Hey guys, it's been a while. Here's an update to what's been going on the last several weeks, what I've been doing, and all the holiday celebrations!
The excavations are over for the season at Aphek. The last day was the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 27th, but I did not participate. That weekend I went to Bet Shemesh to celebrate Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle. Thursday after class I traveled there, and we had a delicious, traditional Thanksgiving dinner. There was turkey, stuffing, corn bread, and may other seasonal staples. It was really great to celebrate the American holiday while outside the country.
I spent Shabbat in Bet Shemesh, which is always a nice experience. Cousin Hannah came for Shabbat dinner, but didn't stay. After Shabbat was over my aunt and uncle were going to Tel Aviv for a party, and they drove me back so I didn't have to take a bus. The rest of the weekend was devoted to preparing for the work due during the coming week.
The week was pretty uneventful. There were readings, papers, and studying to be done every day. The excitement came that weekend, when Tel Aviv University International hosted a 2-day hiking trip around Mitzpe Ramon. It was a very large group, so we split into two smaller groups and did everything just with our group, only meeting the other group a few times. We left early Friday morning and drove down near Sde Boker and went on a hike. We passed a small watering hole, where we took a rest. The hike culminated in a very large ascent, that was both unexpected and extremely challenging. I really enjoyed it, even though I was exhausted and sore by the end. After the hike we drove to a hostel overlooking Ramon Crater, dumped our stuff, and then went to a Bedouin tourist center for dinner. The food was really delicious, and after we sat around a bonfire eating marshmallows. The night ended with us going to a small bar. I wasn't looking forward to it, but it surprised me. It was very mellow and quiet, and had hot cider. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Saturday morning we had breakfast in the hostel, packed up to leave, and started a hike down the crater. The path was somewhat steep and very rocky, which made it easy to slip and fall. The view out over the crater was very scenic, and I think everyone enjoyed the experience. One thing that almost everyone complained about, however, was how cold it was. The wind was always blowing, and even in the sun we had to stay bundled. I really enjoyed looking at the geology and rock features, and had a great time the entire day. After we made it to the bottom the buses picked us up and we drove to the Orlyya Farm. There we met a local farmer who created a life for himself and his family in the desert growing herbs and Moroccan Oil (Argan) trees. After learning about his lifestyle we drove to the Sde Boker Winery and had a wine tasting. After four cups of wine, we sleepily piled into the buses and made our way back to Tel Aviv.
The hike was a great experience. Walking through the desert in the Ramon Crater, while something that I have done before, brings a new experience every time. After the hike, however, I had a lot of work to do. Sunday a paper was due, and I needed to finish it before I could do anything else fun.
Sunday night saw the beginning of Hanukkah. An eight-day festival of lights, it is a big celebration here in Israel. For the first night I went to Independence Park, where there were crafts, jelly donuts, and candle-lighting. They also gave out personal chanukiyot so everyone could light at home. Second night I went to a party for young Jews, hosted by Nefesh b'Nefesh at Moishe House. They served latkes, snacks, and lots of wine. It was a great opportunity to meet other Jewish young adults while celebrating the holiday. One thing that I'm finding so fascinating and inspiring is how involved the entire city is in the holiday. I know I shouldn't be surprised that Israel, the Jewish state, takes Jewish holidays seriously, but when I'm walking through the streets and there are people at every other corner giving out chanukiyah kits or jelly donuts it just makes everything seem better. The municipal building in the center of Tel Aviv lights up its windows every night in the shape of a chanukiyah, with a new candle lit each night. And all over campus, people walk around carrying boxes of donuts, just handing them out. It really feels wonderful.
As the holiday continues the events around campus and the city continue. There are parties or lighting ceremonies every night. Also, this Friday we are going on our first archaeological field trip. I am really excited to finally get out and visit the sites. Hopefully it will be full of information as well as fun.
Attached here is the link to all of my photos, for those that don't look at or don't have Facebook. It includes all the photos I've taken while I've been here in Israel, including some of the less spectacular ones that I choose to omit from publishing on Facebook. The link will work no matter how many photos I add, so saving this link will always show you the most up to date files.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rzg8dgcag9yjjx7/AADeP0ft-J6r_xxApFqm7p1xa?dl=0
The school work is starting to pick up, and we have had several papers to write and several more on the way. We are starting to look at the bigger picture in many of our classes, and have discussed the implications of many different events. One of the most fascinating events that we have discussed is the destruction of the territory of Judah by Sennacherib, emperor of Assyria, in 701 BCE. While he didn't destroy Jerusalem, his actions had major ramifications for the next three thousand years. Sennacherib's campaign is probably one of the most influential events on the formation of Judeo-Christian theology. The fact that Jerusalem was not destroyed led to its sanctification as the place that God had chosen, and this has affected every generation till today.
