Catching Up: Part 1

It's midterm season-- very similar to hunting season, except I'm the deer and tests are sniping from all sides. I cower behind my books and think about how I could have been thickening my hide by doing my homework all along. Unfortunately, since this happens every semester, I recognize this point and I've started to shrug it off. It doesn't hurt to sweat a little– it's good for the complexion– and I always pull it off.

Honestly, I feel pretty good about the tests. I enjoy all my classes. Some of them are a little dusty, and by some, I specifically mean History of the Chuch in the East. It has fascinating moments, but when it's not fascinating it's brutal. The professor that walked into class the first day was a gentle, endearing woman from Germany. I saw her and thought, "Heck yeah, I smell A's."

Worst first impression ever. The woman is fierce. Anyone that can pack in so many facts and dates and names is not someone to mess with. I have some other stories about her to refute that: particularly her thoughts on the impact of moslem rule on the Christians through the Dhimmi. It's a hard subject, one that she has tackled passionately, receiving flak from the church leaders for her outspokenness. I don't feel confident in my factual foundation to share about the Dhimmi here, but I want to study it more (it helps to have midterms twisting my arm) because it seems to be a hush-hush topic that needs time in the spotlight.

As the semester has progressed, I've come to find that taking notes in her class is one of the biggest adventures in my week.

Strike one: the class is from 7 - 9:30, prime dinner-coma time.

Strike two: Her voice matches her appearance. Her head barely pops up over the rostrum and her voice, falling on the heavy side with the german accent, is swallowed up by the room.

Strike three: Her handwriting is a mystery. She tries to clear things up for us by writing on the board. English or hieroglyphics? Probably hieroglyphics.

I'm pressing on! I know that if I don't push through the date-name dust, it will be my loss (that is not the case with all classes.) The History of the Church in the East may not be easy to access, but there are good details to know and probably more quality information in the long run because of the delving it will take to grasp them.

Another midterm that is going to be a lot of fun is my upcoming Arabic test. Arabic is by far my favorite class. It's the professor, Salwa: she quickly found a home in my affections. She's a tiny, energetic woman from Gaza who always click-clacks around the room in her black pumps and her face framed with sweet smile-wrinkles. She's quick to laugh and quick to declare "Mis Muskile!" (professional phonetic breakdown: mish mooshkelah = no problem!) and tries hard to make Arabic as accessible as possible.

Now, the arabic language is another story. Day 1: it was cute. Day 2: It was cute, with a bit of a pinch. Day 3: Good Lord, it has claws!

Sun letters, moon letters, mysteriously gendered words, inconsistent articles, phonetics with no english equivalent, how many ways are there to pronounce an "H"? and what the heck is this alphabet?

Arabic is a monster and every Tuesday and Thursday Salwa cheerily flutters around its head, taming it for our minds. I love it and I hope the midterm doesn't brutalize me.

Meanwhile, the field studies have been incredible. We went to Samaria around the end of February. That was a great day.

The Hills of Ephriam

These thistle bushes were everywhere. Dr. Wright suspects that this was the crown-of-thorns plant. Nasty little sucker.

After checking out some quality cenomanian limestone, we headed to Nablus. Jacob's well is there. It's engulfed by a church. You have to go down some stairs and elbow old folks out of the way to see it.

Perhaps this is needless to say, but I'll say it just in case: I'm not a big fan of these 'holy' sites. I hold no reverence for these rocks and bones. They are dust and often, I'm afraid, idols. One thing that has been so awesome to see on this trip is that I don't feel any closer to God in Israel, the "Holy Land," than I do praying while I'm tooling around in a flower truck in Upstate New York. That is incredible to me, to serve a God who does not honor geographical boundaries, whose Hand stretches across the earth, across cultures and generations.

Mosaic at the Church

The Tel of Shechem is in the middle of Nablus. It's been unavailable to tourists since the intifada in 2000. We had the privilege of being the group to sit there with Dr. Wright for the first time in 11 years. I wasn't really sure what was going on, but Dr. Wright was so excited that I hitched a ride on his brainwave and ran around the Tel like a wild child. It was a beautiful site!

The Tel of Shechem

Walls around the Tel... Mt. Gerizim in the back

Harrison and Caleb doing some rockclimbing

Heck yeah.

After exploring Shechem, we headed up Mt. Gerizim. There is a small Samaritan population that still exists. We're talking Samaritans like, holding traditions for thousands of years, Samaritans. We had the opportunity to talk with the son of the high priest. He traced his heritage back to the Aaron, brother of Moses for us. Legitimate? No, but I was impressed by the conviction of the claim. Talk about an awareness of roots. Everyone wants to belong in this land.

Mt. Ebal from Mt. Gerizim.

We ended the day in Shilo- Samuel's home turf.

Almond Trees are flowering! These blossoms make the air smell so sweet.

Sunset at Shilo

Whew. And I still have to catch up with the Negev field study, which has so far absolutely been the climax of... well, probably of my life. Keep your eyes out!

Much love to home. I'm chilly and wet in the hills of Jerusalem, missing the warm weather too (it's hard to have cold without snow!). Spring's on the way... closer for me... but I'll cross my fingers and hustle it along with you!

-Em