Study Abroad at BYU-Jerusalem: Tels, Tells, Tales

Monday was our Shephelah field trip. The Shephelah is a region of the low hill country. It is in between the coastal plains, and the high hill country. The Shephelah is full of tels which are mounds that are abandoned remains of multiple civilizations built on top of each other over thousands of years. It’s actually really cool to see how each layer is a different civilization. We went to Lachish, Azekah, Elah Valley, a couple other places. The students are split into 2 classes (for Old Testament). So when my class was on the top of Lachish, the other class was on top of Azekah. They flashed a mirror from where they were and we cold see the flashing light, in the distance across the valley. It was foggy so the light looked like it was in the sky, since Azekah was so high up. We also went to Goth and my professor had slings where we slung rocks, where David killed Goliath in the scriptures. On our adventure we saw multiple tombs and found a place underground at Mareshah Valley where people raised pigeons in this dark place underground. All the holes in the walls were for the pigeons. We visited Bell Caves, which are deep caves that look like bells. The acoustics are amazing so we sang three hymns while all 82 students were gathered in a circle. Studying the scriptures while on top of where David killed Goliath, where the Assyrians and Babylonians took the land, where fortresses were built, and where thousands of years of civilization has taken place.