Jerusalem | Wayne Stiles

Archives For Jerusalem

The City of David—Surprises from Original Jerusalem

When people picture Jerusalem, they usually think of the historic Western Wall, or the Old City, or the Temple Mount crowned with the Golden Dome of the Rock.

But most folks are surprised to learn that the original city of Jerusalem lay just south of the Temple Mount on a small spur of land that encompassed about only ten acres.

The City of David—Surprises from Original Jerusalem The City of David—Surprises from Original Jerusalem

(Photo: City of David seen from the Observation Platform. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

Crammed with houses and punctured with archaeological digs, the original area of Jerusalem looks much different today than it did three thousand years ago when King David conquered it.

But you can still get a sense of its drama.

Let me show you.

Did the Old Testament Offer Only One Way to God?

We can only approach God’s presence God’s way. But are there multiple ways?

The New Testament clearly reveals that only through Jesus can anyone come to God the Father (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:23).

But what about in the Old Testament?

Ten Commandments sign on Mount Zion tb010312633 Did the Old Testament Offer Only One Way to God?

(Photo courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

After King David conquered Jerusalem and secured it as his capital, he desired to bring the Ark of the Covenant up from Kiriath-Jearim into his new City of David. But in his passion to have God’s presence, David neglected to follow God’s principles. That negligence of improperly transporting the Ark cost a man his life (2 Samuel 6).

Three months later, David correctly transported the Ark into Jerusalem and placed it in a tent he pitched for its keeping.

In this experience, David gained a profound respect for God’s holiness.

This principle directly relates to the question: did the Old Testament offer only one way to God?

Why We Should Remember the Holocaust Today

At ten o’clock this morning, sirens rang loud in Israel.

People stopped—wherever they were, whatever they were doing—and stood at attention for 120 seconds of complete silence.

Imagine that for a moment. Two minutes. Silence. Everywhere.

800px Yad Vashem Hall of Names by David Shankbone Why We Should Remember the Holocaust Today

(Photo: Hall of Names in Jerusalem’s Holocaust Museum, by David Shankbone, CC-BY-SA-3.0)

Then the sirens rang again, and life resumed—full-speed. This annual pause allows the nation to remember the six million Jews who were murdered simply because they were Jews.

Today’s date marks Yom Hashoah, known as Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, the Jewish holiday that remembers those who perished in the Holocaust.

Many times I have visited Jerusalem’s Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem.

It changes you.

The Temple Mount—An Ordinary Hill Made Holy

Abraham saw the acreage. David bought the lot. Solomon built the house.

Nebuchadnezzar tore it town. Zerubbabel rebuilt it. Herod the Great expanded it. Titus flattened it. Before these temples stood on Mount Moriah, it was nothing but a hill used for threshing wheat.

Hardly worth noticing.

Temple Mount aerial from north bb00040095 2 The Temple Mount—An Ordinary Hill Made Holy

(Photo: the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, courtesy of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

But today, the Temple Mount remains the most precious piece of real estate in the world. And the golden shrine that graces its crest has become the icon for the Holy City of Jerusalem itself.

How did this ordinary hill become holy? Not through battles or land bartering or by popular vote.

God chose it.

The Pool of Siloam—Connecting Sukkot and the Messiah

While enjoying the delightful movie, Ushpizin, I laughed out loud when the family’s uninvited guest sliced the expensive etrog—a citron reserved for Sukkot—and casually ate it. Clearly, he had no clue to its significance!

Although the movie’s English subtitles translate the Hebrew, the movie leaves the traditions of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, for the viewer to decode.

Pool of Siloam excavations from southeast tb070305456 The Pool of Siloam—Connecting Sukkot and the Messiah

(Photo: Pool of Siloam excavations. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.)

How puzzling the holiday must seem to those unacquainted with its modern customs—much less its biblical foundations.

Of all places, an ancient pool in Jerusalem helps us connect Sukkot with its ultimate fulfillment.

A statement made by Jesus—really, an invitation—makes it clear.

Tel Dan—Worshipping at the Altar of Convenience

Shady walkways. Cool breezes. Abundant streams. Luxuriant foliage.

The Tel Dan Nature Preserve draws the locals as well as the travelers. It always has.

Dan high place of Jeroboam tb011310469 Tel Dan—Worshipping at the Altar of Convenience

(Photo: The high place and altar at Tel Dan. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.)

In natural beauty, Tel Dan has few rivals in Israel. For the ancients, it had everything necessary for abundant living.

While the Hebrews in the south worshipped in Jerusalem, the natural beauty of Tel Dan in northern Israel offered an irresistible alternative. It was picturesque. It was convenient. It was invigorating.

And it was a complete compromise of God’s will.

The Kidron Valley— Your Burial Can Point to Your Faith

Do you know where you’ll be buried?

The place where someone chooses to get buried is always significant.

A hometown family plot is common.
The place where one’s ashes are scattered or stored often holds a special association.
Even unknown soldiers who die in battle occasionally receive a prominent interment.

Kidron Valley from north with olive trees tb051906428 The Kidron Valley— Your Burial Can Point to Your Faith

(Photo: The Kidron Valley with olives trees and graves. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

But in Israel, a burial place often exposed one’s faith. The tombs beside the Kidron Valley bear witness to this truth.

Each one offers a connection to resurrection.

The Garden Tomb— Contemplating the Resurrection of Jesus

Beside a busy street and noisy bus station in Jerusalem, a tall rock wall encircles a garden.

An oasis of sanctity and cessation in a city that feeds on frenzied tourists.

garden tomb stiles The Garden Tomb— Contemplating the Resurrection of Jesus

Photo: The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem

After entering, I felt the tension of my hurried pace leave me. I traded the noisy city and dirty streets for flowers, butterflies, gravel pathways, and stone steps. Everything lovely about a garden filled my view.

It’s no wonder many believe the Garden Tomb to be the tomb of Jesus. Like the tomb described in the gospel accounts, the Garden Tomb lay outside the city walls and along a road. It is hewn out of the stone and has a rolling stone entrance. A garden surrounds it.

Based on its tranquil setting, it has a lot going for it. But then there are the rest of the facts.

Nebi Samwil—A Site with Wisdom Ignored

Most travelers to Jerusalem never think to come to Nebi Samwil.

The minaret towering above the hill looks like a misplaced lighthouse searching for the sea. On a clear day, a visitor can spy the Mediterranean to the west.

Nebi Samwil tb091405114 Nebi Samwil—A Site with Wisdom Ignored

(Photo: Nebi Samwil. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

Very few come here today. And yet, there were few more important places in David’s and Solomon’s time—if any.

In fact, it signified Solomon’s most defining moment.

What’s more, it represents the potential for ours as well.

Must-Have Resources for Israel Bible Lands Study

Not everybody can travel to Israel.

But everyone can benefit from including Bible lands in their personal Bible study. You just need some good tools.

Tabernacle model and courtyard tb030807082 Must Have Resources for Israel Bible Lands Study

Photo: Tabernacle Model. Courtesy of Pictorial Library of Bible Lands

I have discovered that including Bible lands in my study has given me more understanding of the Bible than learning Greek and Hebrew. The benefits of including Bible lands in the study of Scripture are available to everyone.

I’ve created what I consider a must-have list of resources. These are the tools I reach for first when I study—those resources that have proven most helpful to me for years.

I’ll give you the full list, and then I’ll suggest which ones to get first.