ISRAEL PHOTOS VI -- ISRAEL REVISITED |
Siloam
Attendance at the Festival of Tabernacles was mandatory for
able bodied males living in Israel, not in exile. People lived in booths
with thin walls and roofs for seven days. The 7-8 day harvest festival is
in memory of the story about Israel living in tents and booths in the
desert (Leviticus 23). Charles Doughty, a 19th century British writer,
journeyed through the Sinai, Syrian and Arabian deserts. He lived with a
tribe of Bedouin in the Arabian desert. This tribe kept livestock. They
owned a date grove. Once a year they returned to their grove and lived in
tents and booths to harvest the dates. The time of the desert date harvest
coincides with the Hebrew Festival of Tabernacles - Sukkot.
World English Bible, Public Domain:
John 7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,
then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret. 11 The Jews
therefore sought him at the feast, and said, “Where is he?” 12 There was
much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. Some said, “He is a
good man.” Others said, “Not so, but he leads the multitude astray.” 13
Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews. 14 But when it was
now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15
The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How does this man know letters,
having never been educated?” 16 Jesus therefore answered them, “My
teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone desires to do his
will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am
speaking from myself. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory,
but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no
unrighteousness is in him. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none
of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The multitude
answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered
them, “I did one work, and you all marvel because of it. 22 Moses has
given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and
on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy. 23 If a boy receives circumcision on
the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with
me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath? 24 Don’t judge
according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
In this passage Jesus indicates Moses did not give them the law of
circumcision, but some people before the books of Moses were written
handed this ritual down. Many years later archaeologists learned that
circumcision was practiced by the ancient Egyptians before Israel was a
people. Putting too much trust in the Bible may result in bad judgment.
One is supposed to try to find a righteous way through Bible study that
may invariably lead to learning more than the Bible alone. The verses
differ in quality according to the skill of the writers of the book.
During the Feast of the Tabernacles Jesus healed a blind man:
John 9 (WEB): 9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His
disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he
was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his
parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. 4 I must
work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming,
when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the
world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the
saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, 7 and said to him,
“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away,
washed, and came back seeing. 8 The neighbors therefore, and those who saw
that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” 9
Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like
him.” He said, “I am he.” 10 They therefore were asking him, “How were
your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed
my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.’ So I went
away and washed, and I received sight.”
The blind man did not argue with Jesus, he went and washed his face and
was healed.
Siloam East -- March 2016
Roman era Siloam was rediscovered a few years ago. It is the lowest point
of the Roman walled city. The pool was supplied by a water tunnel dug by
King Hezekiah (c. 715-686 BCE) before the Babylonian exile. During the
Festival of Booths, water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam in a gold
pitcher and carried to the temple altar where it was poured out as a
libation offering into a silver bowl at the side of the altar. At the same
time, a pitcher of wine was poured out as a libation offering into a
silver bowl on the other side of the altar. Every day there were bulls
offered to YHWH. There was singing and dancing. To this days Jews all
around the world lived in booths for during this festival. Those who lived
in the city pitched tents in their condos.
Siloam West -- March 2016
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Written by David Q. Hall dqhall59@yahoo.com
May use photos and text for non-profit publication. For profit usage subject to approval.