Field Trip to Samaria on 3/25

The first stop on our trip up north to Samaria was at a spot overlooking a possible location of Ai. We were across from a hill that will be excavated because they think that it is the city of Ai during Joshua’s time. There was a city of Ai during the time of Abraham but it was most likely a kilometer south from the hill we were looking at. It is possible for the city of Ai during Abraham’s time to be different than the city of Ai during Joshua’s time. We may have been standing on the hill that the Israelites set their camp up as it was across from the proposed city of Ai.

As the Israelites were conquering the land of Canaan, they lost three thousand men at the city of Ai in their first attempt to take it. The reason why they lost so many was because Akan sinned against God by taking spoils of cities. After Akan, all his family and livestock were stoned the Israelites set an ambush by sending a group of men as bait, and as they retreated those who were hiding in the bushes along the hill pounced on the men of Ai. Thus they destroyed the city and those in it (Joshua 8:1-29). Through this victory the Israelites could see the fulfillment of the promises God made with Abraham and Isaac. Even thought it might have taken a while for it to come to pass we see that God is a God beyond time.

We could also see where the ancient city of Bethel was, which is in the modern city of Ramalah. During the days of King Josiah he grounded an altar from Bethel to dust. A man named Hiel who was from Bethel tried to rebuild the city of Jericho and came under the curse that was set by Joshua (1 Kings 16:34). Jacob was in Bethel when God’s covenant was reaffirmed to Jacob in a dream (Genesis 28:10-22).

We then went to Tel Shiloh where the Tabernacle was during the early years of Samuel. In 1104 BC the Ark of the Covenant was taken into battle at Aphek and it was lost in the battle. The Philistines probably came up into the hill country and destroyed the city of Shiloh, but the Tabernacle was moved. As people are awaiting to hear news from the battle a man comes from the battle (which is about a 20 mile run for the guy) and tells Eli that the Ark was taken and his sons were dead, at which Eli fell back, broke his neck, and died. Shiloh was also the place where the Benjaminites, who weren’t killed in the civil war, got their wives (Judges 21:16-24).

As the Israelites are conquering the land of Canaan the Bible is unclear on how they conquered in the area of Samaria. Bill told us there could be three options. Either the battles aren’t described, the people ran away, or the people were willing to give up their territory and cooperate.

Our next stop was on Mount Gerizim. In the valley below we could see the ruins of Shechem, which was where Abraham was promised that he would get the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:6-8). Joseph is buried at Shechem (Joshua 24:32). Shechem was also where the Israelites came to, when they recited the blessings and curses. The Israelites recited the blessings on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 11:26-32, 27:1-26). Then at the end of Joshua’s life he came back to this area and reaffirmed that they would serve the Lord (Joshua 24:25). Shechem was also where Jesus and the Samaritan woman talked at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-26). Jacob’s well, currently, is covered up by a church, but we were on the mountain Jesus and the Samaritan woman conversed about.

This was suppose to go up over a week ago, but I was pretty busy getting ready for leaving for Galilee that I didn't have the time.