Games in the Negev
My family is obsessive about playing games. As a little girl growing up in Minnesota, playing games with my grandparents and cousins was the activity…
Ecstasy in Arad
Ecstasy - being so overwhelmed by faith that one loses oneself - has always been a part of religious devotion. The question is: how do…
Qesem Balls
Qesem Cave, occupied between 400,000 and 200,000 years ago continues to amaze and impress me. I've written about Qesem cave here and here as a…
Land for Peace or Piece of Land?
In diplomacy and in business, long term leases are often the closest thing to outright sale. In Israel, for example, much of the land is…
Battle Hymn
In our current world, where conflict is at the forefront, it's interesting to see how battles are depicted in the past. In the United States,…
The Kitos War
In the history of Jerusalem, the events surrounding the Bar Cochva revolt provide one of the saddest chapters. The grassroots, guerrilla war waged by Jews…
Who is a Good Samaritan?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most familiar stories of the Christian Bible. Jesus defines the behavior of the Good Samaritan,…
One Fish, Two Fish, Five Loaves, Fat Fish
Fish form a central place in life around the Sea of Galilee. Israel's only large scale source of fresh water has long been a magnet…
Continue reading → One Fish, Two Fish, Five Loaves, Fat Fish
Wine Festival in Qumran
We have just finished the counting of the Omer - 49 days between the bringing of the barley harvest starting on the day after the…
Wheat, Wine, Olives
In the Bible, seven species are listed as being indigenous to Israel: Grapes, Olives, Pomegranates, Figs, Dates, Wheat and Barley. Of these, three are considered…
