in the middle east

Last weekend Jessica and I took our first weekend road trip. We rented a small car, and cruised in the central and eastern parts of Israel/Palestine. Since we can't publish all of our adventures in one entry, we'll take the next few days to share what we experienced. The first day we drove South for about an hour and a half, until the central hill country runs out and the southern desert begins. Our first stop was the city of Beersheba, a large modern city (the 4th largest in the country) where just outside of town lies the ruins of the ancient city of Beersheba, with origins dating back to mid-3,000's BC. This city was around when Abraham travelled through these lands (see Genesis 22:19-31) and it played an important role in many biblical stories (Hagar, Genesis 21:17; Elijah, 1Kings 19:15). The town had it's peak in the 10th-8th centuries BC, during the reigns of the kings of Judah. We were the only people there that day, except for the really cool lizards scurrying about. After travelling East, on the way to the Dead Sea, we went to the ancient Israelite fortress of Arad. This place also has a long history: the people that inhabited the area before the fortress was built were apparently hostile towards the Israelites (Number 21:1; 33:40). Later, in the period of Solomon, an Israelite fortress was built here that lasted almost 400 years. This place too has a rich history, and many ancient Hebrew texts have been found here as well. Follow this link to see more: http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/tpmackie/web/pictures/aradbeer...