At least 11 caves containing scroll material have been found in the area of Qumran. The caves shown here are the closest to the community and are labeled Caves 4 and 5, in the order that they were found.These caves probably contained the "library" of the community. The scrolls found here were not stored in jars, indicating a possible hasty exit by the Qumran community; they were also fragmented, possibly from the caves being plundered through the centuries. Scholars believe the fragments represent several hundred manuscripts.

The extremely dry climate of the region helped preserve the documents until they were found nearly 50 years ago.

Location

The city of Dan, originally called Laish, is located in northern Israel. To the east are the remarkable slopes of Mount Hermon, and the city of Caesarea Phillippi. About 30 miles south of Dan lays the Sea of Galilee.

Archaeology

Archeologists have made a number of discoveries at Dan, including a stone with the only extra-biblical reference to King David. The high place built by King Jeroboam (1 Kings 12), a gate high place with several standing stones, and a gate dating from Abraham?s time (Gen. 14:14) have also been uncovered at Dan.

History

Dan was often referred to as the northern border of Israel during Old Testament history (2 Sam. 3:10). As the Israelites became attracted to fertility cults, Dan became a center of Baal worship in the region.

The city was settled by the Israelite tribe of Dan. Their inheritance had been an area of Israel's Shephelah, but the Danites feared the powerful Philistines who lived nearby. Eventually, they abandoned the land of their inheritance and decided to relocate in the north. The city they conquered and settled in was renamed Dan (Josh. 19:47).

Asclepius, the god who healed with moving water, was said to be the son of god Apollo and a woman named Coronis. His symbol was the snake, and he was known as the god of life because the snake seemingly resurrects itself (sheds its skin and is born anew, disappears to hibernate and reappears each year). Live snakes were kept in a sacred chest in each of his temples.

Asclepius was also known as %u201CAsclepius Savior.%u201D Hospitals or treatment centers were frequently located in conjunction with his temples, and people flocked to Pergamum from all over the world to seek healing at the large Asclepion there. The healing process was a mixture of religious ceremony and health practices%u2014especially diet, water, herbs and exercise.

When patients entered the Asclepion (hospital) in Pergamum after traveling the kilometer-long %u201Csacred way,%u201D they were greeted at the gate by the temple priests who would interview them to determine their acceptability for healing. Old people and pregnant women nearing the time of delivery were excluded (no deaths or births were allowed within the sanctuary), as were those who were considered impure. This is an interesting parallel to modern-day cultures that seek to terminate the lives of the senior citizens and the unborn.

Each patient who was admitted made an offering (probably incense) to show his or her devotion to Asclepius and began receiving free, supervised treatment. As part of the healing process, %u201Csacred water%u201D from a spring and a well was used for bathing and drinking. Treatments included mud baths, special diet, exercise, stress relief, and exposure to the sun. (Perhaps some of the patients%u2019 sleep was induced.)

Any healing that took place%u2014whether as the result of a psychological suggestion, demonic powers, and/or the medical knowledge of the day%u2014was credited to Asclepius. Healed people would bow down to the statue of Asclepius and the sacred snake to offer thanks, make an offering%u2014apparently a pig%u2014and have their names and the ailments Asclepius had cured inscribed on a marble pillar (usually white). Finally, each healed person would leave a gift with the priests to thank the god and would witness to many other people about Asclepius%u2019 great ability to heal. Thus many people heard or saw the praise and honor given to Asclepius, which in turn increased the cult%u2019s popularity.

The water source for Megiddo was a spring at the base of the hill on which this strategic city was built. From its early history through the time of Solomon, the people reached the water by walking through a small postern gate and into a gallery (a roofed hallway) that went down the side of the tel to the cave where the spring was located. The remains of this long, narrow extension of the city still exist where it passes through the city wall. This gallery provided security for the water supply, though during a siege the enemy could still destroy it and prevent the inhabitants from reaching it.
Scholars believe that sometime during the ninth century BC (Ahab is considered a likely candidate for having the vision to initiate this project), a square, vertical shaft was dug in the southwestern corner of the tel, through the many layers of earlier settlement and bedrock, to a depth of more than 115 feet. It was connected to a horizontal tunnel that went underneath the city to the cave where the spring was located.

This photograph shows the magnitude of the shaft and the amount of digging it took to complete the task. Steps wound around the outside of the shaft so the townspeople could reach the water. The remains of these steps can be seen just to the left of the railing, next to a modern stairway built by the Israeli Department of Antiquities. The steps were worn smooth by the feet of thousands of people who made the daily trip to draw water centuries ago. Also seen are the remains of walls originally built to keep the soil from collapsing into the shaft. The shaft seen here continues 100 feet deeper into the ground.

The great size of the shaft indicates both the strategic significance of Megiddo and the amount of effort ancient peoples expended to obtain water.

The Essenes created catch basins just west of their community where the runoff from the rain in the Judea Wilderness cascaded over the cliff. They dug more than 100 feet of tunnel through solid rock to bring water to the foot of the cliff; from there it ran in plastered channels more than 1,000 feet to the settlement on the plateau below.

The effort to dig through this solid rock is an indication of the level of commitment of the Essenes.

The plateau Masada is located in the remote Judean desert. Because this desert was bordered by the more fertile mountain ridge of the land of Israel, Masada was close to more hospitable areas.The attraction of the location for Herod was that he could quickly leave Jerusalem for the safety of his impregnable fortress (1) if the Jewish people revolted, or (2) if his Roman master, Antony, were to give his kingdom to Herod's enemy to the south, Cleopatra. Masada was also located near the southern areas of Nabatea and Idumea, the countries of Herod's origin. Therefore, Masada's primary function was to provide Herod with an emergency escape. In spite of the luxury and the cost of the fortress-palace's construction, there is no evidence that Herod spent much time here.

Notice the main entrance from the east. This trail, winding across the face of the mountain, was called the Snake Path. It is a testimony to Herod's vigor that he created a fortress in such a remote location so difficult for him (and therefore others as well) to reach. At the top was a heavily guarded gate that provided a final barrier to anyone wishing to enter Masada.

The barren wilderness around underscores the ingenuity of Herod's workmen, who were able to provide adequate water to the fortress from the infrequent floods that swept through the wadis on either side of the mountain. The wadi to the left can be seen. The wadi on the right emerges from behind Masada.

The three-tiered Northern Palace can be seen on the right side of the mountain. Great retaining walls held up the lowest level, a testimony to the genius of Herod's engineers and their vision for creating structures that defy nature. The soil in the foreground was at one time beneath the Dead Sea, which has since receded to about a mile away.

Just north of the Damascus Gate, the main northern entrance to Jerusalem, is a beautiful garden located against the side of a rocky cliff. It has been a place of interest to many Christian visitors because it is remarkably similar to the Bible's description of the place of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The atmosphere of this quiet place, along with the features that can help us picture the location, make it worth a visit, whether it is the actual location of those great events or not. (Archaeological evidence seems to indicate that it is not the original site).

This photograph shows the cliff face in the garden, with a tomb cut into the rock. Entering the tomb through the doorway, enlarged during the Crusades, one must look to the right to see the burial places, which were never finished. (John 19:41-42 describes a new tomb hewn in the rock. John 20:3-9 says the disciples had to look in to see the clothes where the body had been laid, and the tomb was large enough for more than one person to enter.) The small window lets light into the burial chamber, but it may have been added later. At some point, the entrance to this tomb was enlarged and later blocked in, so the opening was originally much taller.

The channel for the stone is found in front of the entrance to the tomb. It is likely that a large tombstone, round like a disc and probably about five feet high and 12 inches thick, rolled in a channel to seal the tomb. Since families continued to use tombs over the several generations (storing the bones in ossuaries), they had to be able to open and close the burial site. Some of the wealthy, who could afford this luxury had tombs carved out of the rock. A disc-shaped stone was cut, which rolled in a trench in front of the entrance. A small depression made the stone stop exactly where it closed the tomb. A rolling stone would usually weigh more than two tons (Mark 16:1-3). There is no way to know if this was Jesus' tomb, but it not really important. This stone can help us understand how Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Excavations indicate that this tomb was originally located in a garden, a large cistern and a winepress were found nearby. The garden and the tomb are located outside the city walls of Jerusalem, near an old, abandoned quarry. It is not hard to imagine the sorrowful friends of Jesus coming to a place like this, seeing Jesus, body laid in the tomb, and a great stone rolled across the entrance. Returning on the morning of Firstfruits, they discovered the tomb, open and empty (like this one in the photograph). Hurrying back to Jerusalem, they encountered Jesus, who had become the firstfruits of those who be raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:23).

Just past the entrance to the gate at Dan, a large stone extends into the street. Just beyond it, along the wall, archaeologists uncovered a cultic high place containing five standing stones. Just beyond and to the left of the large stones, against the far wall, was a platform for the ruler of the city.

Only part of this chamber was left standing after the city was destroyed following the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom in the eighth century BC. The street (foreground) was removed by archaeologists after they discovered an earlier gate complex from the time of Joshua underneath. Solomon fortified the three key cities of Gezer, Hazor, and Megiddo (1 Kings 9:15) with huge six-chambered gates, of which this is a part. Since these cities were at critical places on the major trade route, Solomon was able to exert significant influence on the nations surrounding Israel.

Around 250 BC, the people of Pergamum won a great victory against the Galatians. In memory of that event, they built a great altar to Zeus, who was considered to be king of the gods, life-giver, the lord of all, the creator of all; titles that belong to God alone. Located on the west side of the Acropolis more than one thousand feet above the valley, the altar of Zeus smoked day and night with sacrifices. It could be seen from a great distance and was shaped like an ancient throne. Built on a podium 105 feet by 110 feet, the forty-foot-high altar was the largest in the world. It had three tiers with steps on one side, and each tier had a carved marble frieze featuring scenes of Zeus mythology, which was extremely immoral. Today, the entire altar is in the Pergamum museum in Berlin.

These ruins are of harbors built after the time of Herod. His harbor, which was built on concrete foundations in the sea, is no longer visible, although the base of the breakwater still exists beneath the water. This spectacular accomplishment brought Herod great wealth, which he used to fund his many other building projects, including the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The harbor brought Roman culture and military support for Herod's rule to Israel. It is ironic that little remains of Herod's greatness besides a bad reputation and spectacular ruins. Despite the purposes Herod had in constructing the harbor, God used it as the starting or ending point of several of the missionary expeditions of the early Christians. Unlike Herod's kingdom, the kingdom Jesus established continues to grow.

Imagine standing with Paul as he looked out at the Mediterranean. God asked him to sail across that sea to bring Jesus to that world. Paul had the courage and dedication to go. not once, but several times. God gives a mission for each of us. We can all learn from the willingness of Paul.

Herod the Great* Died in 4 BC* Effective administrator, cruel, supported by Rome* Visited by wise men, killed Bethlehem babies* Greatest builder the ancient Near East ever knew* Had 10 wives, including Cleopatra, Miriam, and Malthace

Philip* Son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra* Effective ruler, popular king* Ruled north and east of Galilee* Built Caesarea Philippi* See Luke 3:1

Antipas* Son of Herod the Great and Malthace* Ruled Galilee and Perea* Killed John the Baptist* Built Tiberias and Sepphoris* Tried Jesus before crucifixion* See Matt. 14:1-12; Luke 3:19; 9:7-9; 13:32; 23:7-12

Archelaus* Son of Herod the Great and Malthace* Poor ruler, deposed by Romans* Ruled Judea* Mary and Joseph settled in Nazareth to avoid him* See Matt. 2:22

Herod Agrippa I* Grandson of Herod the Great* King of Judea* Killed James, put Peter in prison* Was struck down by an angel* See Acts 12:1-24

Agrippa II* Great-grandson of Herod the Great* King of Judea* Paul defends his faith before him* See Acts 25:13, 26:32

Drusilla* Great-granddaughter of Herod the Great, and Sister of Agrippa II* Married Felix, the Roman governor* See Acts 24:24

Bernice* Great-granddaughter of Herod the Great, and Sister of Agrippa II* With her brother at Paul's defense* See Acts 25:13

The Herod Family Tomb

The tomb to the west of Jerusalem was at one time thought to be the burial place of the Herod family. Later research indicated that it was not Herod's tomb. It is noted for the "rolling stone" still in place next to the entrance. This photograph was taken from the main entrance to the tomb. The steps descending to the tomb are visible in the foreground. The stone arch was originally part of the entire face of the tomb so that the round stone' would have been completely hidden behind the wall. The stone is over five feet high and one and one-half feet thick, and perfectly round. One can understand how this well-preserved stone was pried loose and rolled to the left of its present position so people could descend into the rather large tomb.

After the burial had been completed, the stone was allowed to roll back down its "slot," covering the opening to the tomb. Wax or clay was sometimes placed between the rolling stone and the wall, and the owner's seal was impressed on it so people could determine if the tomb was opened or not. In Jesus' case, the tomb was sealed and guards were placed in front of it (Matt. 27: 62-66). These extra precautions didn't matter: Jesus, by the power of God, came out of the tomb, the angels rolled the stone back, and Jesus' friends and disciples discovered an empty tomb.

The lower palace, viewed from the height of the upper fortress, is massive. The pool with its island is most impressive in the wilderness. The remains of the colonnaded garden are clear. On the lower right are the excavations of the lower palace buildings, which were even more extravagant than those of the upper palace.

The most striking aspect of this view is Bethlehem in the distance. The city's proximity highlights the contrast the Bible provides to Mathew 2:1: "Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod." No greater moral extremes ever existed: Jesus, the Messiah, the sinless One whose life and ministry would be one of sacrifice for others to honor God; and Herod, the king of the Jews, the brutal tyrant whose life was one of cruelty and astonishing building programs, for the honor and glory of himself.

The pool of the Herodion was one of the largest in the ancient world. It is 10 feet deep, 140 feet long, and 200 feet wide. Herod typically built as if he could defeat nature. Since the Herodion is located in the desolate Judea Wilderness, Herod chose to bring water from three miles away and create a swimming pool surrounded by a garden, which in turn was enclosed by a colonnade. The island in the middle of the pool was also colonnaded and more than 40 feet in diameter.Between the pool and the upper fortress are the remains of the lower palace, the largest of all the structures. It has not been completely excavated. One of the archaeologists excavating the fortress believes Herod's tomb is located somewhere inside.

The high place at Dan, in northern Israel, dates to 920 BC, when Israel was divided into the northern (Israel) and the southern (Judah) kingdoms.The high place measured 62 feet square and was surrounded by a wall. On top of the high place were buildings that housed the shrine or "idol" that was worshipped there.

Avraham Biran, the archaeologist who directed this excavation, found evidence of three different high places on this site, all built on the same location and each contributing some of what is seen here.

The earliest remains date to King Jeroboam in the tenth century BC. As the new king of the recently formed northern kingdom, Jeroboam needed an alternative to the temple established by David and Solomon at Jerusalem.

Probably built over an existing "religious sanctuary," the high place at Dan focused on a golden calf as the object of worship (1 Kings 12:26-30). The platform at that time was 60 feet long and 20 feet wide and had an altar in front of the steps. In the photograph, an iron frame outlines an altar located in the same place as Jeroboam's; you can see the original steps for the altar. It is amazing to look at this place and recognize the beginning of Israel's drift into pagan practices and values.

At the second stage of development, the platform of the high place was rebuilt to its present size, probably by King Ahab, whose devotion to Baal is well known. Israel continued to sink deeper into pagan practices and values and further away from God.

The third stage of development came during the reign of Jeroboam II (ca. 760 BC). The large staircase and altar in front of the high place were added at that time. Archaeologists found only parts of the altar, including one of the horns that protruded from the four corners and part of the steps leading to it. Based on these finds, archaeologists constructed this metal frame, which shows how massive the altar was. It towered over the altars of earlier times.

During Jeroboam II's reign, Amos predicted the final destruction of the Israelite nation because of its idolatry and pagan practices. His message must have seemed totally out of place because Israel was at the peak of prosperity.

Thirty years later, however, the northern 10 tribes were destroyed by the brutal Assyrian army and ceased to exist as a people. Ashes and burn marks from a great fire were among the remains of this altar and high place, confirming Amos' prediction.

Five standing stones (or masseboth) were found in the high place of the gate at Dan. This high place is similar to the ones Josiah destroyed in his reform (2 Kings 23:8) because they were used in the fertility rites of the culture. Standing stones could represent the presence of God (Gen. 28:18), or they could represent devotion to idolatry. The question is, what kind of standing stone are you? Why do you answer as you do?

• 2,000 BC- God sends Abraham to the area of Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac.
• 1,000 BC- David captures Jerusalem, names it the City of David, and makes it his capital.
• 950 BC- Solomon spends seven years building the temple, then spends thirty years building his lavish palace apparently between the temple and David's City.
• 700 BC- Hezekiah expands Jerusalem and fortifies the city against the Babylonian threat by building walls and tearing down houses in order to expand the walls.
• 500 BC- The Babylonians capture Jerusalem, destroy the temple, and take many Israelites captive.
• 430 BC- Cyrus, king of Persia, allows the Israelites to return to Jerusalem. They rebuild the temple as well as restore and dedicate the city walls.
• 322 BC- Jerusalem becomes part of Alexander the Great's empire. The city suffers more than a century of conflict at the hands of Alexander's successors.
• 165 BC- The Maccabean revolt brings Jerusalem back under Jewish control. Descendants of the Maccabees enclose the Western Hill, build the fortress Antonia, and expand the Gentile court.
• 63 BC- The Romans under Pompey capture Jerusalem from the Hasmoneans (Maccabean descendants) and eventually place the city and country under Herod's control.
• 37- 4 BC- Herod the Great expands the Gentile court and the temple, fortifies the city, and builds many structures.
• AD 70- Under Titus, Roman troops destroy Jerusalem, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Jews. The temple is burned and destroyed. All the citizens of Jerusalem (more than one million) are executed, sold into slavery, or captured for games in the area.

The Holy of Holies was reached by climbing two steps. This provided the symbolism of going up to God that is so central to the biblical idea of worship.In this small room were two standing stones. Scholars debate whether these stones represented the acts of God, or the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Though only one stone was found standing, the clear parallels of this temple to Solomon's, the evidence of the worship of Yahweh, and the stones- location in the Holy of Holies leave little doubt that they did represent the Ten Commandments-God's covenant with Israel.

This room was the priests' court, which contained several key elements of the worship of Yahweh.Unseen just inside the opening is a stone bench, and across from the bench are the two incense altars at the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The bench may correspond to the table of showbread, or at least illustrate its location. We do not know why there are two altars here when there was only one in the tabernacle and the temple at Jerusalem. No golden lampstand was found in the excavations.

The term showbread could also mean "the bread of the Presence," because it was placed as an offering in the presence of God. This offering symbolized a thanksgiving gift to God, as well as a request for God's provision of food. The priests, on behalf of the people, ate the bread as a symbol of their relationship with God.

Belvoir is located on the western side of the Jordan Valley. It is in a group of hills knows as the Issachar Plateau just north of Beth Shean. This photograph is of the Jordan Valley looking northeast. Down in the valley, the channel where the Jordan River flows can be seen just beyond the ponds. In the background are the Gilead Mountains (Elijah came from there) and part of the region of the Decapolis. The Sea of Galilee is barely 20 miles to the north, also in the valley.The Jordan Valley is very fertile. The road from Galilee to Jerusalem, the one Jesus followed on his way to Jerusalem and death, passes through the valley. The fortress was built on this high hill part to control the road below and partly to "protect" the Crusaders from the local population. Obviously, this position isolated the knights and soldiers so that, even if they had wanted to, they were unable to exert any daily influence on the people in the valley below.

Given the Crusaders' brutal conduct towards Jews in Europe and the Middle East and towards the Muslims they fought, it is clear that they did not follow Jesus' teaching to "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:38-48) or to the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). The Crusaders were a "city on a hill," though certainly not in the way Jesus intended (Matthew 5:14).

Did Jesus, who often passed this hill on the road below, look up and know the fortress would be there one day? Did he grieve for the European Christians who would so misunderstand his message? The lesson of Belvoir and the Crusades must lead us always to follow Jesus in the ways he taught. Only if we live in our culture will we be able to influence it for Jesus.

Just through the entrance of the gate, archaeologists reconstructed a canopy over the platform on which the ruler of the city sat. To the right, along the stone wall, is a bench possibly where the elders of the city sat. Note the decorative stones on the canopy base. To the right of the canopy, along the wall (not visible), are the stones of a high place.The presence of the ruler or king ready to pass judgment in the gate of the city is behind the prophet Amos' plea for justice in the city gate (Amos 15:15 RSV).

With the Dead Sea to the east of Qumran in the background, we can see the size of the assembly hall. On the right is the kitchen where the food was prepared. The size of the room and its prominence highlight the importance of this sacred meal to the community.

The environment of the Middle East, including Israel, is harsh and mostly unsuitable for settlement. For a location to be habitable, three conditions were needed:

1. Fresh Water - Although rainfall is plentiful in some regions of Israel, most rain falls during the winter. Many ancient communities stored rainwater in cisterns. If a season received below-average rainfall, cisterns dried up and people abandoned their city. And if an enemy laid siege to a city, only the cisterns inside the city walls were available. Often the besieged city ran out of water and the city fell. Jerusalem was built next to the spring of Gihon. Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer had tunnels dug through bedrock in order to reach fresh water.

2. Profitable Occupation- People needed the opportunity to either grow a consistent food supply or to buy food. Occupations varied from region to region:- Olive trees flourished in Judea and Galilee.- Wheat grew in the valleys of Judea and Jezreel.- Shepherds raised sheep and goats in the wilderness.- Korazin and Ekron had large olive-oil processing facilities.- Jerusalem was famous for its purple dye.- Cities along the Via Maris often provided supplies to travelers.

3. A Defensible Location- The political climate in the ancient Middle East was volatile, so cities were typically built on hills ringing fertile valleys so inhabitants could defend themselves.