Shalom This video is commentary for
Satellite Bible Atlas Map 1-8 focusing on the southern approaches to Jerusalem
In the previous video we saw how most major routes approach Jerusalem
from the north In this video
we learn about three routes that approach Jerusalem from the south
On Map 1-8 note the rugged canyons
the Upper Sorek and Cesalon Valleys that flank Jerusalem's western side like
deep moats These canyons make it very difficult to approach
Jerusalem directly from the west One route comes from the Sorek Valley in the
Shephelah and climbs the Refaim ridge avoiding the deep canyons of the Upper Sorek
Likewise another route from the Elah Valley in the Shephelah climbs
the Hushah Ridge Both these routes intersect near Hushah and
Bethar The Hushah ridge
joins the Road of the Patriarchs near Bethlehem The Hushah ridge is undoubtedly the route
David travelled on when he travelled from Bethlehem to the Elah
Valley where he fought Goliath
This event is marked on Map 5-3 David brought down supplies to his brothers
who were part of the army of Israel facing off against the Philistines in the
Valley of Elah Note another route that approaches Jerusalem
from the southwest The route branches off from the Hushah ridge
at Bethar The Valley of Refaim becomes a wide plain
on Jerusalem southwest side convenient for travel
M: We're standing here in the Valley of Rephaim
where the Philistines attacked David twice after he became king of Israel in Jerusalem
This valley is the actually the main southwestern approach to Jerusalem
After David became King of both Judah and Israel in Jerusalem
the Philistines attacked twice via the Valley of Refaim
Following God's directions during the 2nd Philistine attack
David got behind them and cut off their route of escape
Because of the rough terrain of the Upper Sorek
the Philistines had no choice but to flee north
David pursued them from Gibeon to Gezer To arrive at Jerusalem directly from the south
one travels on the Hill Country Watershed route
The route is called the Road of the Patriarchs because Abraham Jacob and Joseph traveled
on it The Road of the Patriarchs is the only north-south
route in the Hill Country The deep canyons cutting both to the east
and west of the watershed restrict travel to the top of the Ridge
On Map 1-6, note the string of biblical cities along this route
Here's Hebron where the patriarchs were buried
and where David was first crowned King of Judah
North is Bethlehem where David and Jesus were born
then Jerusalem Gibeah, Saul's capital
Ramah, home of the prophet Samuel Mizpah fortified by king Asa
Bethel where Jacob saw angels and where Jeroboam placed a golden calf
Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was first set up under Joshua
and Shechem where God first promised Abraham's descendants the land
Back on Map 1-8 the road of the Patriarchs is labeled on the Watershed route between
Bethlehem and Jerusalem The route was used on a number of occasions
in the Bible For instance, as marked on Map 2-2
Abraham journeyed from Beersheba to Mt Moriah, Jerusalem
with the intention of sacrificing Isaac Map 5-5 shows
that both David and his son Absalom came from Hebron to Jerusalem
There is a strategic pinch or bottleneck
in the Road of the Patriarchs near the city of Jerusalem
The Bible calls the spot Ketef, or the Shoulder of Hinnom
It is a hill marked by a small triangle just below the word Jerusalem on Map 1-9
Here drainage of the Refaim Valley on the West
and the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys on the east pinch very close to the watershed
Let's see the Ketef Hinnom bottleneck on this Google Earth photo
The oldest part of Jerusalem, including the City of David, and the temple mount
are shown here by the yellow shading Jerusalem is separated from the Watershed
route by the Hinnom Valley The Rephaim Valley descends from the watershed
to the west creating the narrow ketef hinnom bottleneck
The road of the Patriarchs passes through this narrow pinch
Marked on Map 4-9, as recorded in the Book of Judges chapter 19
a Levite was returning from Bethlehem to the Hill Country of Ephraim in the north
When he arrived opposite Jebus probably at Ketef Hinnom
the man's servant suggested turning aside and staying the night in Canaanite Jebus
But the Levite said "No, Let's go on to one of the cities
of Israel, either Gibeah or Ramah" Israelite tombs at Ketef Hinnom were the location
of an important archaeological discovery: We're just on the outskirts of Jerusalem
on the shoulder of Hin and we're at a tomb that dates to the first
temple period, 600BC, right around there We have benches right here
these guys are showing us what it was like There are even carvings for the heads where
they would lay the people they would lay the deceased- this would have
been all enclosed- the deceased would lay here for about an year
at which time then the people who come back in
and the flesh had decomposed they take all the bones
they put the bones down below here in the depository
and this actual depository was found the oldest recorded piece of scripture
that was the priestly benediction from Numbers chapter 6
it was found on a small piece of silver in this depository
On Map 1-14 let's examine one more route leading to Jerusalem
A route approaching Jerusalem from the southeast is called the Tekoa -- En Gedi Ridge route
Because of the cliffs near the Dead Sea and the rough terrain of the Judean desert
this is the only route that leads into the Hill Country from the Dead Sea region
The route begins at En Gedi and climbs the steep Ascent of Ziz
the ridge between the Nahal Arugot and Nahal David
The route ascends through the wilderness to Tekoa, hometown of the Prophet Amos
Then it runs past Herodian, a fortress built by Herod the Great
joins the Road of the Patriarchs at Bethlehem then north to Jerusalem
Here is a photograph of the En Gedi region from the Pictorial Library of Bible lands
Note the two deep canyons the Nahal Arugot and Nahal David that define
the steep ridge between them This is where the Ascent of Ziz climbs up
from the Dead Sea The route then stays on the ridge up to Tekoa
We just climbed the ascent of Ziz from En Gedi:
woohoo~ Map 6-4 marks out a biblical event that occurred
along this route A coalition of nations from the East: Moabites,
Ammonite and Edomites made a sneak attack on Judah and arrived at
En Gedi The enemy began to come up the Ascent of Ziz
King Jehohashapat of Judah called upon the Lord
The Lord told Jehohshaphat Judah would not even have to fight in this battle
Instead of the army, Jehoshaphat sent singers in the front line
They went out past Tekoa praising the Lord The enemy had turned against each other
and all Judah had to do was go out and pick up the spoil
Upon returning, the people of Judah named a Valley Berachah, meaning blessing
The Valley of Berachah is probably just west of Tekoa
Back on Map 1-8 take another look at where this route comes
to Tekoa M: Behind me is the town Tekoa, the hometown
of the prophet Amos Now God had told Amos to leave his native
land of Judah and go up north to Israel, specifically Bethel
and preach against the King there because of the sin in the land
F: And about 75 years before Amos King Jehoshaphat of Judah sent out singers
in front of the army to confront the force that came in from the
east This might be the valley of- what's it called-Berachah,
the valley of blessing where they got the spoils
THe wide green Valley just west of Tekoa may be the Valley of Berachah
The route then travels near Herodian We're here at the Herodian built by Herod
the Great just south-east of Bethlehem Herod when he heard that the king of the Jews
was born in Bethlehem ordered all the children under the age of
2 killed Here's an aerial photograph of the Herodian
fortress from the Pictorial Library The Jewish historian Josephus recorded that
Herod the Great was buried with great pomp here
In 2007 archaeologists announced the discovery of the remnants of Herod's tomb
Our route arrives near the road of the patriarchs at Bethlehem
We're in nativity square in Bethlehem and behind me is the Nativity Church
which is the traditional place where Jesus was born
We're still in Bethlehem and you can see behind me a modern marketplace
and we're in the probable site of the Old Testament Bethlehem which is where King David
was from "Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures
forever" This video was written by Professor William
Schlegel, Translated by Dr. Simon Liu, Miss Anny Zhang
And edited by Dr. Joseph Kim Please visit www.logos101.org for more information.
Again, it's www.logos101.org And this is Joseph Kim. Thank you!