Gegraptai

This summer, I’ll be digging for three weeks at Tel Rehov, one of the largest tels in the Holy Land, just south of the Sea of Galilee. Here is some information about the tel and recent excavations which I have taken from the tel’s web site:

The first eight seasons of excavations, from 1997-2007, revealed successive occupational layers from the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I (12th - 11th centuries BCE). Large and well-preserved buildings from three occupation layers were dated to the 10th - 9th centuries BCE (the time of the United Monarchy of David and Solomon and the Divided Monarchy under Omri and Ahab). Two of these cities suffered a destruction. Remains of the 8th century BCE city that was violently destroyed by the Assyrians in 732 BCE include an 8 m-wide mudbrick wall around the acropolis. Evidence of Assyrian slaughter was found in the destroyed 8th century BCE houses.

The finds included abundant restorable pottery vessels, unique pottery cult stands, clay figurines, seals, ivories and other objects from the Iron Age II city. After the first five seasons, Tel Rehov has became a major site for studying the Iron Age II in Israel, set squarely in the forefront of the debate over the chronology and nature of this period.

And here are a few pictures:

Obviously, I can’t wait! Please pray for monetary provision (I may have a good chance at a scholarship), and that through this experience, I will experience challenge, growth, and direction, both spiritually and in the area of career and study plans.

From Luke 2:25-32:

Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ἦν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ᾧ ὄνομα Συμεών καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβής προσδεχόμενος παράκλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ πνεῦμα ἦν ἅγιον ἐπ’ αὐτόν: καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρηματισμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον πρὶν [ἢ] ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν Χριστὸν κυρίου. καὶ ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι* εἰς τὸ ἱερόν: καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς γονεῖς τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦν τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὸ εἰθισμένον τοῦ νόμου περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο αὐτὸ εἰς τὰς ἀγκάλας καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπεν, Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ: ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit* into the temple. And when the parents brought in the boy Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him into his arms and blessed God and said, “Master, now you are releasing your servant in peace, according to your word: ‘My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.’”

*Dative of Manner (”in [the manner of] the Spirit”) or Means (”by [means of] the Spirit”)?  Cf. Gal 5:16.

Today’s reading is from 2 John 1:4-7:

Εχαρην λιαν οτι ευρηκα εκ των τεκνων σου περιπατουντας εν αληθεια, καθως εντολην ελαβομεν παρα του πατρος. και νυν ερωτω σε, κυρια, ουχ ως εντολην καινην γραφων σοι αλλα ην ειχομεν απ αρχης, ινα αγαπωμεν αλληλους. και αυτη εστιν η αγαπη, ινα περιπατωμεν κατα τας εντολας αυτου: αυτη η εντολη εστιν, καθως ηκουσατε απ αρχης, ινα εν αυτη περιπατητε. οτι πολλοι πλανοι εξηλθον εις τον κοσμον, οι μη ομολογουντες Ιησουν Χριστον ερχομενον εν σαρκι: ουτος εστιν ο πλανος και ο αντιχριστος.

I was exceedingly glad that I found some of your children walking in truth, just as we received a commandment [to do] from the Father. And now I ask you, ma’am— not as though I were writing a new commandment for you, but the one which we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk according to the his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, in order that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not profess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Today’s reading, from 1 Peter 2:1-3:

Αποθεμενοι ουν πασαν κακιαν και παντα δολον και υποκρισεις και φθονους και πασας καταλαλιας, ως απτιγεννητα βρεφη το λογικον αδολον γαλα επιποθησατε, ινα εν αυτω αυξηθητε εις σωτηριαν, ει εγευσασθε οτι χρηστος ο κυριος.

Therefore, putting off all wickedness and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, in order that you might grow toward salvation in him, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Ben Witherington, a professor of mine at Asbury, has written an article in Christianity Today concerning the mistranslation of katalumati (which most English Bibles render “inn”) in Luke 2:7.  I just wrote on this issue a couple of days ago.

Thanks to Dr. Martin LaBar for bringing this article to my attention in his blog.

What’s your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/WesleyanYou are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God’s grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 96% Roman Catholic 68% Neo orthodox 64% Emergent/Postmodern 54% Classical Liberal 50% Reformed Evangelical 32% Modern Liberal 21% Fundamentalist 14% Charismatic/Pentecostal 14%

Imagine that!

Today’s reading is from James 1:5-6:

Ει δε τις υμων λειπεται σοφιας, αιτειτω παρα του διδοντος θεου πασιν απλως και μη ονειδιζοντος και δοθησεται αυτω. αιτειτω δε εν πιστει μηδεν διακρινομενος: ο γαρ διακρινομενος εοικεν κλυδωνι θαλασσης ανεμιζομενω και ριπιζομενω.

“And if anyone of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, doubting nothing; for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

When Luke says that Jesus was born in a manger because “there was no room for them in the inn” (2:7), he probably wasn’t speaking of an “inn” as we think of it.  In fact, “inn” is probably a bad translation of the Greek word here, katalumati.  In other places where the word is used, even in Luke, it is used with the sense of “guest room” (cf. e.g. Luke 22:11; Mark 14:14).  This is probably what is meant here.

The typical ancient Israelite house consisted of three or four rooms, separated by four pillars which supported the roof.  Many of these “four-pillared houses” had two floors.  The main living quarters were usually on the second floor and the roof, and the guest chamber and animal stalls were on the ground floor.  Below is an illustration.

The “inn” of which most English translations of Luke 1:7 speak was probably the guest chamber.  Since it was already occupied, Mary and Joseph were offered to stay in the animal stalls.  It would have been a warm place to stay, probably relatively clean since it was inside the house, the women of the house would have been nearby to help as midwives, and the animals may not even have been in the stalls at the time.  Really, it was probably not such a bad place to stay—certainly no place for a King to be born, though!

No devotional insight here, just something to ponder.  Maybe someone can offer some.

A good Christmas Eve text, from Philippians 2:5-11:

τουτο φρονειτε εν υμιν ο και εν Χριστω Ιησου, ος εν μορφη θεου υπαρχων ουχ αρπαγμον ηγησατο το ειναι ισα θεω, αλλα εαυτον εκενωσεν μορφην δουλου λαβων, εν ομοιωματι ανθρωπων γενομενος: και σχηματι ευρεθεις ως ανθρωπος εταπεινωσεν εαυτον γενομενος υπηκοος μεχρι θανατου, θανατου δε σταυρου. διο και ο θεος αυτον υπερυψωσεν και εχαρισατο αυτω το ονομα το υπερ παν ονομα, ινα εν τω ονοματι Ιησου παν γονυ καμψη επουρανιων και επιγειων και καταχθονιων και πασα γλωσσα εξομολογησηται οτι κυριος Ιησους Χριστος εις δοξαν θεου πατρος.

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of humankind. And being found as a human in appearance, he lowered himself by making himself obedient unto death, even death on a cross.  Therefore, God also raised him to supreme majesty and granted him the name which is above every name, so that at Jesus’ name every knee will bow—those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God the Father.”

Here is today’s reading, from Luke 1:26-33:

Εν δε τω μηνι τω εκτω απεσταλη ο αγγελος Γαβριηλ απο του θεου εις πολιν της Γαλιλαιας η ονομα Ναζαρεθ προς παρθενον εμνηστευμενην ανδρι ω ονομα Ιωσηφ εξ οικου Δαυιδ και το ονομα της παρθενου Μαριαμ. και εισελθων προς αυτην ειπεν, Χαιρε, κεχαριτωμενη, ο κυριος μετα σου. η δε επι τω λογω διεταραχθη και διελογιζετο ποταπος ειη ο ασπασμος ουτος. και ειπεν ο αγγελος αυτη, Μη φοβου, Μαριαμ, ευρες γαρ χαριν παρα τω θεω. και ιδου συλλημψη εν γαστρι και τεξη υιον και καλεσεις το ονομα αυτου Ιησουν. ουτος εσται μεγας και υιος υψιστου κληθησεται και δωσει αυτω κυριος ο θεος τον θρονον Δαυιδ του πατρος αυτου, και βασιλευσει επι τον οικον Ιακοβ εις τους αιωνας και της βασιλειας αυτου ουκ εσται τελος.

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city in Galilee which is called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph from the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And when he came in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you.’ But she was troubled at the statement and wondered what kind of greeting this was. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of Jacob unto eternity, and his kingdom will have no end.’”