The last couple of days we have not been taking many pictures.
On Sept 22 we went back to the Israel Museum-way too much to see in one day and not easy to take pictures.
1. The Shrine of the Book-if you remember in 2005 we went there. You can see the actual Dead Sea Scrolls which were found at Qumran in 1948, the same year that Israel became a nation. Much of it is copies of the Hebrew Bible that date back to 130 BCE. The pervious earliest maunscripts were 1000 CE. The content of the manuscripts was almost identical, confirming the validity of the ones used to translate our Bibles of today. Interesting that God returned Israel to the Land and the scriptures to Israel in the same year!!! The Essenes who wrote the scrolls retreated to the desert wilderness because they believed there was soon to be a great battle between the forces of darkness and light. This is represented at the Museum with the roof of the exhibit like the white top of the jar that the scroll were found in, and a large black marble monument in front of it.

2. There is a large miniature model there of the city of Jerusalem as it was in the first century, reconstructed from archelology and Biblical and other accounts. Below are some pictures in which you will see the Temple, and the City of David (where we ended when we went through Hezekiah"s tunnel. If you look carefully in in the left corner you will see the Pool of Siloam)

 

3. Two items of interest in the Museum were a exhibition of ancient glasss. People had the ability to make glass since 2000 BCE. The picture is of glass from the first century Roman times which is not clear, of poor optical quality due to impurities in the ingredients used . It reminds me of the scripture that Paul wrote about how our undertstanding of love in 1 Corinthians 13:12 will be clear when we see God's face.The word in Hebrew for face of God, "panim" is the same as the word for presence of God.                                                                     1 Cor. 13:12
"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known."

 

The second picture is an ancient Jewish marrige contract (or Ketuba in Hebrew). It sets out in writing the promises and obligations agreed to when 2 people get married.  The Torah given to Moses and written on the stone tablets is also a form of Ketuba marriage contract. This is where the idea of God being married to Israel and Jesus (Messiah) being married to the congregaton of beleivers at the end of time comes from.

 

In the evening we had dinner with Keren Burlan. She is a 22 year old Jewish girl from New York who has decided to return to Israel and live here. She is obliged to join the army for 2 years and has just finished her basic training. We helped sponsor her to go home because of the scripture that says;

Isa. 49:22

"Thus says the Lord God;

Behold I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,

And set up My standard for the peoples;

They shall bring your sons in their arms,

And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders."

 

 

 Sept 23 and 24 I had Hebrew lessons, and dad went to visit his patient with MS. Here is a picture of Rachel, the recetionist from Ulpan Aviv where the lessons are. The sign on her desk says Shana Tova-Happy New Year. She is from England but has returned to live in Israel. In the afternoons we stayed home and studied and organized other places we want to go.