(WIND AND VEHICLE SOUND)
JACK BECK: THE LAND OF ISRAEL IS A LAND
OF INCREDIBLE GEOGRAPHIC COMPLEXITY.
I'M JACK BECK.
I'M A BIBLE GEOGRAPHER AND I'M HERE IN THE HOLY LAND
IN ORDER TO EXPLORE ALL THE GEOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCES
THAT THIS LAND HAVE TO OFFER.
AND I'M DOING IT AS A BIBLE TEACHER
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO BEST UNDERSTAND OUR BIBLE
AND THE STORIES THAT ONLY FIT IN THE PLACES THAT THEY OCCUR,
WE'RE GONNA GO ON A TRIP THAT VISITS ALL SORTS
OF DIFFERENT PLACES IN THIS REGION.
IN THIS SEASON, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHANCE
TO VISIT MOUNT HERMON AND LIKE THE WATER,
WE'RE GONNA FLOW THROUGH THE SEA OF GALILEE,
JORDAN RIVER, TO THE DEAD SEA.
I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU A WAY OF THINKING ABOUT
AND READING YOUR BIBLE
YOU MAY NEVER HAVE EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE BIBLE'S GEOGRAPHY MEANINGFUL.
(MUSIC)
(WIND HOWLING)
(HEAVY MACHINERY HUMMING)
EVERY BIBLE READER WHO HAS NOT COME TO THE HOLY LAND
HAS A PICTURE OF WHAT THIS PLACE IS LIKE.
SOME PEOPLE PICTURE IT
AS A PLACE OF DESERTS OR A PLACE OF LAKES,
BUT MAN, THERE'S JUST NOBODY
WHO PICTURES THE HOLY LAND LOOKIN' LIKE THIS.
(ELECTRONIC BUBBLY MUSIC)
WE'RE HERE IN ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE PLACES
IN THE HOLY LAND.
I FEEL LIKE I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, RIGHT?
I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS.
WE'RE STANDING NEXT TO A SKI LIFT.
THIS IS MOUNT HERMON.
THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE HOLY LAND
THAT RESIDES AT A HIGHER ELEVATION.
WE'RE AT 9,232 FEET, THAT'S TWO AND A HALF TIMES HIGHER
THAN ANY OTHER MOUNTAIN IN THE HOLY LAND.
IT'S NOT A POINTY ALPINE MOUNTAIN LIKE THIS,
BUT A SPRAWLING RIDGELINE THAT RUNS FOR 28 MILES.
AND BECAUSE IT'S SO HIGH IN ELEVATION
AND BECAUSE IT'S SO MASSIVE IN SIZE,
IT CREATES ITS OWN WEATHER.
IT RAINS MORE HERE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE,
THREE TIMES MORE RAIN THAN HAPPENS IN JERUSALEM.
(CLAP MUSIC)
WE'RE AT MOUNT HERMON, A PLACE THAT HAS
A VERY SIGNIFICANT SET OF STORIES,
STORIES THAT STRETCH FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT
THROUGH THE GOSPELS, WHEN JESUS VISITED THIS PLACE.
I LOVE THE CHARTREUSE COLOR OF THESE CARS,
IT REALLY MATCHES MY JACKET.
SO I FEEL SO COLOR-COORDINATED.
NOW, PEOPLE LIVING HERE IN BIBLE TIMES, THEY DID NOT SKI.
RIGHT? AND IN FACT, THEY DIDN'T LIVE UP HERE.
IT'S TOO HIGH, IT'S TOO COLD DURING THE WINTER.
THEY LIVED WHERE ALL THE SNOW MELT GOES,
AT THE BOTTOM OF THESE RIDGES.
(CHILDREN PLAYING, SHOUTING)
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE VIEW AND WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SPACE.
THIS IS MOUNT HERMON, AND ITS SNOW MELTS
AND MOVES DOWN INTO THIS WONDERFUL BASIN BELOW US,
AND THEN FLOWS THROUGH THE UPPER JORDAN RIVER,
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SEA OF GALILEE
THAT I CAN SEE JUST PEEKING OUT AROUND THE CORNER HERE.
IT'S JUST NO WONDER THAT LONG BEFORE ABRAHAM
AND SARAH CAME INTO THIS LAND,
THERE WERE CANAANITES LIVING IN THIS PLACE.
AND THEY HAD A NAME FOR THIS MOUNTAIN.
THEY CALLED IT BA'AL HERMON.
THAT'S HEBREW FOR THE PLACE WE WORSHIP BAAL.
AND THAT SUGGESTS THAT THIS WONDERFUL PLACE
HAD A BIG PROBLEM.
(SERENE MUSIC)
(WATER FLOWING)
PEOPLE OF ALL TIMES AND REALLY OF ALL PLACES HAVE A PASSION
TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL WORLD THAT SURROUNDS THEM.
RAINFALL, SOIL FERTILITY, THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
THINK OF THOSE WHO WERE LIVING IN THE ANCIENT PAST.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE MODERN SCIENCE,
AND FOR THE PAGAN WORLD THAT DID NOT HAVE REVELATION
FROM THE ONE TRUE GOD, THEIR BEST SHOT
AT EXPLAINING THE OTHERWISE UNEXPLAINABLE
WAS TO ASSOCIATE THOSE MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA
WITH THE PAGAN GODS THAT WERE PART OF THEIR CONTEXT.
(MIDDLE EASTERN MUSIC)
YOU NEEDED A WHOLE PANTHEON OF DEITIES IN ORDER
TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD IN WHICH YOU LIVED.
THE IDEA, THE VERY NOTION THAT THERE WOULD BE
JUST ONE GOD IS UNTHINKABLE.
IF YOU SAID THERE WAS ONLY ONE GOD, YOU WOULD SURRENDER
YOUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD IN WHICH YOU LIVED.
I HAVE SOME SYMPATHY FOR THE PAGANS
WHO WERE DEALING WITH THAT CONCEPT.
I'M STANDING BEFORE THIS MAGNIFICENT,
OTHERWORLDLY CLIFF FACE.
I LOOK LIKE I AM IN A PLACE THAT IS THE HOME OF THE GODS.
IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, AS EARLY AS THE THIRD CENTURY BC,
WE HAVE SANCTUARIES BEING PHYSICALLY BUILT
INTO THE BASE OF MOUNT HERMON.
WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU IS A SANCTUARY TO THE GOD PAN,
AND GET THIS, THE GOD OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
IN THIS PLACE, THAT IS SIMPLY BURGEONING WITH WATER
AND GREENERY AND ALL THE ECOLOGICAL RICHNESS
THAT MOUNT HERMON DELIVERS AT ITS BASE,
IS IT SURPRISING, GIVEN THE PAGAN MINDSET,
THAT THEY'VE ESTABLISHED A SANCTUARY HERE
TO THEIR NATURE GOD WHOM THEY BELIEVED
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT ALL?
WELCOME.
WELCOME TO THE HOME OF PAN, THE TEMPLE AT CAESAREA PHILIPPI
THAT EXISTED HERE SINCE THE THIRD CENTURY BC.
(SOFT MUSIC)
AND IT'S A PLACE THE PAGAN WORLD WOULD COME
TO GIVE THANKS TO PAN FOR THE GREAT GIFT HE GAVE THEM,
THE GIFT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES ALL AROUND US.
BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM, GODS LIKE PAN AND BAAL
AREN'T REAL AND NEVER HAVE BEEN.
SO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE MISSED A CREATOR
BEHIND THOSE WONDERFUL BLESSINGS.
THE QUESTION IS, HAVE WE?
MOUNT HERMON HOSTS MANY STORIES THAT SHOW
JUST HOW EASY IT IS TO GET GOD WRONG.
I CAN REALLY RESONATE WITH THAT.
EVEN THOUGH I'VE READ MY BIBLE THROUGH
AND STUDIED IT PROFESSIONALLY,
I KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO GET GOD WRONG.
SOCIETY PULLS ME AWAY
FROM A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF GOD.
AND EVEN WITHIN, WHEN I GO THROUGH TROUBLES IN LIFE,
I BEGIN TO DISTORT GOD'S TRUE IDENTITY.
AND ALL OF THAT MAKES ME WONDER:
HOW IS ANCIENT ISRAEL GONNA DO
WHEN THEY BECOME THE LANDLORDS OF THIS PLACE?
JOIN ME FOR OUR NEXT EPISODE,
AND WE'LL EXPLORE THAT QUESTION TOGETHER.
(SOFT MUSIC)