So, Wow It's been a while since my last post, sorry to all you dedicated followers. I've been busy with classes and independent adventures; however, since it's been a while I have tons to talk about, so grab a coffee cause you might be reading a while.
So, I got back from our last field study and had literally no time to relax before the stress of homework and class jumped on my shoulders. I had an exam in my Physical Settings class, a Mid Term exam in Hebrew, and an exam coming this Thursday in Rabbinical thought and Literature; needless to say, the times are getting busy here. The week went pretty well considering how much work I had to do; however, time went by pretty slow as much of my homework was not as enjoyable, or appealing as homework usually is.
Thursday was cookie night, and it was fantastic. You know that cookie night is coming when you wake up Thursday morning and smell the sweet aroma coming from Dr. Wright's home at JUC. The thought of cookie night was in my head all day. After dinner some friends and I played the game loaded questions, which is a good game to get to know other people better, and it was a good time.
After playing loaded questions cookie night finally arrived and we hung out on the JUC roof, ate cookies and watched fireworks being shot from the Old city, it was beautiful. I had been looking forward to the weekend because there was nothing to do, no field studies, no homework...the perfect weekend. So I took advantage and went on an Independent adventure. Friday after class I went hiking to the Mount of olives. I brought water and extra Pita bread I was ready to go. Well, friday was hotter than ever so my water bottle, which held about a litre, was gone in like 30 minutes. I was about half way to the mount of olives when I ran out of water, and I still had to climb it, not good. So I stuggled up the mountain, enjoyed the view and began walking to a small shop to get water. As I approached this small shop (looking like I had spent the last week in the desert -sweaty-stinky-dehydrated) the shop owner came to meet me and said "you look hungry my friend". I looked at this guy like he was crazy and said "no I'm thirst, give me water". So I bought water (sweet nector from heaven) and drank like all of it immediately. This was my first day of the weekend.
Saturday I did the same thing, went hiking, but I began at the garden tomb. This is the other site believed to be the place of Christ's burial. It was very nice, but Archaeological evidence disproves any idea of this being Christ's grave. I spent the rest of the day hiking through the New, and old city. Saturday night I went to the Hynom valley where there is an old Archaeological site and put my Indiana Jones on. I began kicking some dirt around just curiously trying to see if I could find anything. Well, I found tons of broken pottery, but that's nothing special. I went further in the site then and found some tombs, so I dug a little bit there, and I found something, something that is of some serious value. Anyways you'll have to wait til I get home to see it. The rest of my weekend was good to........alright I'll tell you what I found since you're getting edgy in your chair wondering what I could have stumbled across. I found a stone about the size of half your palm. The stone is special however, it's made from a special type of rock and has been shaped into a cutting or shaping tool probably used by people from the Bronze age. I showed Dr. Wright my find when I got back to JUC and he confirmed what I originally thought, it was indeed shaped and used long ago. So...I got lucky and found something that turned out to be pretty cool. It's not the Arc of the covenant, but, well I'm still working on that one.
This weekend coming up is the second last field study and we're going to galilee so I'm pretty pumped. Nothing much else going on here till then, but I will be sure to record all my adventures for you so that you can read back home in the cold of what's becoming winter...while I'm enjoying 30 degree weather..ok I'll quit rubbing it in...until next time , Shalom.