june 5: galiliee field study

Again class began this morning in a Roman theatre at the ancient Greco-Roman city of Sepphoris. According to Dr. Wright’s calculations, this city is approximately a few hours walk from both Nazareth and Cana. Dr. Wright speculated that perhaps Joseph and Jesus, as tektons (not so much “carpenters,” but more specialized builders—contractors, perhaps), worked during the week in Sepphoris. The large Roman structures needed skilled laborers, and Joseph and Jesus were within walking distance. It’s exciting to me to speculate about Jesus’ daily life; for me, this brings out his humanity, which is so often ignored. At Sepphoris, there was also a large detailed mosaic on the floor of some wealthy man’s triclinium (dining room). And hey, it even included a portrait of the Israeli Mona Lisa—pretty impressive, I’d say.

The next stop also featured mosaics, though this time they were located on the floor of a synagogue. Not a big deal, until you consider that the mosaic consisted of zodiac symbols, portraits of women, and graven images… oh my! I’m not sure what this means in terms of that particular community—I don’t think anyone does—but it sure confuses me.

We stopped for lunch and siesta at some beautiful blue-green natural pools, but I decided not to swim, and instead spent the few hours discussing the Church, theology, and social justice (among other issues) with Dr. and Mrs. Yeatts and Christa. The rest (and the cool breeze) were thoroughly appreciated.

Last stop before returning to home base at JUC: the Beth Shean / Scythopolis site. Beth Shean is an Old Testament tel, partially excavated, and Sycthopolis is a New Testament city built at the base of the Old Testament tel. The weather at this point was hot and sticky, and it was late in the afternoon. One thing I found interesting here is that after an earthquake knocked down many of the city’s numerous columns, the citizens simply built around them, using fallen columns as walls and perhaps benches.