgrims, </span><span style="font-size: large;">both imaginatively and prayerfully, t</span><span style="font-size: large;">o enter the story it commemorates .</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">From the introduction to the page: "Once there was only a cave, or a scarred piece
of bedrock. Across the generations, the faithful passed on the stories
of Jesus, and pointed at the places in Jerusalem where a miracle, a
teaching or an event was said to have happened some 2,000 years ago. And
over the eons, sometimes a mere few centuries after the event, churches
were erected to mark the sites where Jesus is believed to have worked
his wonders. Today these shrines, restored to glory, are destinations
for people all over the world."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="chap-row">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/st/c/prod/eng/2015/jesus-jerusalem/1/" target="_blank">On the map</a>, click on the yellow church icons to open up a picture and explanation of the spot.</span></b></div>
Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-88458280310357261592015-06-30T09:31:00.002-07:002015-06-30T09:31:31.384-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">1913: Seeds of Conflict</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tonight (June 30, 2015) PBS broadcasts what I think will be a very interesting documentary.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">From the PBS webpage: "Most observers consider the Balfour Declaration and Mandate period of
the 1920s as the origin of today’s Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Breaking new ground, <strong>1913: SEEDS OF CONFLICT</strong>, a
one-hour documentary directed by filmmaker Ben Loeterman, explores the
divergent social forces growing in Palestine before World War I, when
Arabs and Jews co-existed in harmony as Ottomans, each yearning for a
land to call their own."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1913seedsofconflict.com/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE to go to the PBS web page</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1913seedsofconflict.com/trailer/" target="_blank">View the trailer.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">More from the website:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="textwidget">
<div class="one-half first" id="learnmore">
"Government documents, newspaper accounts, and personal letters in
five languages from the Turkish state archives provide new and
fascinating insights into dramatic events that took place in Palestine
just before the outbreak of World War I.<br />
<br />
1913 Palestine is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural society. Muslims,
Jews and Christians coexist in relative harmony and often gather
together in the coffeehouses of Jerusalem. It is a time before
Jerusalem’s Old City is segregated into separate ‘quarters’ for various
groups. But after European Jewish migrants arrive, Ruhi al-Khalidi,
Jerusalem’s representative to the Ottoman Parliament in<br />
</div>
<div class="one-half">
<br />
Istanbul, voices growing concerns about what he sees as their secret
agenda to build a state. So does Albert Antebi, an Arab-speaking
Sephardic Jew known as the Jewish “pasha,” who embraces economic and
cultural Zionism, but fears the consequences of a Zionist land grab.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Arthur Ruppin arrives from Germany to be the Zionist’s
land agent and Khalil Sakakini returns from a trip to America filled
with pride and optimism of a new Palestinian Arab identity. In 1913,
growing tensions erupt into violence in the vineyard just outside
Rehovot, leaving an Arab and Jew dead, and sowing the seeds for a
century of conflict.<br />
<br />
<em><a href="http://1913seedsofconflict.com/about/synopsis">Read more »</a></em></div>
</div>
<br />Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-7437062015696177632015-06-16T18:54:00.000-07:002015-06-16T18:54:21.000-07:00<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Enright Files: Israeli-Palestinian Relations</span></h2>
<div>
<img alt="A confrontation between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the village of Turmus Aya near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. " src="http://i.cbc.ca/1.3012458.1427486559%21/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/mideast-israel-palestinians.jpg" title="" /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now that next Spring's tour dates have been set (April 25-May 16, 2015), we're ready to prepare ourselves for what we're about to experience. The tour's title, "Ancient Stones, Living Stones," suggests that participants will enter the ancient world of biblical sites and stories <i>and</i> will visit with some of the people who live, work, and long for peace in the land. This <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-enright-files-israeli-palestinian-relations-1.3059790" target="_blank">CBC Radio "Ideas" program from May 4, 2015</a>, takes us into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which serves as one avenue into the world of the living stones. Michael Enright interviews two Jewish Israeli journalists who offer their rather different perspectives.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">"In the wake of a highly contentious election in March, many were
wondering about the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. It's an
issue that Israel's oldest daily newspaper, <i>Haaretz</i>, has long grappled
with. In this episode, Michael Enright revisits recent conversations
with two of <i>Haaretz</i>'s most influential columnists: Ari Shavit, the
author of the acclaimed book, <em>My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel</em>, and the award-winning, but highly polarizing Gideon Levy."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Listening to the full 54 minute program will be well worth your while. <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/popup/audio/player.html?autoPlay=true&clipIds=2666285572" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Related websites:</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/" target="_blank">Haaretz</a></strong></span><br />
<strong><a href="http://www.arishavit.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Ari Shavit</span></a></strong><br />
<strong><a href="http://www.arishavit.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Gideon Levy</span></a></strong></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-41697185793947615962015-03-02T19:39:00.000-08:002015-03-02T20:59:09.592-08:00Alain Epp Weaver's recent book is the subject of an extensive discussion at the journal <a href="https://syndicatetheology.com/symposium/mapping-exile-and-return/">Syndicate</a>, at which four authors will engage with Epp Weaver's book. Readers interested in this theopolitical conversation will be richly rewarded. Check back every few days for new essays. After the online versions have been posted, the essays will only be available in the print edition. The editor begins his introduction this way:<br />
<br />
<img alt="http://syndicatetheology.s3.amazonaws.com/syndicatetheology/wp-content/uploads/Weaver.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://syndicatetheology.s3.amazonaws.com/syndicatetheology/wp-content/uploads/Weaver.jpg" title="" /><br />
<br />
"Talking about Palestinian-Israeli affairs is very uncomfortable. It is a
practical matter of grave significance for contemporary foreign affairs
and a historical malaise of maddening perplexity; the lack of peace has
tragically grave consequences as we all learned this last July when
escalating violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza led to the deaths
of over 2000 Palestinians in Gaza and 71 Israelis. The historical
complexity of the political reality is redoubled when the issues therein
are discussed as political-theological matters, mostly because
political theology itself is inherently awkward. Political theology
forces us to discuss topics that are gauche, uncouth, and imprudent:
violence, sovereignty, God, rights, and money. And so, one can be
forgiven for thinking that, if it is taken up as a political-theological
matter, any further discussion of the distance between Jewish,
Christian, and Muslim perspectives (not to mention the multiplicities
therein) about how to organize and arrange—that is, to map—their
collective futures, only promises to deepen the distrust, pain, and
dispossession."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://syndicatetheology.com/symposium/mapping-exile-and-return/">Click here to read more</a>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-7968491342910954432014-12-23T07:26:00.003-08:002014-12-23T07:37:11.956-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">2016 Dates: Planning Begins!!</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Planning is underway for the 2016 tour. Although the itinerary has not yet been set, the dates are more or less firm. I hear from my agent in Jerusalem that in spite of the political challenges in the region, study and pilgrimage tours are still flourishing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I look forward to leading my ninth tour to the region. During the next year I will be posting a variety of items of interest for participants. I will post links to articles and websites. Some may be items of archaeological interest, and some will have a theological and/or political bent. You are welcome to peruse past posts, although be aware that some of links that I refer to may no longer be active.<br />
<br />
Please contact me if you are interested in participating (for my contact information, please go to the tour website at the link on the right side of this page). Although it's not required, you may participate in the tour for academic credit (undergraduate or graduate).</div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-64361602938691759502014-03-23T15:47:00.001-07:002014-03-23T15:47:20.502-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">Pilgrims, Students, Tourists</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I tell groups that they will experience their participation in a study tour in at least three ways: as pilgrims, students, and tourists. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yDY_NetC4xsS7LX5FVpXayEejsrHH8ChHBSus4Ozw6KgQtEsJ3C2NANm0ikIs33IiAihryZ0qq066Gy9qWgG_O1zMBELbXXWVVLqqFzI2tvmU2cIJZ1sxvowMtkO9t_qWsrq5BGzwNKO/s1600/DSC_5516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yDY_NetC4xsS7LX5FVpXayEejsrHH8ChHBSus4Ozw6KgQtEsJ3C2NANm0ikIs33IiAihryZ0qq066Gy9qWgG_O1zMBELbXXWVVLqqFzI2tvmU2cIJZ1sxvowMtkO9t_qWsrq5BGzwNKO/s1600/DSC_5516.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Tourists come to gather experiences, photos, and souvenirs. As tourists we are consumers. Of course there are now special ways of re-configuring tourism, like "eco-tourism" or "tourism with a purpose," by which is meant doing volunteer work for a time before savoring some beach time. Being a tourist is great fun. And it has its place. I love being a tourist. I have no responsibilities. And I escape the hectic life at home in exchange for a completely different kind of hectic. And that can be rejuvenating for a time.<br />
<br />
On a study tour like this one, we find ourselves immersed in learning. We become students for a large part of every day. We visit ancient historical sites. We listen to our guide explain the historical context of the site. We hear the stories of local people, Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We ask questions and hope to learn from their experience of living in this troubled land.<br />
<br />
And we are pilgrims who come prayerfully. We hope to enter the biblical story not only in our imaginations, but also with our feet firmly on the ground. I don't always understand the pilgrim ways of some of the people I see. I can't kiss the stones in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as some do. Yet I want to enter the story through the land and through its people today. The land, as Saint Jerome put it, can be a "fifth gospel." But it's not holy just because Jesus or Elijah walked here. What's holy is what happens, wherever we happen to find ourselves, as we are transformed to be agents of peace and reconciliation, in genuine community with others (even enemies).<br />
<br />
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<br />
Somewhere I received this quote about being a pilgrim: "There is a reason why the pilgrim’s journey involves
going somewhere else. In order to experience transformation, the pilgrim must
become vulnerable—he must expand his edges, crossing borders into new and
unfamiliar territory. When the pil<span class="textexposedshow">grim journeys to
a place beyond what he calls “home,” his senses are heightened, his
vulnerabilities are brought to the surface and his perceptions are tested. In
allowing these different parts of himself to come to the surface, he is able to
be fully present in his journey amidst the discomfort and uncertainty, the
mystery and the beauty." - From "Pilgrim Principles" by Lacy
Clark Ellman, founder of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/asacredjourneyfilm" id="js_6">A Sacred Journey</a> Blog</span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><br /></span>
<span class="textexposedshow">One of the best resources on Christian pilgrimage to the land of the Bible is <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Way-Lord-Christian-Pilgrimage-Today-ebook/dp/B002WC9DJS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395609991&sr=8-1&keywords=tom+wright+pilgrimage">Tom Wright's book <i>The Way of the Lord: Christian Pilgrimage Today </i></a>(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999). </span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><br /></span>
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ems6pzF9L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ems6pzF9L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ems6pzF9L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="fullScreen" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ems6pzF9L.jpg" style="height: 388px; margin-top: 10px; width: 258.672px;" width="213" /></a><br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Here is the publisher's blurb for the book: "</span>The Way of the Lord is a book to be read with Christian pilgrimage in
mind, whether one is traveling to the Holy Land physically or merely in
heart and mind. Tom Wright, a world-renowned expert on the New Testament
and the life of Jesus, offers a guide to pilgrimage that also serves as
an inspirational introduction to the Christian faith. / Wright explores
all the sites that travelers usually visit on a tour of the Holy Land,
explaining not only what is to be seen but also the context of faith
that makes these sites, and the events associated with them, famous
around the world. By weaving together Old and New Testament stories,
poetry, and original insights, Wright helps readers enter imaginatively
into each scene. He also sprinkles his narratives with reflections on
the nature of pilgrimage generally and with discussion of vital
contemporary issues related to the Holy Land. Vividly evoking the
sights, sounds, and smells of the Holy Land, The Way of the Lord is
ideal for both individual and small-group study, for anyone planning a
pilgrimage or for those just setting out on the spiritual journey of the
Christian life."<br />
<br />
One reviewer on the amazon.com website offers a few perceptive comments on pilgrimage, and on the book:<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Gregory of Nyssa went out of his way to criticize the practice [of pilgrimage], arguing
that it is important to be close to God and one's neighbors and that
pilgrimage made no contribution to accomplishing either imperative.
And in more recent times, C. S. Lewis asserted, "The significance of
the incarnation is not that God is a god of one place to the exclusion
of others; it is that he is a god of all places, active in his world . .
. God is to be found especially in people; namely those in need and in
the gathered community of the Church . . . It follows that to set off
on a journey to grow nearer to Christ is at best a complex matter. It
might be that the true search is among those in need . . ." For the
ardent pilgrim, Lewis commends the words of Matthew 28.6: "He is not
here; he is risen." There is a certain logic to Lewis's position, but
at the same time, it misses an important point. Pilgrimage is not
about going to a particular place to find God. It is about putting
ourselves in a particular place so that God can find us. For people
who struggle with the concept of pilgrimage and who are inclined to
side with Gregory or Lewis, Tom Wright's brief, readable work on
pilgrimage will be a welcome guide. Former Dean of Lichfield Cathedral
in Staffordshire, England, and the new Canon Theologian at Westminster
Abbey, Wright grew up in the evangelical tradition. He heard little
or nothing about pilgrimage early in his life and his first exposure to
the practice left him with doubts not unlike those expressed by Lewis.
But much to his surprise, he discovered that "one can learn to
discover the presence of God not only in the world, but through the
world." This growing realization prompted him to write this sage
little work that not only serves as an introduction to the practice of
pilgrimage but is also, by design, "a refresher course, from an unusual
angle, on what might be called `Christian basics'." Using locations
in the Holy Land where Jesus walked, talked, and healed, Wright takes
the reader on a virtual pilgrimage, combining biblical scholarship with
catechesis and inspirational challenge. But Wright is never facile or
dogmatic. His closing paragraph provides a taste of the rest: "We do
not go on pilgrimage, then, because we have the answers and want to
impose them. That would make us crusaders, not pilgrims; the world has
had enough of that, and I dare say God has had enough of that. We go
on the pilgrim way, we follow the way of the Lord, because he himself
is the way - and, as he said himself, the truth and the life as well.
We go to meet him afresh, to share his agony, and to pray and work for
the victory he won on the cross to be implemented, and for his way to
be followed, in Israel and Palestine, in our own countries and in the
whole world."<br />
Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-84770581931699204472014-03-22T14:38:00.001-07:002014-03-22T14:38:34.368-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">Qumran & The Dead Sea Scrolls</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYp9kN4HBYFM1iiIRWrz4PfdaCP_JtR5fMqtEgHrjXSocxpiPgPgdUR2pi4Nsj-W2axQlMIXCEJfrtNEvLTPUPXU0ITNwu9fb21wLckRX3zEyml8KZZVbgW4vXa56Cdf9uefEpKn5ifqgn/s1600/tour0379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYp9kN4HBYFM1iiIRWrz4PfdaCP_JtR5fMqtEgHrjXSocxpiPgPgdUR2pi4Nsj-W2axQlMIXCEJfrtNEvLTPUPXU0ITNwu9fb21wLckRX3zEyml8KZZVbgW4vXa56Cdf9uefEpKn5ifqgn/s1600/tour0379.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Our first stop on May 6 will be in Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by Palestinian shepherds. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"</span><span style="font-size: large;">The Dead Sea Scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript find of all time. Discovered between 1947 and 1956, the Dead Sea Scrolls comprise some 800 documents but in many tens of thousands of fragments. The Scrolls date from around 250 B.C. to 68 A.D. and were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek; they contain Biblical and apocryphal works, prayers and legal texts and sectarian documents" (Biblical Archaeology Society).</span><br />
<img class="irc_mut" height="211" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.facsimile-editions.com/shared/images/ds/isaiah-scroll.l.jpg" style="margin-top: 59px;" width="400" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=lBrBU6-gp0xcpM&tbnid=3nu2eYXRCw7n3M:&ved=0CAYQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facsimile-editions.com%2Fen%2Fds%2F&ei=qQEuU8iWHbTlygH314H4Bg&bvm=bv.62922401,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNEQMrFD7j81_mZ6eQaYhkRy-kojFA&ust=1395610399165382"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo source</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Begin by taking a look: view <span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic';">the </span><a href="http://www.3disrael.com/dead_sea/qumran.cfm" style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic';">360 degree panorama</a><span style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic';"> or </span><a href="http://www.3disrael.com/dead_sea/qumran2.cfm" style="font-family: 'Gentium Book Basic';">here</a>. The <a href="http://www.bibleplaces.com/qumran.htm">Bible Places website</a> also provides a visual orientation along with an overview of various aspects of the Qumran site. There you will find a short list of related websites, including, for example, links to <a href="http://www.english.imjnet.org.il/page_899">The Shrine of the Book</a> (which we will be visiting) and its many resources, including an Interactive Virtual Tour, the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/scrolls/index.html">Library of Congress Dead Sea Scrolls page</a> (Washington, DC), and many others. For photos of the various caves, <a href="http://www.bibleplaces.com/qumrancaves.htm">click here</a>. </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the best websites for information about the Dead Sea Scrolls is the <a href="http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/category/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/">Biblical Archaeology Society's "Bible History Daily" page</a>. Click on the various links on that page to read about the history and controversies surrounding the discovery of the scrolls. For example:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/introduction-to-the-dead-sea-scrolls/">The Dead Sea Scrolls and Why They Matter</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/what-happened-when-2/">What Happened, When?</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/caves-and-contents/">Caves and Contents</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Have a look also at the following:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.livescience.com/24595-qumran-dead-sea-scrolls.html">LiveScience web page</a>, including a virtual reconstruction of the site.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/?locale=en_US">The Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/">The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls from the Israel Museum website</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/israelexperience/history/pages/qumran%20-%20center%20of%20a%20jewish%20sect%20of%20the%20second%20tem.aspx">The Israeli government link for tourists has a good overview</a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-88516785775740966532014-03-19T20:58:00.000-07:002014-03-22T20:09:31.052-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">PETRA: UNESCO World Heritage Site</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMBSKMDBSKycEFTsxWn-TibO6VcrLQepjymmtvSv_BdI4rKg116iGZ1yJC6gHgQ6iwbRALGTYwf_FhVW4kZU45WyDFeOEqHaB-vCHgJvqlpiVgGyNHiIft-2p-5KtUOHRmgXn5qcMGAlX/s1600/DSC_5342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMBSKMDBSKycEFTsxWn-TibO6VcrLQepjymmtvSv_BdI4rKg116iGZ1yJC6gHgQ6iwbRALGTYwf_FhVW4kZU45WyDFeOEqHaB-vCHgJvqlpiVgGyNHiIft-2p-5KtUOHRmgXn5qcMGAlX/s1600/DSC_5342.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Petra, one of our first stops in Jordan, is a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/326">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We'll have a full day of exploring with an expert Jordanian guide. We expect to be out in the sun more or less all day, which does wonders for resetting the body's clock.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One <a href="http://travelclub.canadiangeographic.ca/blogs/feature_articles/archive/2014/02/21/kingdom-of-jordan.aspx">website </a>I saw recently said this about preparing for a visit to Jordan: "The best advice I heard before going to Jordan
was 'don’t read anything about it.' A friend wanted me to be
surprised. 'Especially before you go to Petra, don’t read anything.'" I agree that you shouldn't read anything if all you want is to be surprised by everything you see. I think, however, that the best visit is done by preparing ahead of time, immersing yourself in the experience during your visit, and then reflecting and doing more reading after returning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The website Visit Jordan has <a href="http://www.na2.visitjordan.com/visitjordan_cms/MajorAttractions/Petra/tabid/63/Default.aspx">a good page on Petra</a>. "Often
described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, is without
a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction.
It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the
Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000
years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and
other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with
Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The links on the left side of that page offer you entry into pages on history & culture, religion and faith, fun and adventure.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lSzASC4RPXwoR1ej1VvQchIqoqVlaGz-bpIxeiVhf9jo-Y90O3XOO9xRyfvstI8EfRZy2tAHiSTPASslarXxVulFCjcEl0Nsl4YO5EQpNat6RipIe3TuPY7DvGCBC-DLIVxcUTh2WWuW/s1600/tour2010+235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lSzASC4RPXwoR1ej1VvQchIqoqVlaGz-bpIxeiVhf9jo-Y90O3XOO9xRyfvstI8EfRZy2tAHiSTPASslarXxVulFCjcEl0Nsl4YO5EQpNat6RipIe3TuPY7DvGCBC-DLIVxcUTh2WWuW/s1600/tour2010+235.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://www.bibleplaces.com/petra.htm">Bible Places website</a> has a good description along with a list of related websites. Of course <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra">Wikipedia</a> will also provide a good general overview and photos.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Better yet, peruse these resources:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Biblical Archaeology Review's online article </span><a href="http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/petra.asp" style="font-size: x-large;">"Solving the Enigma of Petra and the Nabataeans" </a><span style="font-size: large;">by Joey Corbett.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">A lovely <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Z6XkKryD4">25 minute video</a> (no narration, only music), part of a series called "Amazing Places on Our Planet."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTyOqfPX604">National Geographic's documentary</a> (21 minutes). Very good.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhz2nTu-PFA">The Last Bedu of Petra and Wadi Rum.</a> A "Living Cultures" documentary (51 minutes).</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While in Petra we'll stay at the delightful <a href="http://www.taybetzaman.jordantourismresorts.com/">Taybet Zaman Hotel</a>, which is a restored 19th century Jordanian village.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Petra is a magical place. You will likely be drawn in by skillful Bedu children selling colourful jewelry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FashWlVX_w089max3MG7ugzSUUl8Ue4uFal6WJrbaVoA1jPPqcB3G5bqQ15vNKl5AZ5ckUh1cJbwVk0iUey32eKo5GERTLni-TGOjtLyODtqPGRIOkL0SqyMgoEFrHlj2305egAl8Y1c/s1600/tour20060187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FashWlVX_w089max3MG7ugzSUUl8Ue4uFal6WJrbaVoA1jPPqcB3G5bqQ15vNKl5AZ5ckUh1cJbwVk0iUey32eKo5GERTLni-TGOjtLyODtqPGRIOkL0SqyMgoEFrHlj2305egAl8Y1c/s1600/tour20060187.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But don't become distracted. Keep your eyes open for that unexpected sight.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAAW4r3m5rQRnMbiZVtTYR7nHoTopjxmILsV7yfqOgsyYMd6BmoqXP3PqlPLodzZkcnL-dTt5gvoeW_kdoGehptPeyeWCZP07qPlWBPLQGAc5GVVeInzqun9NNr3KuxuBN3px84KOH76J/s1600/tour0607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAAW4r3m5rQRnMbiZVtTYR7nHoTopjxmILsV7yfqOgsyYMd6BmoqXP3PqlPLodzZkcnL-dTt5gvoeW_kdoGehptPeyeWCZP07qPlWBPLQGAc5GVVeInzqun9NNr3KuxuBN3px84KOH76J/s1600/tour0607.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-38853465267780406412014-03-18T18:28:00.003-07:002014-03-18T18:31:02.014-07:00<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/the-halva-kingdom">Halva Kingdom</a>: One of My First Stops on Our Free Day in Jerusalem!</span></h2>
<img src="http://www.machne.co.il/en/gallery/6B14D54E-0798-2C09-98F5-780527250491.jpg?1395191977" height="438" style="display: block; left: 0px; position: relative; top: 9px;" width="660" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have a long list of things to do on our free day in Jerusalem (check out the link on the right side of this page). Since our free day is a Friday this year, it will be important to get to the <a href="http://www.machne.co.il/en/">Machane Yehuda market</a> on Jaffa Road in West Jerusalem fairly early. I expect it to be crowded. I will go straight to <a href="http://www.machne.co.il/en/category/the-halva-kingdom">Halva Kingdom</a> and I will buy more than I did last time. Coffee Halva is my first pick.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">From the website:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Eli Mamman knows all the family secrets. Rooted in his Moroccan
family, his recipes create this well-known Jerusalem-based sweet sesame
treat. The halva sold at Halva Kingdom is only available at Machne
Yehuda market, and the brand makes over a 100 different flavors and
types.<br />
<br />
The first Halva Kingdom store opened in 1947 in the Old City.
After the Jews were deported from the Old City, the family opened up the
store at the Machne Yehuda market. The halva is manufactured at a
factory in Mishor Edomim. The process includes imported sesame from
Ethiopia, millstone grinding of the seeds, and mixing the blend with
sugar until it's as sweet as it gets."</span>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-15506090889347801992013-11-06T13:05:00.000-08:002014-03-18T18:32:03.349-07:00<span style="font-size: large;">It seems as though this series is no longer available, at least in Canada, via the internet. Still, look for it on CNN or on DVD.</span><br />
<br />
<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/721f45c18294fbf8068305762b3482d6/tumblr_mrw406zOLH1qfyly0o1_1280.png" height="307" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A friend alerted me to this unconventional CNN documentary by Emmy Award winner Anthony Bourdain. He confesses to being "instinctively hostile to any kind of devotion" even though he seems to love food a lot (which is a kind of devotion, I'm sure). For those considering being part of a study tour to Israel and Palestine, this documentary will whet your appetite for good, honest, and difficult conversations, along with good Middle Eastern cuisine. Bourdain is irreverent. The documentary is quirky (meet the Speed Sisters who like to race their Peugot sports car). Watch it here:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This from the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/shows/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown/season-2/jerusalem/index.html">CNN website</a>: "In the season premiere of "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," the host and crew make their first trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. While the political situation is often tense between the people living in these areas, Bourdain concentrates on their rich history, food and culture, and spends time with local chefs, home cooks, writers and amateur foodies."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Click here to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvt__0zloaw">watch the entire 42 minutes.</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-59121787468436689522013-10-09T09:14:00.000-07:002013-10-09T09:20:47.837-07:00<img height="96" src="http://www.musalaha.org/images/00002-1.jpg" usemap="#m_donate" width="640" /><br />
<img height="155" src="http://www.musalaha.org/images/00003.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Beyond Bells and Smells:</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b><span lang="EN-GB"><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Gap between Eastern and Western Christianity</span></em></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A short while ago I received an email newsletter from Musalaha, a ministry of reconciliation among Israelis and Palestinians. Salim Munayer, the director, laments the fact that western study tours often do a fine job of teaching about the ancient biblical sites and historical geography of the region, but rarely provide an opportunity for tour participants to learn about Eastern Christianity. Salim is one of the guest speakers on my tour. He has given me permission to repost his article. It can also be found on the </span><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/" style="font-size: x-large;">Musalaha home page </a><span style="font-size: large;">(although in time it may be moved).</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">By Salim J. Munayer</span></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">This
past week, as America commemorated the tragedy of 9/11, much was said
about the gap between the Western world and the Muslim world. One
important aspect that was overlooked in this discussion is the gap
between the Western and Eastern church. I would like to share some of
my experiences and observations in this area. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">I
regularly teach American Christian students on short-term study trips
in the Holy Land. I often notice a weakness in their curriculum, as much
time is spent studying biblical history, particularly the first and
second temple periods, and the apostolic period. But when we begin to
discuss the ecumenical councils and their resulting doctrinal schisms, I
find that my students have spent little time studying the historical
and political contexts in which church history took some of its most
significant turns. Instead, their curriculum fast forwards hundreds of
years to the sixteenth century, into the time of Martin Luther and the
Protestant Reformation, and the subsequent politics and history of this
period.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Such
a selective reading of church history tends to focus on the
contribution of the Western Church which is understood as the normative
framework of Christian theology and church tradition. Consequently, the
development of the Eastern Church, in which the Arabic speaking
community plays and has played a large role, is often completely
ignored. Furthermore, a new branch of study in post-holocaust theology
has created willingness and attached importance to understanding
contemporary Jewish faith and practice. This is rarely matched with
inquiry into the Eastern Church. This has led me to believe that there
are far too many passionate evangelical Christians in the West who are
unaware of the history, theology, and contemporary situation of the
Eastern Church.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">This
is problematic for several reasons. Firstly, this means that the role
of the Eastern Church in developing and shaping both Western and Eastern
Church doctrine is not properly understood or appreciated. Secondly, a
wealth of theological tradition has been ignored by many in the
evangelical and wider Protestant community to the detriment of their
theological appreciation and understanding. Thirdly, the precarious
positions of the Arabic speaking church around the world, and
particularly in the Middle East, means that we are in great need of
acknowledgement, encouragement and support from our western evangelical
brothers and sisters. This short article will therefore attempt to
explore some of the reasons why the western evangelical church is
unfamiliar with Arabic speaking Christianity as a preliminary attempt to
remove some of these barriers and encourage mutual understanding
between the traditions, as well as to further us along the path of
reconciliation in the Holy Land.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB">The Early Church Schisms</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Contrary
to popular belief, the early church schisms in the fourth and fifth
centuries were not exclusively, or even primarily, a result of doctrinal
differences, but occurred to some extent as a consequence of political
struggles for territory, governance and authority. These political
struggles were then couched in theological language at a time when the
early church was attempting to combat heresy and articulate a basic
statement of core beliefs for the faithful. Imperial and ecclesiastical
agendas became somewhat intertwined. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">In
the early fourth century, Christianity had five main centres throughout
the Roman Empire: Rome, Alexandria, Carthage, Constantinople and
Antioch. Each territory was presided over by a Bishop with authority
over the churches in his district and into its hinterland. The Roman
Emperor Constantine wanted to unify these disparate territories as a way
of asserting political control. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Consequently,
he invited Bishops from all over the Empire to attend a council in
Nicaea near Constantinople in 325 AD in order to obtain this theological
and political unification. The ecclesial framework of these churches’
relationship and interaction was established at early councils such as
this one. Subsequent church conflicts were not only theological, but
political.</span></span></span><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></div>
<div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Linguistic, Cultural and Ethnic Separation</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Much
later, the Pope in Rome excommunicated the Patriarch in Constantinople
and the latter responded in kind. It is important for us to view the
doctrinal controversies in this wider political context and not as
exclusively theological issues. Doing so will hopefully remove some of
the religious and theological objections that western evangelical
Christians may have toward the Eastern Church. The primary consequences
of these splits for us today are the ethnic and cultural barriers that
were erected as the churches spread to different parts of the world –
the Western Church into Europe, the Orthodox Church into the Arabic
speaking world, and the non-Chalcedonian churches into Asia and Africa.
Bringing us into the present, it is the cultural and ethnic barriers
resulting from these ancient political decisions which I believe are
currently the main source of estrangement between western evangelicals
and Catholic or Greek Orthodox Arab Christians, not the theological
differences between the churches. As such, these can be overcome through
increased contact between the cultures which will increase
understanding and address mutual alienation and misunderstanding. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">There
have of course been far-reaching theological consequences as a result
of the linguistic and cultural barriers which now exist. Arabic and
Syriac are not widely read in the evangelical church in the way that
Greek and Latin are. This has meant that the theology and church
teachings of the Eastern Church have not been available to most Western
Christians. This wealth of theological tradition has therefore played
little role in developing and shaping the theology of the West, to the
detriment of the Western Church.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Perceived Theological Differences and Difference in Church Practice</span></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Although
there are clearly many differences between Eastern and Western
Christianity, these differences do not need to be viewed, as they often
are, as a source of conflict or disagreement, but should instead be
understood as an attempt to contextualize the Christian faith within the
social context of each church community. In the West, more emphasis is
placed on individual autonomy in theology and church practice. For
example, the doctrine of justification is one which deals with
individuals and one’s particular relationship with God.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""></a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span></span></a>
While worshipping as a collective body, we often simply sing side by
side. In the Eastern Church, the emphasis on liturgy and sacraments is
driven by communal identification. It is understood that these
traditions tie Christians to the global church body, and to the saints
in heaven. All too often the evangelical church criticizes these
historical practices as indicating a stagnant church, in contrast to the
lively worship style of the Western Church, and in so doing,
misunderstands the deep theology and religious commitment behind these
rituals.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Similarly,
the Western Evangelical Church places a strong emphasis on the
immediacy of revelation and understanding through personal experiences
with the Holy Spirit in the charismatic church, and through Scripture in
more conservative evangelical traditions. In contrast, the Eastern
Church places a strong emphasis on the historical nature of revelation.
Revelation is viewed as a more collective endeavour over centuries of
church teaching, study and theology by numerous clergy and laity, and
this revelation is intrinsically tied to church tradition as implemented
in church practice. The Eastern Church emphasizes that Scripture is
never immediately applicable but that the text today has a history which
is intimately related to the history of the church as the church has
sought to relate the revelation of Jesus to contemporary discourse over
the centuries.<span class="FootnoteReference1"> </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="FootnoteReference1"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""></a></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="FootnoteReference1"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""></a></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="FootnoteReference1"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="FootnoteReference1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span></a></span>
While one attains to truth therefore through rigorous engagement with
scripture - and our biblical criticism must always concede to the need
for such an acceptance of the canon - we must nevertheless recognize
that the text we receive is already interpreted for us by church
tradition, and that this interpretation has a measure of authority.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">While
it would be naive to disregard these important theological and
ecclesial differences, they do not need to be a source of estrangement.
However there is a tendency in the Western Church to understand itself
as normative, having developed within a majority culture, meaning that
anything which deviates from this normative theological or ecclesial
framework is in some sense heretical. Through embracing our ecclesial
diversity however, we enter a richer faith community. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<br />
<div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Political Barriers</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">The
Arab conquests in the seventh century coupled with the spread of Islam
and the subsequent wars between Christians and Muslim political powers
such as the Arab invasions, the Crusades, the Ottoman invasions of
Europe, World War I, the creation of the State of Israel and now two
Gulf Wars have also disrupted the relationship between the Eastern and
Western Church. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">By
the early nineteenth century, western travellers in the Muslim world
became more common and painted a vivid Orientalist picture of this
ill-understood other. This was perhaps an improvement to the very
limited contact between East and West that preceded it, however this
began a rather skewed relationship between those with the power to
narrate and those whose lives were ostensibly narrated in such
discourses. Even our contemporary understanding of Arabic speaking
Christians, and Eastern Christianity more generally, comes largely
through western media which is influenced by geo-political interests
which often ignore the situation of the church. We know little about the
recent history of the Assyrian church in Iraq, or the Armenian Church
in Ottoman Turkey for example, because reporting on these situations of
persecution and genocide would harm international relationships and
alliances. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Conclusion</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">It
is clear from the brief overview given above that there are many things
which have historically contributed to the current state of
estrangement between the western evangelical church and the wider
Protestant community and the Eastern Churches. Cultural and linguistic
barriers pose the most significant challenges which are often couched in
unnecessary theological language. While there are clearly theological
differences between the two communities, these are often a result of
their interaction with secularism in the West, and Islam in the East as
opposed to significant doctrinal variations. The possibility for
increased mutual understanding and interaction is, therefore,
significant.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">It
is incredibly important that these current barriers are explored and
overcome, not only as engagement with the other would enhance the
richness of each side’s respective theological resources, but in a
climate of political instability (particularly in the Middle East),
Arabic speaking Christians are in desperate need of recognition and
support from their western brothers and sisters. Additionally,
understanding the differences between the two ecclesial traditions will
allow us to bridge some of the gaps between the Messianic Jewish
community and the Palestinian Christian community, as the Messianic
community is influenced more by Western theology than Eastern theology,
and the opposite is true of the Palestinian community. Furthermore,
engagement could help lessen the existing prejudices between the Eastern
and Western Church. A global church seeking increased unity and
understanding would surely be a testimony to Jesus’ reconciling activity
in the world today, as well as a source of strength to the universal
church itself.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB">Further Reading</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Bailey, Kenneth. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels (Illinois, Intervarsity Press, 2008).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Cragg, Kenneth. The Arab Christian: A History in the Middle East (Kentucky, Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Pacini, Andrea, eds. Christian Communities in the Arab Middle East: The Challenge of the Future (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1998).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Parry, Ken, eds. The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity (West Sussex, Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2010).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Strengholt, Jos. Gospel in the Air (Boekencentrum, Zoetermeer, 2008).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"> Tarazi, Paul. ‘An Orthodox Christian Response to the Inclusive Language Lectionary’. <i>Word Magazine</i> (Publication of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, 1984).</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1">
<div>
<a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> For more information, see the section for further reading at the end of the article.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div>
<a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> </span>It
should be noted, however, that recent scholarship such as the New
Perspectives on Paul, has challenged the individualism of the doctrine
of justification.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<div>
<a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.musalaha.org/#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="FootnoteReference1"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="FootnoteReference1"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB">
Tarazi, Paul. 1984. An Orthodox Christian Response to the Inclusive
Language Lectionary, Word Magazine, Publication of the Antiochian
Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, 8-11.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-21330559001745896062013-10-04T11:37:00.001-07:002013-10-04T11:37:36.992-07:00<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians—Really?</span></h3>
<div class="deck">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Why I refuse to be cynical about the current talks.</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">by Dale Hanson Bourke </span></div>
<div class="byline">
<br /></div>
<div class="byline">
<img id="original-main-image" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W5jcln05L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dale Hanson Bourke has written a new book titled <i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Israeli-Palestinian-Conflict-Questions-Direct-Answers/dp/0830837639/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1380909294&sr=8-7&keywords=dale+hanson+bourke">The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Tough Questions, Direct Answers</a></i> (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2013). I will be ordering it immediately. From what I read in her <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/september-web-only/peace-between-israelis-and-palestinians.html?paging=off">Christianity Today article</a> (posted online on Sept. 30, 2013), I expect this might be a good book to recommend to my study tour participants as preparatory reading. I'll revise this post as soon as I've had a look at the book and will let you know one way or another.</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's an excerpt from the beginning of the CT article:</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<br /></div>
<div class="text">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="dropcap">"A</span>s the world continues to
debate how to resolve conflicts in Syria, Egypt, and too many other
places, negotiators have quietly, and mostly confidentially, continued
peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The talks, which began
mid-August, have taken place in Israel and the West Bank behind closed
doors and with little public posturing.</span></div>
<div class="text">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="text">
<span style="font-size: large;">
Cynics are quick to criticize these peace talks, which they believe
will prove to be just another in a failed series. Others see them as a
futile exercise that will only raise expectations and create more
bitterness. And then there are those who have written off the entire
Middle East as "a mess" and are simply disengaged from the issues.</span></div>
<div class="text">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="text">
<span style="font-size: large;">
But I'm not one of those people. I continue to pray, hope and believe
in peace for the Holy Land. I support the talks and believe that they
can succeed. And I ask other Christians to join me.</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;">My hope does not come from naïve optimism, but from time spent in the
region, researching and writing about the conflict and meeting with
people who live with the effects of it daily. A skeptic at the beginning
of my journey, I was first surprised and then greatly moved by the
people I met there who are working—often sacrificially—for peace."</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the article, Bourke mentions people and groups with whom we will be meeting on the study tour. If you've had a look at the itinerary, you will know that we have many occasions in which we both listen (our main task) and engage in conversation with those who both long for and work for peace in the region. People sometimes ask, why not focus on your own problems at home? I sincerely hope that we do. I find, however, that hearing how others tirelessly work for peace inspires us to do the same. That's one of the reasons I love taking groups to the holy but troubled land.</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's one of the online <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Palestinian-Conflict-Questions-Answers-Skeptics/dp/0830837639/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380909095&sr=1-1&keywords=the+israeli+palestinian+conflict">reviews of the book</a> on Amazon.com, written by Rev. Angela Zimmann (PhD; pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Old City of Jerusalem):</span></div>
<div class="byline">
<br /></div>
<div class="byline">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Do you hear the words "Middle East" and feel overwhelmed and completely
confused? Do you wonder what countries even count as the Middle East? Do
you wonder why people can't just get along? I live and work in
Jerusalem as the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, and Assistant to
Bishop Munib Younan. Of course, I have read a multitude of books that
deal with these particular issues, and I reside alongside the conflict -
and, more significantly, alongside the real Palestinians and Israelis
who are affected - each and every day. I am thrilled to recommend,
therefore, this five-star book: it is accessible, engaging, fair, and a
quick and "easy" (in the literary sense, not the philosophical) read
which serves not just as an introduction but as a compelling push into
the heart-rending story of the Middle East, "the center of the
universe." You will finish the book in a weekend, or even in one sitting
- but your heart and mind will never be the same. You will be far from
"finished" with the Middle East - you have entered a holy, broken,
mystical, and humbling land. Welcome."</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><br />Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-82474958992762462232013-09-18T17:05:00.000-07:002013-09-18T17:06:35.367-07:00<span style="font-size: x-large;">10 Registrations received for the 2014 tour!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7mDgWYcl54N-Jx_C7-j4Sd0UD_r6wropT4_MDj7qa07pc9m0nX_pTX0OxfE-jnsLDCaMxiOUDW9RBY6J6VM0zc5gG7Qqz0TIYqAGgU0Vi-2FUBWstoUqqt4NI5H_3IxrxzmrdWmkfMN_/s1600/DSC_5517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7mDgWYcl54N-Jx_C7-j4Sd0UD_r6wropT4_MDj7qa07pc9m0nX_pTX0OxfE-jnsLDCaMxiOUDW9RBY6J6VM0zc5gG7Qqz0TIYqAGgU0Vi-2FUBWstoUqqt4NI5H_3IxrxzmrdWmkfMN_/s400/DSC_5517.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm pleased to report that ten participants have already registered. That means there are only 21 spots left. I expect these to be filled up by November. Registration forms are available on the<a href="http://www.cmu.ca/studytour/index.php"> tour website</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Because there isn't much more to say about that, I'll pass on a few links to articles that deal with a very lively topic among our conversation partners in Israel and Palestine. As you may know, one of my hopes for tour participants is that they experience firsthand the complexity of the hopes and fears of Israeli Jews and Palestinians (in Israel and in Palestinian Territories). Someone will invariably ask our guest speakers, "What do you think, should there be a one-state or a two-state solution?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Several recent articles address that question. At least among some, the two-state solution has arrived at a dead end. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ian Lustick's September 14 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/opinion/sunday/two-state-illusion.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0"><i>New York Times</i> piece, titled "Two-State Illusion</a>," begins this way: "The last three decades are littered with the carcasses of failed
negotiating projects billed as the last chance for peace in Israel. All
sides have been wedded to the notion that there must be two states, one
Palestinian and one Israeli." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ilan Pappe's article, published the same day, is titled <a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/the-two-state-solution-died-over-a-decade-ago-1.1230848">"The Two-State Solution Died Over a Decade Ago."</a> In that article Pappe writes, "Any hope of reviving something out of the original ideas that led the
Palestinians to support the Oslo Accords back in 1993 wilted with Ehud
Olmet’s government of 2007, when it buried, for all intents and
purposes, both the Oslo Accords and the two state solution."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday <a href="http://mondoweiss.net/2013/09/ilan-pappe-weighs-in-on-one-state.html">Marc H. Ellis, responded to both pieces</a>. Ellis is an author, liberation theologian, and Associate Fellow
to the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University for
Peace, Costa Rica. He wrote:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Of the two, I would chose Pappe’s – with a caveat. The Two State
solution hasn’t actually been on the table since the 1967 war. That’s
going on fifty years.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What’s important is the future. While serving up American-size
rhetoric on the dangers facing Israel/Palestine in the years ahead,
Lustick is weak on what it would take to reach his goal of expanding
justice and security for Jews and Palestinians. Pappe is more direct
but he, too, comes up against the disturbing reality that no one from
within the Middle East or outside of it has the answer to the urgent
question: How can Palestinian freedom be implemented?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">All of these pieces are worth reading. Coming along with me to experience the challenges on the ground would be even better. But read first, and then fill out the registration form.</span>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-51858661920858878942013-08-14T19:42:00.001-07:002013-08-14T19:44:37.750-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvw2pfz-rtHQDKlS7yg3YbVj9MteL5wNMXo63UcpgF6yJrcDXW_Pe8OdH4cIp7kVdRkSOcB1hf7OLekcTRhopvzemeLSd42wLeGWFH5kwAm666cQa48dnrNylg4Rr9XHf8QWIr8pNfVW-/s1600/April.28.2014.Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvw2pfz-rtHQDKlS7yg3YbVj9MteL5wNMXo63UcpgF6yJrcDXW_Pe8OdH4cIp7kVdRkSOcB1hf7OLekcTRhopvzemeLSd42wLeGWFH5kwAm666cQa48dnrNylg4Rr9XHf8QWIr8pNfVW-/s1600/April.28.2014.Banner.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I'm pleased to announce that all the details about the 2014 tour have now been posted on the tour <a href="http://www.cmu.ca/studytour/index.php">website</a>. Have a look at the <a href="http://www.cmu.ca/studytour/details.php?s=itinerary">itinerary</a>.</b></span><!--[endif]--><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Here's what someone from a previous tour had to say recently: </b></span><em>"I went on your Ancient Stones, Living Stones study tour in 2010 and
enjoyed it greatly, particularly the opportunity to gain a deeper
understanding of the political situation in Israel & Palestine and
to meet with so many people active in the cause of peace. It was a
major contributor to my decision to take an MA in International Affairs
as preparation either for more work in the region, or for development
and peacebuilding work generally." </em>(Katherine)<br />
<br />
<b>And someone from 2012 posted this on Facebook today: "I don't always go on study tours, but when I do, I go with Gordon Matties! Went on this tour in 2010 - excellent sites and challenging speakers from a variety of backgrounds. You should go!"</b>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-36247406570507722732013-05-03T11:23:00.000-07:002013-07-02T10:38:38.658-07:00Announcing the 2014 Tour! April 28 to May 19.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrxSRGbFkH_M-uZZyI3kuTnVeeP8OPeEUe-7Cj6rHpjRyFXsRhtwA3iGBOoVPWd4l5d_KAymlyMhAqKnA37tDUpCIQrjIhTg8nSlbQwt8mr-ZJrepMuadhLD9RAKB0g9vd1jFiokMCzbn/s1600/DSC_5455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrxSRGbFkH_M-uZZyI3kuTnVeeP8OPeEUe-7Cj6rHpjRyFXsRhtwA3iGBOoVPWd4l5d_KAymlyMhAqKnA37tDUpCIQrjIhTg8nSlbQwt8mr-ZJrepMuadhLD9RAKB0g9vd1jFiokMCzbn/s320/DSC_5455.JPG" width="212" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The itinerary for the 2014 tour is almost ready to be posted. We'll be visiting more sites in the West Bank/Palestine, including biblical Shechem (modern Nablus), Sebaste (capital city of ancient kings Omri and Ahab), Jacob's well, among others. Click on the link on the right side of the page to go to the tour website or to view last year's itinerary. <i>Faith Today</i> magazine did an interview with me about the tour. It turns out to be a fine advocacy piece for why people should consider taking an "academic" study tour led by a professor rather than a generic tour. One good reason: someone I know is leaving today for a tour to Israel, and is not visiting the Palestinian territories at all. Not even Bethlehem. I find it odd that a Christian group would not visit Bethlehem or any other sites in Palestine. To read the article <span style="font-size: large;">click here:</span> <a href="http://digital.faithtoday.ca/faithtoday/20130506#pg87">Faith Today.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Gordon Matties. <span style="font-size: small;">A window in the staircase at the Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth.</span></span>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-36621428916006129282010-11-08T19:00:00.000-08:002010-11-08T19:13:06.112-08:00Israeli Novelist David Grossman on CBC Radio<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21_DHfBTnnbEd-OJD7k6XVDfKV2d9nqbI36hwX6hsf0HemzsB-8bYuuCul4dK4JzLglzHCWkjXZchvLbXZMhmXYPZZGHqodeJ43bYoCuRASbkuxO1cjQ1TM5OfizPKmd3Y30WuaMeawKu/s1600/david-grossman-cp.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21_DHfBTnnbEd-OJD7k6XVDfKV2d9nqbI36hwX6hsf0HemzsB-8bYuuCul4dK4JzLglzHCWkjXZchvLbXZMhmXYPZZGHqodeJ43bYoCuRASbkuxO1cjQ1TM5OfizPKmd3Y30WuaMeawKu/s320/david-grossman-cp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537381393133180690" border="0" /></a><br />On November 7, 2010 Israeli novelist David Grossman was interviewed by Michael Enright on CBC Radio's program "<a style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" href="http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/2010/11/november-7-2010.html">The Sunday Edition</a>." Grossman, writer and peace activist, has been named winner of the 2010 Peace Prize by the German association of publishers and booksellers.<br /><br />Grossman, 56, is author of <em>The Yellow Wind</em>, a non-fiction work that examined the lives of the Palestinians, and <em>To the End of the Land,</em> a novel that examines the cost of war. <p>David Grossman is not only Israel's best known novelist he is also one of its most astringent critics. For decades he has condemned his government's treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories and called for an end to new settlements. He has labored for peace while at the same time turning out world class literature. His latest best seller,<em> To the End of the Land </em> is set against the background of the latest Lebanon war. A war in which his young son Uri was killed. In this hour, a powerful conversation with David Grossman about parenthood, the loss of a child and the heart-breaking search for peace in his troubled land.<br /></p><p>To listen to the enlightening interview with Grossman, <a style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" href="http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/2010/11/november-7-2010.html">click here.</a><br /></p>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-81086445725817117782010-01-29T08:12:00.000-08:002010-01-29T08:38:47.392-08:00"A Moment of Truth" from Palestinian Christian Leaders<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtNTV2I9kSRjdsW9y-E0vWztDLF5rsq1Pv9vmVdfF_HVvXDqiYUkM1ameQQahxaXJbf3-z9pl58oL5M8IZe7q41s2WoSo_9MJIn9TG80vS3DyVxI88FN1XQ322ECatOS1LaK4gZL3Q3XO/s1600-h/kairos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtNTV2I9kSRjdsW9y-E0vWztDLF5rsq1Pv9vmVdfF_HVvXDqiYUkM1ameQQahxaXJbf3-z9pl58oL5M8IZe7q41s2WoSo_9MJIn9TG80vS3DyVxI88FN1XQ322ECatOS1LaK4gZL3Q3XO/s400/kairos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432196874142649602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">A group of Palestinian Christian leaders have put together a document entitled "A Moment of Truth" in which they respond theologically to their experience in the Holy Land. In this document we hear one community of "living stones" cry out from the ground. Although there are other perspectives, this one must be heard. Go to their </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.kairospalestine.ps/">Home Page</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and read the </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.kairospalestine.ps/sites/default/Documents/English.pdf">Kairos Document in English</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> (other languages are available). This is the introduction to that document:</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >"This document is the Christian Palestinians’ word to the world about what is happening in Palestine. It is written at this time when we wanted to see the Glory of the grace of God in this land and in the sufferings of its people. In this spirit the document requests the international community to stand by the Palestinian people who have faced oppression, displacement, suffering and clear apartheid for more than six decades. The suffering continues while the international community silently looks on at the occupying State, Israel. Our word is a cry of hope, with love, prayer and faith in God. We address it first of all to ourselves and then to all the churches and Christians in the world, asking them to stand against injustice and apartheid, urging them to work for a just peace in our region, calling on them to revisit theologies that justify crimes perpetrated against our people and the dispossession of the land.<br /><br />In this historic document, we Palestinian Christians declare that the military occupation of our land is a sin against God and humanity, and that any theology that legitimizes the occupation is far from Christian teachings because true Christian theology is a theology of love and solidarity with the oppressed, a call to justice and equality among peoples.<br /><br />This document did not come about spontaneously, and it is not the result of a coincidence. It is not a theoretical theological study or a policy paper, but is rather a document of faith and work. Its importance stems from the sincere expression of the concerns of the people and their view of this moment in history we are living through. It seeks to be prophetic in addressing things as they are without equivocation and with boldness, in addition it puts forward ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and all forms of discrimination as the solution that will lead to a just and lasting peace. The document also demands that all peoples, political leaders and decision-makers put pressure on Israel and take legal measures in order to oblige its government to put an end to its oppression and disregard for the international law. The document also holds a clear position that non-violent resistance to this injustice is a right and duty for all Palestinians including Christians.<br /><br />The initiators of this document have been working on it for more than a year, in prayer and discussion, guided by their faith in God and their love for their people, accepting advice from many friends: Palestinians, Arabs and those from the wider international community. We are grateful to our friends for their solidarity with us.<br /><br />As Palestinian Christians we hope that this document will provide the turning point to focus the efforts of all peace-loving peoples in the world, especially our Christian sisters and brothers. We hope also that it will be welcomed positively and will receive strong support, as was the South Africa Kairos document launched in 1985, which, at that time proved to be a tool in the struggle against oppression and occupation. We believe that liberation from occupation is in the interest of all peoples in the region because the problem is not just a political one, but one in which human beings are destroyed.<br /><br />We pray God to inspire us all, particularly our leaders and policy-makers, to find the way of justice and equality, and to realize that it is the only way that leads to the genuine peace we are seeking.<br /></span><p></p>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-26941748126124893622010-01-27T13:38:00.000-08:002010-01-29T09:17:09.513-08:00Brian McLaren's Reflections on Palestine<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv29e1X5WS8u26Oke2vHLrqkUIY555XJtxXUyez6CeG1pvk1xhzx8VbUH_Ud4FskmpHAuF6U5UWKp7ce024eE-w-ztLWNrBJwHRjp9ifwxg9zm53WoCgeayQD7cbCaGE7WONMWx6xZLf3/s1600-h/brianmclaren.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv29e1X5WS8u26Oke2vHLrqkUIY555XJtxXUyez6CeG1pvk1xhzx8VbUH_Ud4FskmpHAuF6U5UWKp7ce024eE-w-ztLWNrBJwHRjp9ifwxg9zm53WoCgeayQD7cbCaGE7WONMWx6xZLf3/s200/brianmclaren.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431538717842884082" border="0" /></a>Brian McLaren, author of <span style="font-style: italic;">A New Kind of Christian</span> and other books (including the forthcoming <span style="font-style: italic;">A New Kind of Christianity</span>), has recently visited Palestine (I think he's there even as I write this). It's always interesting to hear how people respond when they are given the opportunity to interact with Jews, Christians, and Muslims who live in the region.<br /><br />McLaren summarizes some of the words of Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem: "A highlight of our time yesterday was hearing Rev Mitri Raheb share five observations about this part of the world. <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/the-view-from-bethlehem.html">He said</a> ...<br /><blockquote>1. There are too many peace talkers and there are too few peace workers.<br />2. There is too much politics and too little care for people on the ground.<br />3. There is too much religion and not enough true spirituality.<br />4. There is too much humanitarian aid and not enough economic development.<br />5. There is too much pess-optimism (swinging from optimism about the next big project to despair when it doesn't work) and not enough steady hope in action."<br /></blockquote>In a post titled Reflections from Ramallah, Taybeh and Beit Sahour, McLaren writes: "The struggle here is about people being held in various forms bondage - both occupiers and the occupied each in their own ways, and everyone needs liberation. . . . People aren't the enemy. Rather, it's harmful ideologies and world views and narratives that rule and exert power in and through people's lives." <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/reflections-from-ramallah-taybeh.html">CLICK HERE</a> to read more of this post.<br /><br />And he concludes his post titled <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/dead-sea-nazareth-capernaum-regi.html">Dead Sea, Nazareth, Capernaum Region, Dead Sea</a> with this: "I've been an avid reader on the subject for quite a while, but being here now, I see how many of my most basic assumptions were skewed from a lifetime of half-truths, unfair and imbalanced news, well-planned propaganda, and misinformation."<br /><br />Mike Todd provides a concrete example of such misunderstanding at the end of the story he tells in his <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/guest-blog-from-mike-todd-day-3.html">Guest Blog</a>: "<strong>The narrative we are exposed to back home tells us this is a dangerous place, that simply to be here is risky. It goes without saying that the narrative says don't get into cars with strangers, that every Palestinian is a danger. This is not true. It seems the intent of this narrative is to keep us from coming, from seeing, and from abandoning the wrong story we have been told."</strong><br /><br />Here are a few more posts worth reading:<br /><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/more-from-the-west-bank.html">More from the West Bank</a><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/guest-blog-by-greg-barrett-day-1.html">Guest Blog by Greg Barrett on Day 1 in Bethlehem</a><br /><a style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/jewish-voices.html">Jewish Voices</a><br /><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/this-morning-ill-be-back.html">Last Day in Israel-Palestine</a>. There are links here to other blogs by tour members <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://davegibbons.tv/">Dave Gibbons </a>and <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://miketodd.typepad.com/">Mike Todd.</a>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-87685210318173121952010-01-22T07:16:00.000-08:002010-01-22T07:46:35.623-08:00Archaeological Sites Digital Map<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJ3yR9vZmFTZwO9MRnINNV_ywXIfOI1LeQWc60q7vq7PnK4xz5jTkKjuBMlVJPESvq58INz5Jz4BH9AIVDEWvVhkqrGC0w-pDrZvZQVi_0QOrgLK1Wt6pboW5MvhWAQ1Xc5xQrKfegMdo/s1600-h/USCDigitalLibrary.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 46px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJ3yR9vZmFTZwO9MRnINNV_ywXIfOI1LeQWc60q7vq7PnK4xz5jTkKjuBMlVJPESvq58INz5Jz4BH9AIVDEWvVhkqrGC0w-pDrZvZQVi_0QOrgLK1Wt6pboW5MvhWAQ1Xc5xQrKfegMdo/s400/USCDigitalLibrary.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429584182963323890" border="0" /></a>The Israeli Palestinian Archaeology Working Group has made available a searchable satellite map of every archaeological site (both those excavated or merely surveyed) in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This is an amazing resource. It is available either on the University of California library website, or through Google Maps. The USC map has more variables. For example, you can set the map to show only Iron Age or Ottoman sites. The Google Maps interface has a handy alphabetical index along the left side of the page.<br /><br />Here's an exercise you can do. Take Jerome Murphy-O'Connor's archaeological guidebook <span style="font-style: italic;">The Holy Land</span>, and look up each of the sites in your tour itinerary (see <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://cmustudytour.blogspot.com/2009/11/exploring-ancient-stones.html">my blog post on the book</a>). You can zoom in on the map so closely that you can actually see the contours and colors of the land. I'm awe-struck. But don't become impatient with it. Because the site names are, for the most part, in Arabic, you may need Murphy-O'Connor's book to figure out what's what. The Google Map interface option may be helpful because it juxtaposes the sites onto a map with modern place names nearby. You may have to play around with both of the maps to locate the various sites on your itinerary. And don't be intimidated by the Jerusalem area. Just keep zooming in (but not too far) until the number of sites does not overwhelm the page.<br /><br />The USC dynamic map is only able to display 600 locations in a view. If more than 600 locations are returned for your search, please take one of the following actions:<br /><br />-add more limits to your search<br />-zoom in closer by double-clicking the map or using the ± zoom tool on the left side of the map<br /><br />Here is a description of the project from the website of the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/wbarc/">University of California Digital Library:</a><br /><br />"This collection includes lists of archaeological sites that have been surveyed or excavated since Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. Since that time, the oversight of the antiquities of the area has devolved on two government bodies: the military administration's Staff Officer for Archaeology (SOA) in Judea and Samaria and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The IAA, which is responsible for East Jerusalem, is a civil branch of government and its records are open for inspection. Some of the records of the Staff Officer for Archaeology in Judea and Samaria are being accessed in full for the first time as a result of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Archaeology Working Group. This involved a team of Israeli and a team of Palestinian archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals working in concert to create new data resources that document the single, unitary archaeological landscape of the southern Levant, which is now bisected by the modern borders. <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 1em 1.5em 1.5em; width: 200px; float: right; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> <ul><li><a href="http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/wbarc/map.html">View the searchable map interface</a></li><li style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=http:%2F%2Fdigitallibrary.usc.edu%2Fwbarc%2FWestBank-Archaeological-db.kmz&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=60.158465,135.263672&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9">View the kml data in Google Maps</a></li><!--<li>The full database file will soon be available for Open Access download</li>--></ul> </div> <p style="margin-top: 1.2em;">The Israeli-Palestinian Archaeology Working Group sponsored and partly funded a research effort by Rafi Greenberg (Tel Aviv) and Adi Keinan (University College London) in order to gather details about each site in the West Bank excavated or surveyed between 1967 (updated periodically). These data include the site name(s), location on a GIS grid, description of the site's major components (e.g. olive oil press; ritual bath; sheikh's tomb; church, synagogue, village); details about the periods when the site was occupied (e.g. Neolithic, Byzantine [Christian]; Iron Age II; Ottoman); and information about the excavators or surveyors who gathered data about the site; and relevant publications/bibliography. The database file that contains this information initially will be available in a <a href="http://crcc.usc.edu/initiatives/shi/resources.html">publication by Greenberg and Keinan</a>. This collection page provides access to a database, which is a work in progress. We look forward to additions to this database file in the future as additional data are provided by Israelis, Palestinians and others. </p> <p>The data contained in this database is also available in a visually searchable <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/wbarc/map.html">Google Map interface</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">."</span></p>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-66602478475903236372010-01-16T11:21:00.000-08:002010-01-17T06:10:34.041-08:00City of David: Archaeology is Political<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyqSLG5TQydCm5n8R5S4W82IKlLojri7YxG6F1CT6a1mBGUECtZlKUj4LZqcogtc18kyCHYU_G3Xf_yig0BoFKfV4iQjq3_11InM0cGdAY3FaeT0ntWgw4etHMRouHvBKVlTPtmZ7xeZ-/s1600-h/City-of-David.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyqSLG5TQydCm5n8R5S4W82IKlLojri7YxG6F1CT6a1mBGUECtZlKUj4LZqcogtc18kyCHYU_G3Xf_yig0BoFKfV4iQjq3_11InM0cGdAY3FaeT0ntWgw4etHMRouHvBKVlTPtmZ7xeZ-/s200/City-of-David.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427457414785814098" border="0" /></a>The tires were slashed and windows smashed in the small Suzuki four wheel drive vehicle we were driving. I was with an Italian friend of mine. It was his car. It had blue West Bank license plates, so we thought we would be fine. But we looked like strangers, and therefore suspicious. Silwan was still "hot" in 1991, just after the first intifada. And it remains a contested area today. The major archaeological sites there (the City of David, Hezekiah's Tunnel, and the Pool of Siloam) are situated at the centre of a heated controversy. Visitors with eyes wide open discover very quickly that archaeology is political. But most of the 500,000 annual visitors to the site don't get it.<br /><br />Silwan has long been an Arab village on the hill just south of the Old City of Jerusalem, within spitting distance of the Temple Mount area, or the Haram es Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). The area has been continuously inhabited (more or less) for 5000 years. After all, who wouldn't want to live on a hill near a year-round spring? Among the earliest inhabitants of the area were Jebusites, who, according to the books of Joshua and Judges, could not be conquered (Josh 15:63; Judg 1:21). Hundreds of years later, the city became King David's capital, according to the story in 2 Samuel 5. But even then, the Jebusites continued to live alongside of the first Israelite population in Jerusalem. In the late 19th century the City of David area became a settlement for Yemenite Jewish immigrants. Although Jews and Arabs have lived in the area off and on over the centuries, in recent decades archaeology has been drawn into the conflict.<br /><br />There are two organizations, both interested in archaeology, that are telling the story of Silwan. One of these writes on <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.alt-arch.org/">its website</a>: "Buried under the village lands, 5000 years of history bind the stories of ancient nations and rulers with the present life of the local residents. Dozens of excavated archaeological strata tell the complex multi-cultural saga of Jerusalem.<br /><br />We, a group of archaeologists and residents of Silwan, invite you to hear the story of ancient Jerusalem and of life in the village today. Our tour sheds light on the role of archaeology in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in the discourse of the future of Jerusalem. We will offer a different perspective: archaeology without an ownership, one that bridges between periods, cultures and nations; archaeology which involves the local residents and examines the past as a shared asset regardless of religion or nationality.<br /><br />We believe that archaeology in Silwan/"City of David" has the power to change the dynamics of the conflict and promote tolerance and respect for other cultures, past and present, for a better future for both the local residents and the whole region."<br /><br />Browse through the alt-arch.org website for treasures like these: a <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.alt-arch.org/timeline.php">history timeline</a>, survey of <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.alt-arch.org/excavations.php">excavations in Silwan</a> (all of which will be relevant for our visit), <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.alt-arch.org/principles.php">principles of a peaceable archaeology</a>, and much more. There is a very fine short essay on the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.alt-arch.org/yemenites.php">Yemenite Jewish settlement</a> in the late 19th century, and another on the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.alt-arch.org/settlers.php">current Jewish settlement in Silwan</a>. These two pieces are <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">must reading</span> prior to a visit to the City of David. Of course all tellings of the story are selective, as this piece at the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/jerdavid.html">Jewish Virtual Library </a>website illustrates. The story is accurate, but incomplete. The <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silwan">Wikipedia article</a> on Silwan seems to present a broader perspective.<br /><br />The problem, as those essays point out, is that the City of David archaeological site has become attached to a partisan agenda. I won't say more here. You can read the articles. Or, read the articles listed at the bottom of the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Glock">Wikipedia page on Albert Glock</a>, an archaeologist who was murdered on January 19, 1992 in Palestine. I attended his funeral.<br /><br />Elad, the organization that now runs the City of David archaeological park, has created an wonderful website about the City of David excavations. The <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/index.html">home page</a> includes a slide show with uplifting accompanying music. Pick your language and enter <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/hp_eng.asp">an educational smorgasbord</a> of interactive maps, virtual tours, a 360 degree interactive panoramic photograph (read the instructions first), etc. Don't miss any portion of this website. There are menus across the top and bottom of the page. Because it's such a rich page, may take a while to load.<br /><br />For more on the City of David, see <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.bibleplaces.com/areag.htm">Bible Places</a>, and the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early%20History%20-%20Archaeology/Archaeological%20Sites%20in%20Israel%20-%20Jerusalem%20-%20The%20C">Israeli Foreign Ministry Archaeology page.</a><br /><br />This hasn't been a long blog post, but the content of the websites toward which I've directed you should keep you busy for a few hours. I am looking forward to another visit to Silwan and the City of David this spring!Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-85735887756686031492010-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:002010-01-10T15:29:13.187-08:00Biblical Archaeology Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYJlL99GwkVZfOxbD5C_Fg2K_lOgL5hwLD4lQav3tMiOurVxdYtn9joVqx9kiLw5NP6RqoFLhaxCzK4gLjqjQkWx5LrkMZT9xyAVwUADBtsiY1XTALuKPXc7u9Iyhyphenhyphenu_TkB_fUA2tjXXk/s1600-h/BAR.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYJlL99GwkVZfOxbD5C_Fg2K_lOgL5hwLD4lQav3tMiOurVxdYtn9joVqx9kiLw5NP6RqoFLhaxCzK4gLjqjQkWx5LrkMZT9xyAVwUADBtsiY1XTALuKPXc7u9Iyhyphenhyphenu_TkB_fUA2tjXXk/s320/BAR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425245886781536146" border="0" /></a>In 1978 I participated in an archaeological dig at Lachish. The site is mentioned in only 22 verses in the Bible. Yet it is one of the most important archaeological sites for understanding ancient Israelite history in relation to the imperial powers seeking to dominate the region at the time.<br /><br />For me, archaeological sites are not simply "ancient stones." They are storied places. People lived in these sites, worshiped their gods, raised families, and much more. Each site is alive with memory.<br /><br />One of the ways tour members can prepare for a tour is to acquaint themselves with some of the ancient sites. <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.bib-arch.org/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Biblical Archaeology Review</span>'s website </a>is a good place to visit now and then. There's a wealth of information available there, even without subscribing to the magazine.<br /><br />Here are a few examples. On this tour we will be visiting the Shrine of the Book (at the Israel Museum) as well as the ancient site of Qumran, where those scrolls were discovered. The scrolls have been in the news recently, as Jordan has asked Canada to return those scrolls currently on display in Toronto to Jordanian control. The News section of the website provides a link to the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2010/01/03/scrolls-jordan-canada.html?ref=rss">CBC news report</a> on this item. Even more, BAR's website includes a special section called <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.bib-arch.org/online-exclusives/dead-sea-scrolls-01.asp">"The Dead Sea Scrolls and Why They Matter."</a> BAR tends to be a bit controversial at times. But that's part of the fun of archaeology, which is a cross between science, detective work, and creative imagination.<br /><br />While I was working on the archaeological dig at Lachish, <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Barkay">Gabriel Barkay</a> was the junior archaeologist on the site, working under the supervision of now retired archaeologist David Ussishkin. On the BAR site I found an audio lecture by Barkay on <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.bib-arch.org/multimedia/multimedia.asp">"Ten Key Points on Authenticity of Artefacts."</a> Parts of this lecture may not make sense unless you've had a little experience with archaeology, but it is interesting nonetheless!<br /><br />Do enjoy exploring BAR's website. You might even want to download a free e-book. Excellent options might be <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.bib-arch.org/free-ebooks.asp#israel">"Israel: An Archaeological Journey,"</a> or <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.bib-arch.org/free-ebooks.asp#scrolls">"The Dead Sea Scrolls: What They Really Say."</a>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-77613087313656434222009-12-25T11:25:00.000-08:002009-12-25T11:46:06.562-08:00Annie Dillard on Bethlehem<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP41dnSlRg2D82-wBgz_hMGmrrmIU41BzTXQT1cLw53wySduN7sbZmNAukaPN9Qg3OSCgFfCBNH3Tv7J8xAFkIIfhxGi2NC8_0ZgcpxtQm_lxF593bb1RkxIIBmOwd6SrR2EIhFyesMv5v/s1600-h/birthplace-cc-lolay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP41dnSlRg2D82-wBgz_hMGmrrmIU41BzTXQT1cLw53wySduN7sbZmNAukaPN9Qg3OSCgFfCBNH3Tv7J8xAFkIIfhxGi2NC8_0ZgcpxtQm_lxF593bb1RkxIIBmOwd6SrR2EIhFyesMv5v/s320/birthplace-cc-lolay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419257672653418610" border="0" /></a>In her book <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Time-Being-Annie-Dillard/dp/0670886912/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261769587&sr=8-6"><span style="font-style: italic;">For the Time Being</span></a>, Annie Dillard writes this about her experience in the grotto of the Church of the Nativity:<br /><br />"I have never read any theologian who claims that God is particularly interested in religion, anyway.<br /><br />Any patch of ground anywhere smacks more of God's presence on earth, to me, than did this marble grotto. The ugliness of the blunt and bumpy silver star impressed me. The bathetic pomp of the heavy, tasseled brocades, the marble, the censers hanging from chains, the embroidered antependium, the aspergillum, the crosiers, the ornate lamps--some human's idea of elegance--bespoke grand comedy, too, that God put up with it. And why should he not? Things here on earth get a whole lot worse than bad taste.<br /><br />'Every day,' said Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, 'the glory is ready to emerge from its debasement'."<br /><br />Without diminishing the significance of the silver star in Bethlehem, Dillard is right: "any patch of ground" is holy land. Any place can be a site of encounter, as Jacob discovered one night. After his dream of the ladder to heaven, he woke and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it!" (Genesis 28:16). And any encounter, with God or stranger, can be a meeting that transforms (as Jacob also discovered with a night-time wrestler, as told in Genesis 32). Perhaps I read too much of a universal import into those narratives. Even so, it strikes me that I am often resistant to "the glory . . . ready to emerge," especially when that glory appears in the shape of the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Photo <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"><img src="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/images/icons/creative_commons.gif" alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/people/lolay/">Lerma Olayres</a>.</em></span>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-75997734470399205242009-12-24T09:58:00.000-08:002009-12-24T10:11:26.053-08:00Christmas in Bethlehem 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3DNIia33xzGTTtzJ8UuLqVL3QwudnuiPCwzua73llxHUrxVVJbrdTIpp5M1hAHi-Gqu9J_HmGy2TIMXtUlBnO9bxfvk5ncu1EVWiPtg27cLpz1vC5LX5gvrmwQbKtA8Fe-fevi24yY8J/s1600-h/AJILogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 94px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3DNIia33xzGTTtzJ8UuLqVL3QwudnuiPCwzua73llxHUrxVVJbrdTIpp5M1hAHi-Gqu9J_HmGy2TIMXtUlBnO9bxfvk5ncu1EVWiPtg27cLpz1vC5LX5gvrmwQbKtA8Fe-fevi24yY8J/s400/AJILogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418864075893287858" border="0" /></a>We all know that Christmas is about Jesus. Yet for residents of Bethlehem, Christmas has always been about Jesus, as well as about welcoming pilgrims. According to Luke's account of the nativity, Mary and Joseph found no place "in the inn" (2:7, NRSV). As Kenneth Bailey has argued, "inn" is best understood as "guest room." Even if he's right (and I think he is), the irony of the NRSV translation is this: in 2009 most of the hotels in Bethelehem have plenty of space for guests. Most groups come to the Church of the Nativity for a brief visit and then leave (I know I've said this before in earlier blogs). But now on Christmas eve it's particularly relevant.<br /><br />Watch this Al Jazeera video by journalist Nour Odeh about "<a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/12/2009122461113232638.html">Bethlehem's Christmas Blues</a>." It shows us the current reality in Bethlehem. (Thanks to Rachelle Friesen for alerting me to this piece).<br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Gordon/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" />Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-29499356089182003232009-12-23T20:11:00.000-08:002009-12-23T20:48:51.351-08:00Church of the Nativity<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_3b58aMHgEzh33alEfjloFrpt1B3ANoSypULIaSGZwOWoPk4Uhld8XpZfg79FytG2qKs2uWGXsJN30rvmgn9GresIlZce2i0H7MYr6804418y4essCONMona7M6UODDtyap3CSfyPNF3/s1600-h/nave-cc-christopher-chan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_3b58aMHgEzh33alEfjloFrpt1B3ANoSypULIaSGZwOWoPk4Uhld8XpZfg79FytG2qKs2uWGXsJN30rvmgn9GresIlZce2i0H7MYr6804418y4essCONMona7M6UODDtyap3CSfyPNF3/s400/nave-cc-christopher-chan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418651138537763778" border="0" /></a>What I like most about visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is not seeing <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-church-of-nativity-photos/slides/birthplace-cc-lolay">"the star"</a> in the floor of the grotto that supposedly "marks the spot" where Jesus was born. It's being in a place where followers of Jesus have worshiped and commemorated the nativity since the second century.<br /><br />The pillars in the photo at the left are mostly from the original fourth century church<span style="font-size:85%;"> (<em><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/"><img src="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/images/icons/creative_commons.gif" alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" /></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/people/chanc/">Christopher Chan</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">).</span></span></em></span> To read about the church, have a look at the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-church-of-the-nativity">Sacred Destinations</a> website. Here's a sample:<br /><br />"In 326, Constantine and his mother <strong>St. Helena</strong> commisioned a <strong>church</strong> to be built over the cave. This first church, dedicated on May 31, 339, had an octagonal floor plan and was placed directly above the cave. In the center, a 4-meter-wide hole surrounded by a railing provided a view of the cave. Portions of the <strong>floor mosaic</strong> (my photo below) survive from this period. <strong>St. Jerome</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>lived an<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHL-h1XgmRDmtTPW6C2wluPIe_TQebW-vSUWBjIXOFg7HSahyRf_9yJmBNSWkEEv3vL7b5dHffVTU5jy_bRg6mQbANDXpWS7aqn5_ENu2TBt9M2S4kmwNxOiMIe93uR29_HMMV1SskLTH/s1600-h/tour0020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHL-h1XgmRDmtTPW6C2wluPIe_TQebW-vSUWBjIXOFg7HSahyRf_9yJmBNSWkEEv3vL7b5dHffVTU5jy_bRg6mQbANDXpWS7aqn5_ENu2TBt9M2S4kmwNxOiMIe93uR29_HMMV1SskLTH/s320/tour0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418657720998327410" border="0" /></a>d worked in Bethlehem from 384 AD, and he was buried in a cave beneath the Church of the Nativity.<br /><br />The Constantinian church was destroyed by <strong>Justinian</strong> in <strong>53</strong><strong>0 AD</strong>, who built the much larger church that remains today. The <strong>Persians</strong> spared it during their invasion in 614 AD because, according to legend, they were impressed by a representation of the Magi — fellow Persians — that decorated the building. This was quoted at a 9th-century synod in Jerusalem to show the utility of religious images.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHL-h1XgmRDmtTPW6C2wluPIe_TQebW-vSUWBjIXOFg7HSahyRf_9yJmBNSWkEEv3vL7b5dHffVTU5jy_bRg6mQbANDXpWS7aqn5_ENu2TBt9M2S4kmwNxOiMIe93uR29_HMMV1SskLTH/s1600-h/tour0020.JPG"></a> <p><strong>Muslims</strong> prevented the application of Hakim's decree (1009) ordering the destruction of Christian monuments because, since the time of Omar (639), they had been permitted to use the south transept for worship. </p> <p>The <strong>Crusaders</strong> took Jerusalem on 6 June 1009. Baldwin I and II were crowned there, and in an impressive display of tolerance the Franks and Byzantines cooperated in fully redecorating the interior (1165-69). A Greek inscription in the north transept records this event."</p><p>To read more about the Church of the Nativity, <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-church-of-the-nativity">CLICK HERE</a>. See also the <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-church-of-nativity-photos/">Photo Gallery</a> at the Sacred Destinations website.<br /></p>Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9126024324654512767.post-14987863440540090832009-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:002009-12-22T06:06:49.016-08:00NOVA: The Bible's Buried Secrets<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifweHRokT16jPB3BY5BOGJV14HSpojP3Hz-Bv3UpPLmisinL8-GKL0XNsv8q08loBfYl-snJvPKzg2BXDVLXUJ5Zku34brrr2pXugHOxdXYP6hC_-dXGhEMvAJTswUrHpw8X0_BlGGjen7/s1600-h/NOVA-banner2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifweHRokT16jPB3BY5BOGJV14HSpojP3Hz-Bv3UpPLmisinL8-GKL0XNsv8q08loBfYl-snJvPKzg2BXDVLXUJ5Zku34brrr2pXugHOxdXYP6hC_-dXGhEMvAJTswUrHpw8X0_BlGGjen7/s400/NOVA-banner2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418057762909873298" border="0" /></a><br />Every tour group to the Holy Land, unless it is a short ten day tour, runs the risk of experiencing archaeological site fatigue. My guide, Khalil, happens to love ancient water systems. After the sixth or so water system some of us began to tease Khalil. Over the days, however, we discovered, in spite of ourselves, that we had gained an insight into life in ancient Israel/Canaan. Water is a precious resource that must be protected. I am tempted to digress by mentioning why water continues to be a contested resource in Israel & Palestine. But more on that in another blog.<br /><br />For now, let me say that archaeological site fatigue can be remedied in two ways. One depends on the guide, who should be able to bring the site to life by telling stories that link the site to the biblical and historical record. A second depends on the tour participant. I suggest prospective tour participants do some reading and viewing to discover what archaeology contributes to our understanding of the ancient world, and of the biblical text.<br /><br />For a very fine exploration of that topic, one can hardly do better than to watch NOVA's (PBS television) <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/">"The Bible's Buried Secrets."</a> That web page offers a variety of interactive pieces, including short articles, timelines, and videos on interesting topics like "Moses and the Exodus," "The Palace of David," "Archaeology of the Hebrew Bible," and more. Every one of the links on this page is worth having a look at.<br /><br />NOVA's must-see <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/program.html">two hour television program</a> has been divided into 13 chapters, each of which can be viewed separately. If that link doesn't allow you to view the videos, you can watch it by <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/programs/ht/qt/3516_01_l.html">CLICKING HERE</a>. When one episode is done, click "next" at the top left of the screen.<br /><br />Becoming informed about archaeology will provide you with a few resources that allow you to be able to ask the right kinds of questions on the site, and to understand better why the "ancient stones" are relevant to a tour like this.Gordon Mattieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10362875549162380596noreply@blogger.com