I'm still in the Holy Land but our flight leaves tomorrow night, at 11:25pm. And I'm very excited.
It's funny though, that as I prepare my mind to leave, I am finding the things that would have enabled me to feel a bit better about staying. For example, as tourists we went into the touristy part of town and ate really expensive meals. If you want more than falafel, then your places to eat are limited...Or so it seemed. There is an awesome sandwich shop that is right next door to where we are living in the city and just a couple blocks away is a take out diner with some of the best rotisserie chicken I've had in all of Israel. In fact, it's probably the only rotisserie chicken that I've had here.
Also, I've done some mundane things to make life here feel a little more sane. I went to a comedy show (the headliner was Boris who spoke 7 languages) and ate at an American food restaurant. I know that this is typically taboo for the world traveler but I needed a dose of Americana familiarity to make it through these last couple days.
But the best was today when a kid came up to me and said "Black i pees" which I interpreted as Black High Priest. I mean, I was dressed up a little, just in case I found a church or happened upon a group of worshipers in the square on Ben Yehuda. He continued with "ah ah Ahhhh. Black i pees." I finally understood: he thought that I was Will i am from Black Eyed Peas. I doubled over in laughter and enjoyed every bit of this comparison. Maybe one day I will be half as creative as him and maybe just as recognizable. But no, sorry kid. I'm not Will I Am...unless you give me 20 shekels for an autograph...
Tomorrow, I plan to go into the Old City, take the ramparts walk along the tops of the walls of the city, see the Dome of the Rock, and maybe make it to Bethlehem. Even though I'm a slightly homesick, this place is great!
Leo
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Petra!
Petra, Jordan. This was awesome. Most of everything we saw in Israel had been reconstructed. So even if it was from the 10th century, most of it had been destroyed and then archaeologists used their very trained imagination to put together again. Petra is the complete opposite! It is carved straight out of rock and has existed since the 6th century BCE! I can't say anymore...just look at the pictures. By the way, there's a man carved into the wall, The Treasury, the Monastery (which was over 800 steps up the mountain) and the view from the mountain top...I climbed up a mountain! Yes, I was terrified coming back down!!
Underprepared and Overpacked....
And not just for the dig. For several things. I'll try to make my thoughts succinct, clear, and easy to follow. If they are not, shoot me a comment.
1. I brought way too much to this country. While I did not surpass my luggage weight requirements, the things that I needed to survive and to dig were much less than I thought. I love most of you who gave me suggestions but, truthfully, I could have waited to purchase batteries since the charger doesn't work here anyway. I did not even use a fifth of the sunscreen that I purchased because, let's face it, it was pointless for me. A good moisturizer did the trick. I learned to shower once a day, and to make that count, instead of 3 times a day so I used much less soap, shampoo, and other toiletries than I thought. And, for those of you who come after me and decide to dig as well, don't wear long sleeved shirts...well, unless you want to pass out from heat exhaustion. However, I must send out a hearty thank you to K.Baker for giving me that Sigg water bottle! It saved my life on numerous occasions. The spring water from Dan was most refreshing coming from that canister!
To dig, here is the clothing recipe: a t-shirt (the lighter the better), some jeans (watch out for some serious thorns and thistles), tennis shoes or durable but comfortable boots, knee pads (really!!), and a camera. You will really want to take pictures everyday that you are in your area. It helps you mark your progress and instill a sense of group pride in your endeavor.
2. I am an African American. Here I can be Liberian, Nigerian, South African, Indian, and Ghanaian. I am even Rastafarian, or Rasta as I am called here. How hot is that?! I have an ethnicity and it's not just black--a term that can sometimes be so nondescript, so void of meaning that even blacks don't like calling themselves black. And please don't misunderstand me, I know that to be an African American is to take part in a culture that is the result of the strength and sorrow of the African in the United States, is to be a part of the dancing and the singing, and the cooking and the praying. Perhaps it is having a nationality as an ethnicity that made these guesses and assertions on my identity so much fun. They didn't whisper... Nigerian... but said it as though they had existed right alongside every other people group in the world, from the beginning of time. And, it feels good to have a place, even if it is falsely Rastafarian.
3. Who knew that I would be homesick? And not just for the United States or my family in Alabama or Cleveland or my new family in Memphis but for a sense of place and purpose and grounding. I love that in Memphis I am "in transition" and my friends, coworkers, and family all know this. They expect me to move on to do something else. Here, I have not moved beyond being a tourist who "dances like you make sex" and is expected to participate in an economic transaction every time he ventures into the Old City, even if I did only go for the view. I would love to come back here with a purpose: perhaps as a student, perhaps as an ambassador or a diplomat, perhaps as a linguist studying in situ with the speakers of the language. D.Mu! How I miss you and Pho Hoa Binh! How I miss worshipping at The Saint! How I miss my friends and family and Hope and Healing. You all stabilize me in a way that I hadn't realized. I'm sorry for being so ungrateful before. If I have not said it up to this point, thanks.
4. Am I a heathen? How is it that I am in the spiritual nexus for 3 major world religions and all I can comment on is how secular an orthodox city can feel? How can I sing the songs of Zion in a strange land? Where is the outlet for my particular blend of gospel and classical styled singing? Where is the outlet for a black man who enjoys simplicity in one of the busiest cities that I have ever seen? As always, my outcries have to be nuanced to provide a clearer picture. Yes I had conversations with doctoral students, missionaries, Jewish people, Arab Israeli kids, and people from all over the world about God, Jesus, the nature of God, anti-Semitism, and the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. Yes I have been to worship with people from all of the world in a style that attempted to blend Christianity's Jewish ancestry with Anglican church worship (try that on!). Yes I have uncovered and seen material culture that makes real the details of many biblical narratives and has made me that much more intrigued in the Bible as the primary witness of our faith. But, what is troubling me the most is that I don't "feel" anything particular. I see God at work, I know that He is making moves in my life, I trust Him to do something spectacular. But it doesn't feel like anything. I sing because it's the only way I can get it out...and here, I can't find an outlet for my song. Maybe I'll create one...I'll dig the trench, hoe out the dirt, and place in there a couple of terraces that will allow me to have space to connect with God. I have one more day in the Holy City. Pray with me that I work quickly.
5. To Black people in the United States: TRAVEL!! Get out of the country. See what cultural products are being sold abroad and what images of you exist in the world. See yourself outside of the lens of the US--be a citizen of the world!
(Much love and thanks goes out to my family who sacrificed much so that I could be here. I know that it was/is my grandmother's dream to come here. She told me that I got to do it for her. I love all of you...even if after three weeks of being at home I start to go crazy!)
1. I brought way too much to this country. While I did not surpass my luggage weight requirements, the things that I needed to survive and to dig were much less than I thought. I love most of you who gave me suggestions but, truthfully, I could have waited to purchase batteries since the charger doesn't work here anyway. I did not even use a fifth of the sunscreen that I purchased because, let's face it, it was pointless for me. A good moisturizer did the trick. I learned to shower once a day, and to make that count, instead of 3 times a day so I used much less soap, shampoo, and other toiletries than I thought. And, for those of you who come after me and decide to dig as well, don't wear long sleeved shirts...well, unless you want to pass out from heat exhaustion. However, I must send out a hearty thank you to K.Baker for giving me that Sigg water bottle! It saved my life on numerous occasions. The spring water from Dan was most refreshing coming from that canister!
To dig, here is the clothing recipe: a t-shirt (the lighter the better), some jeans (watch out for some serious thorns and thistles), tennis shoes or durable but comfortable boots, knee pads (really!!), and a camera. You will really want to take pictures everyday that you are in your area. It helps you mark your progress and instill a sense of group pride in your endeavor.
2. I am an African American. Here I can be Liberian, Nigerian, South African, Indian, and Ghanaian. I am even Rastafarian, or Rasta as I am called here. How hot is that?! I have an ethnicity and it's not just black--a term that can sometimes be so nondescript, so void of meaning that even blacks don't like calling themselves black. And please don't misunderstand me, I know that to be an African American is to take part in a culture that is the result of the strength and sorrow of the African in the United States, is to be a part of the dancing and the singing, and the cooking and the praying. Perhaps it is having a nationality as an ethnicity that made these guesses and assertions on my identity so much fun. They didn't whisper... Nigerian... but said it as though they had existed right alongside every other people group in the world, from the beginning of time. And, it feels good to have a place, even if it is falsely Rastafarian.
3. Who knew that I would be homesick? And not just for the United States or my family in Alabama or Cleveland or my new family in Memphis but for a sense of place and purpose and grounding. I love that in Memphis I am "in transition" and my friends, coworkers, and family all know this. They expect me to move on to do something else. Here, I have not moved beyond being a tourist who "dances like you make sex" and is expected to participate in an economic transaction every time he ventures into the Old City, even if I did only go for the view. I would love to come back here with a purpose: perhaps as a student, perhaps as an ambassador or a diplomat, perhaps as a linguist studying in situ with the speakers of the language. D.Mu! How I miss you and Pho Hoa Binh! How I miss worshipping at The Saint! How I miss my friends and family and Hope and Healing. You all stabilize me in a way that I hadn't realized. I'm sorry for being so ungrateful before. If I have not said it up to this point, thanks.
4. Am I a heathen? How is it that I am in the spiritual nexus for 3 major world religions and all I can comment on is how secular an orthodox city can feel? How can I sing the songs of Zion in a strange land? Where is the outlet for my particular blend of gospel and classical styled singing? Where is the outlet for a black man who enjoys simplicity in one of the busiest cities that I have ever seen? As always, my outcries have to be nuanced to provide a clearer picture. Yes I had conversations with doctoral students, missionaries, Jewish people, Arab Israeli kids, and people from all over the world about God, Jesus, the nature of God, anti-Semitism, and the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. Yes I have been to worship with people from all of the world in a style that attempted to blend Christianity's Jewish ancestry with Anglican church worship (try that on!). Yes I have uncovered and seen material culture that makes real the details of many biblical narratives and has made me that much more intrigued in the Bible as the primary witness of our faith. But, what is troubling me the most is that I don't "feel" anything particular. I see God at work, I know that He is making moves in my life, I trust Him to do something spectacular. But it doesn't feel like anything. I sing because it's the only way I can get it out...and here, I can't find an outlet for my song. Maybe I'll create one...I'll dig the trench, hoe out the dirt, and place in there a couple of terraces that will allow me to have space to connect with God. I have one more day in the Holy City. Pray with me that I work quickly.
5. To Black people in the United States: TRAVEL!! Get out of the country. See what cultural products are being sold abroad and what images of you exist in the world. See yourself outside of the lens of the US--be a citizen of the world!
(Much love and thanks goes out to my family who sacrificed much so that I could be here. I know that it was/is my grandmother's dream to come here. She told me that I got to do it for her. I love all of you...even if after three weeks of being at home I start to go crazy!)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Now that the Digging is Done...
What to say about digging? It's hard work and labor intensive but rewarding and the most fun that I have ever had in my life. The first couple of weeks were mostly about buckets. Buckets and buckets of dirt. We cleaned "the square," leveled the walls of the trenches, put up shades, and removed mountains of dirt. When we discovered that what we were looking for was still underground, a JCB (back hoe/tractor type machine) came in and ripped up 70cm to more than a meter of dirt from the square. After that damage was done, we went in an created 2 steps and a newly formulated square. Created is a such an illusive word. With large picks and hoes, we removed soil from the square and made artificial terraces so that we could continue to work on finding our Iron Age structure.
The purpose for digging at Dan is a little illusive. In past expeditions they have been able to prove that both this is the ancient city of Dan and have even found some evidence that King David existed. In area L, affectionately called "area Hell," we weren't sure what we were looking for. There is a pavement structure that goes from the Iron Age gate all the way to our area and stops abruptly. David Ilan, the dig director, wanted to see what we had over there since in past seasons they had only uncovered the medieval Muslim occupation remains with some Iron Age pottery surfacing. By the way, when I say Iron Age, I mean around the 10-8th centuries BCE. I know that the dates are fixed exactly but those centuries help us to date most of the pottery we found.
Anyway, area Hell was interesting because we actually found stuff. Although most of this is speculative, we think that we found a courtyard adjacent to a house. There appeared to be a wall that was possibly robbed out to provide stones for the medieval Muslim structures. We also found a whole bull bones, donkey bones, and sheep/goat bones. There was an apparent collapse of the mudbrick wall and stones which killed the cow--finding a whole animal's skeleton preserved and not disturbed by small animal or rodent feeding made this find remarkable. The fact that we are finding so many animal bones etc led David to believe that this collapse probably happened at night (when most animals would be in the courtyard and not in the field) and since we are in the same century, he thinks that this might be a result of the "great noise" that the prophet Amos talks about. In other words, perhaps an earthquake caused the collapse that killed our bull. We also found an Iron Age pavement and a lot of pottery. Some of the pottery finds included a chalice, a lamp, pithoi, store jars, juglets, jugs, baking sheets, and even a grinder on the very last day of the dig.
So, although we didn't find any inscriptions in area L, we may have helped uncover something important about the way that Iron Age people lived. The next season will have the privilege of excavating the house next to the courtyard. I am really excited for whoever is a part of that excavation--you have a legacy to uphold--area L is the hardest working site on the whole Tel. Farewell Area Hell!!
The purpose for digging at Dan is a little illusive. In past expeditions they have been able to prove that both this is the ancient city of Dan and have even found some evidence that King David existed. In area L, affectionately called "area Hell," we weren't sure what we were looking for. There is a pavement structure that goes from the Iron Age gate all the way to our area and stops abruptly. David Ilan, the dig director, wanted to see what we had over there since in past seasons they had only uncovered the medieval Muslim occupation remains with some Iron Age pottery surfacing. By the way, when I say Iron Age, I mean around the 10-8th centuries BCE. I know that the dates are fixed exactly but those centuries help us to date most of the pottery we found.
Anyway, area Hell was interesting because we actually found stuff. Although most of this is speculative, we think that we found a courtyard adjacent to a house. There appeared to be a wall that was possibly robbed out to provide stones for the medieval Muslim structures. We also found a whole bull bones, donkey bones, and sheep/goat bones. There was an apparent collapse of the mudbrick wall and stones which killed the cow--finding a whole animal's skeleton preserved and not disturbed by small animal or rodent feeding made this find remarkable. The fact that we are finding so many animal bones etc led David to believe that this collapse probably happened at night (when most animals would be in the courtyard and not in the field) and since we are in the same century, he thinks that this might be a result of the "great noise" that the prophet Amos talks about. In other words, perhaps an earthquake caused the collapse that killed our bull. We also found an Iron Age pavement and a lot of pottery. Some of the pottery finds included a chalice, a lamp, pithoi, store jars, juglets, jugs, baking sheets, and even a grinder on the very last day of the dig.
So, although we didn't find any inscriptions in area L, we may have helped uncover something important about the way that Iron Age people lived. The next season will have the privilege of excavating the house next to the courtyard. I am really excited for whoever is a part of that excavation--you have a legacy to uphold--area L is the hardest working site on the whole Tel. Farewell Area Hell!!
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