Yesterday we went to Shilo with my Hebrew teacher, Reut Abramson, who was born and raised there. Her parents and grandparents were part of the kibbutz movement at the turn of the century and they have continued through many attacks.

It is in the West Bank about 20 k N of Jerusalem.
This is the place that was the capital of the Israelites for 369 years after they crossed the Jordan River around 1400 BCE.

 Josh. 18:1 "And the whole congrgation of the Children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there; and the land was subdued before them."

 The present day location of it is exactly described in the Bible in Judges 21:19 "And they said:There is the annual feast of God in Shiloh, which is north of Beth-El, on the east side of the highway that goes from Beth-El to Schechem, south of Levona."
The Tabernacle that was carried around in the wilderness for 40 years was set up here more permanently until King David took it to Jerusalem around 1000 BCE. You can see the flat area where they think the Tabernacle was, surrounded by hills that form a natural amphitheater and magnify the sound like the hill in the Galilee where Jesus preached the sermon on the mount at Church of the Beatitudes, so all the people around could know when the services and sacrifices and holidays were.

There is an ancient cave house, storage rooms and a later Byzantine church with mosaic floor. (from 400s CE)
 This was also the place where Samuel was taken by his mother Hannah after she had prayed for a child and God heard her prayer. It has become a place where women go to pray for a child with the prayer of Hannah. You can find the story in 1 Sam 1 and 2. Samuel heard God calling him in the night and later became the famous prophet that God told to annoint King David after he killed Goliath.

 

 

Today we went to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, not far from our little apartment. That is where the Shrine of the Book (2005) houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, but we will go there another day. Today we went to the Archeology Wing which houses the most extensive holdings of Biblical and Holyland Archeology in the world. It is impossible to describe all the stuff they have there, but here are a few things you might be interested in;
1.The original silver scroll, with the blessing of Aaron that is still said in synagogues and churches around the world. It is the oldest scripture ever found in the world and is 400 years older than the Dead Sea Scrolls which date to approx. 130 BCE. There was also a model of the burial cave in Jerusalem where it was found.
Num. 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you his peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

 

 

2.A heel bone with a nail through it from the first century, likely the manner in which Jesus was crucified

 3. Caananite Gods worhsipped in pre Israelite times, El the main God, Asherah his wife, Ba'al his son, God of thunder and associated with bulls; daughter Astarte, fertility goddess, and many other ones-they were said to have produced 53 gods. Main centers of Caananites were Hazor, and Arad where we were last week.

 

 

4. Kids pull toys from 800 BCE-for the kids :-)