In the Wilderness

Today we spent some time in the Judean Wilderness. Here is a picture of me at the site in Old Testament Jericho. They believe they have found the archaeological site of the destroyed walls of Jericho.

I thought it would be cool to see a picture of a shepherd with his sheep.

We actually walked a portion of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. This is the area in which Jesus was tempted and spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting. After spending some time there, I can't imagine spending that much time in such a place without food. It was under these circumstances that He was tempted. Being there helped me understand this text: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:18). The camel in the picture is a bonus.

This is the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Although the road wasn't paved back then, obviously, this is the same route. This is the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is also the road Jesus would have taken many times.

I was shocked at how rugged the terrain of the wilderness was. People normally travelled on ridge routes to get through, avoiding the canyons.