Doves, Caves, and Tombs

    I don't know if I've said this or not but I am so glad I came in winter!! Yes, it is cold and half the time I think I'm going to freeze to death but we also get Israel at its prettiest! Everywhere is so green and beautiful. Some days, we're even lucky enough to get sunshine and blue skies. Our Shephelah field trip was one of these.
    The Guvrin Valley and its fortress city of Mareshah was our first stop. Do you see what I mean?

    We got to see an ancient dovecote here. Anciently, bird was eaten more commonly than any other type of meat. Doves were also necessary for temple sacrifice. Their dung was used for fertilizer as well. Basically, doves were in high demand. Even after talking about this, I figured it would be a small room with a few holes in the wall for the doves to stay in. Boy was I wrong!

Here's a close-up of the walls

I don't know if you can tell but there are side rooms branching off from this main tunnel. It was HUGE!! I can't imagine how many doves they kept there. 

Coulette and I giving you a better perspective of the height

     The nearby Bell Caves are the product of mining limestone chalk. This was a booming business during the Byzantine period. Once again, I am amazed at the size. I can't imagine how much work and time it must have taken to hollow these out by hand. 

 

These are called the Bell Caves because they start small at the top and widen at the bottom. There was often just a small entry hole followed by a vast and interconnected cavern underneath.

We took this great acoustic opportunity to sing a few hymns. There was also a local elementary school group touring the caves. The kids were yelling and running away but quickly quieted down once we started singing. After we finished our first hymn, they started clapping. I turned around to see all of them in a group just watching us. Even though we can't proselyte here, we can still help people feel the spirit. We never miss an opportunity to sing a hymn or two. There is power in music. 

     We also got to visit a burial site. The paintings inside had been repainted to make them easier to see.

Fluffy does exist!

Just chillin' in front of some tombs. They would put the bodies in here, let them decay, and then gather there bones and put it in a box with other family member's bones. I'm glad we have new customs. 

Entrance to the tomb

    Earlier in the day, we had the opportunity to see an olive press and talk about how it works and how olive oil is made. Gethsemane actually means 'oil press.' In the scriptures it never says that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, it only says that he went to Gethsemane. Him going there is probably supposed to make us think of the process of making olive oil and the amount of pressure and weight it takes. At the same time, it is supposed to make us think of the product. The pure oil was used for light and cooking and was essential for life in ancient times. I know that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that I can have His light in my life. 

Until my next adventure,

Lindy Koyle