Happy birthday, Julie. I miss you.
After another not-so-good night of sleep (but I did stay in bed; that was the assignment), we got up shortly after 6 and went running. Peter and I did a little better than the last time. We followed a route that has three sites on it that we had learned about on our walk the night before.
The first sight was one we saw Sunday night, Ein Tzuba, "the spring of Tzuba." Of course in Israel these springs have always been very important sources of water. These pictures show the spring and the pool and a map diagramming the underground structure how it's related to the Kibbutz. Unfortunately the glare from my flash makes much of it unreadable. I may try another time to get a better photo.
After breakfast (I ate no fish this morning), class began at 8:30 and lasted until 12:30 with three breaks along the way. Class went well. It is very interactive. The teachers speak in Hebrew and get us to respond either in action or in Hebrew. uring the course we are also memorizing the Shema (Deut 6:4-9). Today we did vv. 4-5. They write the text on the board and we do motions as we recite to help get the word into us.
After lunch and a nap, I studied the rest of the afternoon. We are going through Ruth in these two weeks, plus two chapters from other books that are relevant background to the book. We not only read and act out the story, we actually discuss the story in Hebrew. As a teaching method, the teachers tell the story by paraphrasing it (in Hebrew) as a preview to the next day's lesson. Today in class we did Ruth 1:1-10. Our assignment is to listen to the audio files (repeatedly) and read the text to become as familar with it as we can; to read with understanding.
After a light supper in our room (cereal again; Peter and I are alike in so many ways, and liking cereal anytime is one of them), we went out for another walk. We went on
the same road that we walked last night to see the spring. The road actually forms a circuit. This time we went the opposite direction to see the ancient trees and crusader ruins. The road is paved, but we turn right, toward the inside of the circuit, to follow a windy, rocky dirt path. Soon the path is grassy and we come to the ancient trees. Here are two of them, the second with a sign.The sign reads (what I can make out without a dictionary; I'll try to update later):
- Oak of [?]
- This tree is 100 years old and among the largest
- in the mountains of Jerusalem. It was preserved [?] his holiness(?)
- around the tree of [?] of the Muslim mausoleum.
Then we continue on the grassy path, which is still visible, but the surrounding plants almost grow over it. Then we found the ruins. I don't know anything about them. We are amazed that they would come over and build such a structure.
- Peter standing at the bottom of the steps entering a large underground room. Think of it as having four sections with Peter standing in the first. front and on the right, when you stand on the outside looking in at the entrance.
This would be the second section, front and on the left as you look left.- In the left rear chamber, there was a narrow passage leading upward.
We could not see where it went and did not go in, but we suspect that it went up to the ground now. We also suspect that all the surrounding rubble are ruins of a tower. This passage probably led up into the tower. - This photo is of the right rear section.
It was getting dark, so we headed home.
A little more studying, and off to bed for a good (?) night's sleep.
Brakhot ("blessings") to all.
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