Camp Acacia in Jordan

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying,“Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” Joshua 2:1a

Acacia tree in the Negev

Throughout the book of Deuteronomy and the first two chapters of Joshua, the Israeli nation is camped to the east of the Jordan river at a place called Shittim. According to one website, this Hebrew word is best translated as The Acacias, probably because there was a grove of acacia trees.

While we may imagine a quaint picture of a few Bedouins resting beneath the shade of a small tree, the reality was probably much different.

Exactly how many people crossed the Jordan into Canaan is not clear. There are a variety of explanations for calculating the total number with quantities ranging from 100,000 to a couple million.

Our desire for a fixed number will always be wanting, as God promised Abraham that his decedents would be as "numerous as the stars of the sky" (Genesis 26:4). But in Numbers 26:51 we have the results of a census taken just prior to entering the promised land. The total of 601,730 does not include every member in the camp but does give us a starting point.

Comparison of camp site area at Tel el-Hammam

According to the UN Refugee camp planning standards, a minimum acceptable range of space is 35 square meters per person. These standards also include several interesting things not explicitly mentioned in scripture, such as fire safety, drainage, latrines, rubbish, food storage, etc.

So doing the math, a population of 601,730 living on 35 square meters of land per person, would cover an area of 21,060,550 square meters or approximately 8.13 square miles. Their camp site would stretch over three miles across and have a ten mile perimeter. By comparison, the Indianapolis downtown covers 6.5 square miles and has a population of 29,000.

Challenges

• Walk three miles, the same distance from one side of camp to the other.
• Walk ten miles, the same distance around the perimeter of camp.
• Use Google Maps to compare eight square miles to your town.
• Decide how many people were in the camp of Israel according to your own research and calculate the comparable size of the camp.
• Research more about the effects of modern refugee camps on the land and environment.

References:

https://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/ot/abel_shittim.html
https://sharedveracity.net/2016/10/15/did-an-army-of-600000-israelites-conquer-the-land-of-canaan/
https://emergency.unhcr.org/entry/248797/camp-planning-standards-planned-settlements
http://www.academia.edu/9733189/The_Geography_and_History_of_Tall_el-Hammam

Moses Ascends Mount Nebo

Bible Passage: Deuteronomy 34

Walking Distance: 17.6 miles

Key Questions:

• How often did Moses climb this mountain?
• How far into the Promised Land was Moses able to see?
• Who climbed the mountain with Moses?
• What happened to Moses' body?

 

Lookout Mountain

Photo by Jeff Nesanelis from Flickr

At the end of the Pentateuch, Moses is allowed the opportunity to see the Promised land with his own eyes, but he is not allowed to enter. And so he climbs a nearby hill and despite his age, his excellent eyesight allows him to see miles away.

The first location mentioned are the Plains of Moab. Later in Joshua 2:1, we learn that the Israel camp was located at the Acacia Grove. Other translations give the name of Shittim.

The location that Moses traveled to was Mount Nebo on top of Pisgah. This has often been recognized as the location where the law was written down and given to the people (Deuteronomy 31:9). Starting below sea level, the climb is almost 1000 feet up. The first half is more flat and Moses probably passed through the Israelite camp on his approach to the mountain.

I have not found many clear photos of the view from the top, though one sign describes being able to see Bethlehem and the Mount of Olives. It's interesting to think how different the weather and ecology was nearly 3000 years ago. There is an amazing mosaic on the floor of the ruins depicting animals not usually found in the area today.

Law and Death

John Calvin states in Institutes of Christian Religion the following:

The doctrine of the Law transcending our capacity, a man may indeed look from a distance at the promises held forth, but he cannot derive any benefit from them. The only thing, therefore, remaining for him is, from their excellence to form a better estimate of his own misery, while he considers that the hope of salvation is cut off, and he is threatened with certain death.

This section follows closely on Calvin's description of Moses "promulgating the law" and the consequences of keeping or breaking it. Taken as a whole, the picture of the law giver Moses being denied entry into the promise land is a striking picture of our position before God apart from Christ.

References

• Mount Nebo Memorial of Moses
• Abel-Shittim on Wikipedia
• Sign explaining Mountain Views
• https://www.roadunraveled.com/blog/mount-nebo-petra-jordan/ 
• Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin

A Global Census

Biblical Reference: Luke 2:1-2
Walking Distance: 1/2 mile
Key Questions:

• Who were the significant political players?
• Why would they have requested a census to be taken?

International Politics

While the localized events in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth were transpiring, international politics were about to set a chain of events into motion. Luke chapter two opens with "Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria." There is a lot of history packed into those two verses, not to mention some complicated names for young narrators in Christmas pageants.

Census workers use punch cards to record data entries.

Caesar Augustus inherited a fledgling empire that had just been formed through civil war. His ability as a statesman and political conservatism expanded the Roman empire into Africa and much of Europe. His system of delegated power allowed senators such as Quirinius and Herod to leverage local power and influence. PBS has a comprehensive write up on Augustus's life at https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/augustus.html

After Augustus dealt with Marc Anthony and Cleopatra Herod changed loyalties appealing to Augustus' favor and was rewarded with a large kingship throughout Egypt and Palestine. King Herod is mentioned later in the chapter and this may be "Herod the Great," progenitor of a dynasty that ruled over Judea and Syria at the beginning of the Christian Era. For a detailed study of the various chronologies and records of this ruling family, check out Charles A Sullivan's blog post.

Another possibility is that the Herod present in Luke chapter two is Philip. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Herod Archelaus was deposed by Augustus at the bequest of the Jews because of his dictatorial methods. This was the reason for sending Quirinius - to account for the deposed Herod's wealth and see to its proper distribution to a new heir. Of course and Emperor would understand that wealth includes the people and its gross national product and not just a collection of coins.

Geographic comparison between the Roman Empire
(outlined in blue) and the United States of America

This helps us understand why the Jewish people and especially the zealots disliked the census. Privacy and independence are called into question when a government seeks to make policy decisions based on the collective wealth of its inhabitants.

It was the opposition to the census that forced Rome to place Judea and Syria into provincial rule with greater restrictions and controls. 

This Roman involvement will later propel the events of Christ's death and resurrection and Paul's evangelical travels onto the global stage. So while we may quickly gloss past the first two verses of Luke 2, they are critical to placing the the gospel account into a global setting complete with political and economic intrigue.

References

• 40 Maps that Explain the Roman Empire
• Jewish Encyclopedia
• Charles A Sullivan's Chronology of the Herods
• PBS The Roman Empire

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Biblical Reference: Luke 1:39-45
Walking Distance: 100 miles or 200 miles round trip
Key Questions:

• Which route would Mary have taken and why?
• Would she have traveled alone or with a group?

Photo by Deror avi - Own work,

CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Quick Trip

Have you ever received news about a family member, dropped everything and ran out the door to be with them? For us it usually happens when something tragic occurs. The world seems to stop and all our attention is focused on being present in that moment.

But in the first chapter of Luke's gospel, we are told that when Mary heard about her relative Elizabeth's pregnancy she hastily left to be with her. Luke has given us the sense of urgency Mary had, but modern readers often think of this as a quick trip around the corner. In fact what takes us 90 minutes to drive probably took Mary four days to walk.

We cannot be completely sure of the exact route Mary took. Google Maps warns that the eastern route crosses country borders and recommends a more western route through Israel. I tend to think that she took the easier eastern route through the Jordan river valley, avoiding the central hills.

Some suggest that Joseph went with her, returning to Nazareth after safely escorting her. Others think Mary walked with a caravan. Either way, it is unlikely that a young engaged woman traveled alone. The total walking time is about 32 hours. At eight hours walking each day, the trip would take four days. If you look carefully at the map, there are clusters of towns roughly spaced at that distance away from each other which makes sense.

The Greek word Luke uses to describe her hasty exit is σπουδῆς and occurs three times in the New Testament. It conveys a sense of urgency and determination. I don't think Mary ran out the door without a plan, instead I can imagine her throwing together a few things into a bundle, taking off with a driving need to be with Elizabeth as quickly as possible.

It's also helpful to remember that this would be the same route taken several times a year to attend festivals in Jerusalem. In less than nine months Mary and Joseph would again walk this path on their way to Bethlehem.

References

• Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem www.custodia.org

Birth of Jesus Foretold

Biblical Reference: Luke 1:26-38
Walking Distance: 1 mile
Key Questions:

• Where did the annunciation take place? 
• How do you react to hearing shocking news?

Water Cooler Gossip

Photo courtesy of OSU Special Collections

For many people of the world, drawing water from a community well is a daily ritual. It binds the community together, providing a place for social interaction. Even in modern workplaces we refer to water cooler gossip as employees interact in the break room.

There are two traditional locations believed to be where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had been chosen to bear the Messiah. The first location is her home, now the Franciscan Basilica of the Annunciation. The second location is the main well in Nazareth where the Orthodox church believes Mary heard the news while drawing water. I don't know who may be right, the gospel writers are not specific as to the location, but I'm sure Mary made the nine minute walk to the local well almost every day if not multiple times per day.

Most of us in the modern world take water for granted. It flows from a tap INSIDE our homes. We do not plan ahead, spending half an hour or more collecting water for the day. And while the passage written by Luke describing the announcement is not location dependent, it is comforting to learn that Mary's life was in many respects ordinary; walking almost a mile round trip everyday to carry water back to her house.

References

• Custodia Terrae Sanctae
• Nazareth Cultural & Tourism Association