Israel Flashback #3

This entry is dated 15 May after touring the Central Benjamin Plateau.

I think today was my favorite day so far. I was actually able to see and experience how geography has influenced history. The land determines where you live, how you live, and how life unfolds. Because of how wadis have cut and shaped the wilderness and because of the climate and lack of vegetation, the Judean Wilderness is not prime real estate. The placement of the wadis also determine travel. In Israel, because of the deep valleys and and ridges, sometimes the shortest distance between two points is not a straight line.

Today I started falling in love with the land. I enjoyed standing on top of Nebi Samwell and seeing Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock, the Mount of Olives, the Transjordan Plateau, and Tel Aviv in the distance. I enjoyed the drops and climbs in elevation, the green of the plants and trees and the brown of the rocks, the rocky terrain, and the broad, flat land. So much variation! Maybe this speaks more of my dislike of Dallas' static, flat land. This land is beautiful.


In Jerusalem the past few days, I have become aware of all the many barriers there are between people. Today I realized that barriers are built into the land. Wadis, valleys, ridges, plateaus, elevation--all serve or create barriers between people and communities. These barriers are not inherently evil as they can be used strategically for offense or defense, but they can also be used to exclude or exile anyone "we" do not like. So far this trip can be boiled down to one word--barriers.