FAIR

Blog

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 5: Mamre (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8E)

by

Meisterman’s 1906 map of the holy places of Hebron

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08E)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history and tradition.

In this last of five video presentations, we will visit traditional sites associated with Mamre, the home of Abraham and Sarah after they separated from Lot. Mamre became the site of some of Abram’s most sacred experiences. After his return to Mamre from the rescue of Lot we read in Genesis 14 that he welcomed Melchizedek, “king of Salem” and “the priest of the most high God” (Genesis 14:18). Abraham sat in the door of his tent near the oak of Mamre when he received the visit of the three messengers who announced that he would have a son, Isaac, through Sarah.

As a first stop, we visit the St. George Church in Madaba, Jordan, where a floor mosaic of more than two million tiny pieces lays out the geography, buildings, and religious sites of ancient Palestine in the last half of the sixth century. The map of Hebron and Mamre provides useful clues to researchers about details of the ancient sites as well as to their location today.

Pinpointing the most likely sites for ancient Mamre is an almost impossible task. Five candidates have been identified, of which we will visit two of the most famous: the Oak of Sibta and Ramet al-Khalil/Elonei Mamre.

Though almost certainly not the tree of Abraham, the oak of Sibta has been venerated since the beginning of the Middle Ages. Its age has been variously estimated from 1000 to 5000 years old. The girth of its trunk is about ten meters. In former times, it grew undisturbed in the middle of a field surrounded by a small rock wall. Now it has declined in fulfillment of a tradition that it must die before the coming of the Antichrist. Anwar Zablah, the caretaker of the tree, has lived at the site of the Russian Orthodox monastery of the Holy Trinity for sixty years.

Two thousand years ago, at the same time he was building the Jerusalem Temple and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, Herod the Great erected a similar third monument at Ramet al-Khalil/Elonei Mamre, a traditional site of Abraham’s oak and well. Archaeologists have since discovered the remains of a church built by Constantine in 330 AD, constructed when he became disturbed by the pagan practices there.

 

The video may be found on the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08E — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 5: Mamre

It can also be found on the FairMormon YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNvHd5MzIoc

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 4: Ancient Hebron (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8D)

by

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw: Woman at the Tomb of Jesse and Ruth at Tel Hebron

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08D)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history and tradition.

In this fourth presentation, we will visit archeological sites associated with the ancient city of Hebron. Hebron is referenced 68 times in the Old Testament. The first reference is in Genesis 13:18 when, after Abram separated from Lot and God promised to give him the land of Canaan, he “removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.” Hebron was already a flourishing Canaanite city by that time. Though Abram’s presence would have naturally left little trace, biblical scholars still hope to find traces of King David’s reign of seven years in Hebron that occurred several hundred years later (2 Samuel 2:1-3). David’s son Absalom declared himself king in Hebron when he revolted against his father (2 Samuel 15:7-10). Because of its strategic position historically and geographically, t became the second most important Judean city after Jerusalem.

The population of Hebron is about 200,000 Palestinians and an estimated 600-800 Jews. We will begin by describing the current state of affairs in the partitioning of Hebron between Palestinian and Jewish residents. Certain of these areas continue to experience serious dispute.

Within the new Jewish neighborhood of Admot Yishai (Lands of Jesse) is an area of Tel Hebron thought to contain the entry to the north gate of ancient Canaanite Hebron, pre-dating the time of Abraham. This gate, or another on the south side, may have been the site where Abraham bough the cave of Machpelah to bury for family, the transaction having been witnessed by “all who entered the gate” (Genesis 23:10). A “four-room” house, of a kind typical to Israelite occupation, dates back 2700 years to the time of King Hezekiah. A layer of ash provides evidence that the house was destroyed in the Assyrian conquest of 701 BC.

Our second stop on Tel Hebron will be at the traditional site of the tombs of Jesse, the father of David, and Ruth, his faithful progenitor. On Shavuot, Jews ascend to this place to recite her story from the Bible.

On the south side of Tel Hebron are the “cyclopean walls.” The walls received the name “cyclopean” or giant not only because of the large size of some of the stones but also because the sons of Anak, some of the ancient inhabitants of the city, were reputed by the Bible to be giants.

Our last stop is a perennial spring on the lower eastern slope of Tel Hebron. It is called ’Ain Jadida (New Spring) in Arabic and Ein Avraham (Abraham’s Spring) in Hebrew. The spring seems to have been a water source for the ancient city. The water is about 12 feet deep. On hot, summer days its clear, cold waters are a playground for children. In the spring, adults from the Jewish community sometimes use the site as a “mikvah,” a purifying ritual bath.

 

The video may be found on the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08D — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 4: Ancient Hebron

It can also be found on the FairMormon YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-8oARSCdhs

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 3: Jacob’s Well and the Tombs of Joseph and Rachel (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8C)

by

 

Sign at Entrance to Saint Photini’s Greek Orthodox Church and Jacob’s Well Convent, Nablus, Israel

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08C)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history and tradition.

This third presentation will first take us northward in the West Bank for a visit to the traditional sites of Jacob’s Well and the Tomb of Joseph, then southward again to Rachel’s Tomb.

Although, Jacob’s Well is not mentioned explicitly in the Old Testament, it is not unreasonable to suppose that there was a good water source in “the parcel of a field” that Jacob purchased (Genesis 33:18-20). In John 4:5-42, Jesus used the backdrop of Jacob’s Well to teach a Samaritan woman about how the water He could giver her might become “of well of water springing up into everlasting life.” The beautiful Orthodox Church in Nablus that now stands over the crypt where the well still functions is a rich repository of faith and symbolism.

A short distance further up the road is the traditional site of the Tomb of Joseph. According to the Bible, Joseph gave specific instructions that his bones were not to be interred in Egypt but rather in Israel (Genesis 50:24-26). Accordingly, we are told that Joseph’s bones were removed from Egypt during the Exodus (Exodus 13:19) and buried in the tract of land that Jacob had bought in Shechem (Joshua 24:32). Though the physical site is much less well-attested than, for example, Jacob’s Well or the Tomb of the Patriarchs, it is a symbol of great spiritual significance to people of different faiths.

On the road that joins Bethlehem and Jerusalem, is Rachel’s Tomb. Chapter 35 of Genesis records that after Rachel “travailed, and … had hard labour,” she died in childbirth, calling her son “Ben-oni [son of my sorrow]: but his father called him Benjamin [son at the right hand].” She was buried on the road from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Once an isolated and peaceful setting, the tomb is now surrounded by a concrete wall and watchtowers. Within this fortress-tomb, devout Jews gather in a small chapel for study and worship.

 

The video may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08C — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 3: Jacob’s Well and the Tombs of Joseph and Rachel

FairMormon Conference Podcast #3 – Elizabeth A. Kuehn, “Finances and Faith in the Kirtland Crisis of 1837”

by

Podcast: Download (54.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

This podcast series features a FairMormon Conference presentation each month. If you would prefer to watch the videos, they can still be purchased here for the 2017 conference. Older conference presentation videos are available on our YouTube channel and FairMormon TV for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.

Elizabeth A. Kuehn, Finances and Faith in the Kirtland Crisis of 1837

Transcript available here.

Elizabeth A. Kuehn is a historian with the Joseph Smith Papers at the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is a co-editor on two volumes of the Joseph Smith Papers to be published in 2017: Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838 and Documents, Volume 6: February 1838–August 1839. She is a PhD. Candidate at the University of California, Irvine. She earned her MA in History from Purdue University and her BA in History from Arizona State University. She specializes in nineteenth-century financial records and women’s and gender history.

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 2: The Tomb of the Patriarchs (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8B)

by

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw: Market Scene in Hebron

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08B)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history.

This second presentation will take us to the most well-known site connected with Abraham, the Tomb of the Patriarchs located in modern Hebron. In the Bible, this site is connected with the place names of Machpelah and Kiryat Arba. Here Abraham purchased a cave for the burial of Sarah from local residents.

The cave of Machpelah has been a site of pilgrimage for thousands of years. Machpelah has been under the control of Jews, Christians and Muslims at various times in its history. It was enclosed two thousand years ago within a roofless structure whose imposing walls were built by Herod the Great. It was later the site of Byzantine and Crusader Christian churches. In 1267, minaret towers were added by Muslim rulers and the structure was transformed into a large mosque, al-Haram al-Khalil, the al-Khalil referring to Abraham as “the friend,” meaning the friend of God. Jews call it Me’arat HaMachpelah.

The most important features of the structure are its six cenotaphs, monuments to Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. The bodies themselves are thought to be buried in the cave beneath the building. Currently sealed off to access, this cave previously has been eamined by ancient and modern explorers, and interesting artifacts have been found.

The video may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08B — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 2: The Tomb of the Patriarchs

This video can also be seen on the FairMormon YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DW8khMf78E).

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 1: Introduction (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8A)

by

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw: Four-Horned Altar at Beersheba, 2014

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08A)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived.

Because the area surrounding Hebron is located in a part of the Palestinian-controlled West Bank that often has been the scene of violent dispute, it is not visited by tourists as frequently as some other places in Israel. Other sites such as Rachel’s tomb (near Bethlehem), as well as Jacob’s well and Joseph’s tomb further north are also in areas of the West Bank to which travel is sometimes complicated. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history.

Following this introduction, a second presentation will take us to the most well-known site connected with Abraham, the Tomb of the Patriarchs located in modern Hebron. In the Bible, this site is connected with the place names of Machpelah and Kiryat Arba. Here Abraham purchased a cave for the burial of Sarah from local residents. In the third presentation we will visit other areas in the West Bank: the traditional sites of Jacob’s well and Joseph’s tomb to the north, and the tomb of Rachel near Bethlehem. In the fourth presentation, we will return to Hebron to see excavations of ancient Hebron at Tel Rumeida, also known as Tel Hebron. Tradition associates this area not only with Abraham but also with David, Ruth, and Jesse. Finally, the fifth presentation will bring us to two sites associated with the tree on the plains of Mamre where Abraham welcomed heavenly visitors who promised him a child through Sarah and announced the impending destruction of Sodom.

The video may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08A — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 1: Introduction

This video can also be seen on the FairMormon YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL7BipxVcbA).

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

If “All Are Alike Unto God,” Why Were Special Promises Reserved for Abraham’s Seed? (Gospel Doctrine Old Testament Lesson 7A)

by

Howard Lyon: I Am a Child of God. Children from many cultures “stand with Christ, bearing witness with him that they are children of God. [The children] look directly at the viewer confident in the joy they feel in the presence of their Savior.”
An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 7: The Abrahamic Covenant (Abraham 1:1-4; 2:1–11; Genesis 12:1-8; 17:1-9) (JBOTL07A).

Question: The Book of Mormon teaches that “all are alike unto God.” Yet “Abraham received promises concerning his seed” that continue to this day. How do we reconcile the idea of the “chosenness” of the family of Abraham with the idea that “God is no respecter of persons”?

Summary: There is no conflict between the “chosenness” of Abraham’s family and the universality of the Father’s love. Every one who receives the Gospel becomes Abraham’s seed and will bless him as their father. In the beginning, God organized the human family according to a divine plan and timetable. “All … alike” would have the opportunity to “come unto him and partake of his goodness,” but to achieve that end God invited each willing soul to participate with Him in the effort. We made premortal covenants that put us in a partnership with our Heavenly Father. Individuals were to play their unique parts faithfully at the appointed time. Jesus Christ was chosen to become our Savior. Abraham and others — both men and women — also received specific assignments. Abraham’s seed was given the responsibility to bear a “ministry and Priesthood unto all nations.” Through the ministry and Priesthood of Abraham’s seed, “all mankind may be saved,” “through the Atonement of Christ” and “by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” The disorganization and confusion of the human family will come to an end; “it must be joined together, so that there [will] be a perfect chain from Father Adam to his latest posterity.”

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL07A — If “All Are Alike Unto God,” Why Were Special Promises Reserved for Abraham’s Seed?

For a video supplement to this lesson explaining, among other interesting topics, why virtually everyone in our day is a descendant of Abraham, see the presentation by Ugo A. Perego “All Abraham’s Children: A Genetic Perspective,” given at the 2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium: Body, Brain, Mind & Spirit, which took place on 12 March 2016 in Orem, Utah. (http://interpreterfoundation.org/ugo-a-perego-all-abrahams-children-a-genetic-perspective-2/).

What Was All the Confusion About at the Tower of Babel? (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 6C)

by

M. C. Escher, 1898-1972: Tower of Babel, 1928. A confused group of different peoples quarrel and cry out as the work comes to a standstill.

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 6: “Noah … Prepared an Ark to the Saving of His House” (Moses 8:19-30; Genesis 6-9; 11:1-9) (JBOTL06C).

Question: At the beginning of the Tower of Babel story, we read that “the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.” Later, we are told that “the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth.” But the scientific history of languages tells us that the diverse tongues of the world did not originate from the splitting of a single language. Must we choose between science and scripture?

Summary: To begin with, the Hebrew word eretz used in Genesis 11:1 (and also in the story of Noah’s flood) can mean either “earth” or “land,” and it is impossible to know which except from context. Here, the phrase probably just means that the people in the land where the story took place originally spoke a common language. In addition, despite the chapter’s focus on the confounding (mixing up) of languages, God’s most important concern seems to have been the confounding (mingling) of the covenant people with their unbelieving neighbors. As with other stories in Genesis 1-11, temple themes are woven throughout the account of the confusion at Babel. In this case, the Tower can be seen as a sort of anti-temple wherein its builders attempted to “make … a name” for themselves rather than acknowledging God as the one who gives names to those He has chosen because of their faithfulness. Abraham’s posterity will be separated out from other nations. His great name “will be achieved not in the present through heroic feats and imposing monuments but rather in a divinely promised future through the begetting of numerous offspring.” Though Abraham successfully passed the tests of his day, his latter-day posterity must continue their vigilance, for the project of Babel is making a strong comeback today.

 

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL06C — What Was All the Confusion About at the Tower of Babel?

As a video supplement to this lesson, see Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “A Tower of Literary Beauty: Wordplay and Chiasmus in the Story of Babel” on the Interpreter Foundation website (http://cdn.interpreterfoundation.org/ifvideo/TowerOfLiteraryBeauty.m4v) or on YouTube (https://youtu.be/2enAFPODShs).

For a video that discusses some of society’s current “Babel projects,” see Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “The future isn’t what it used to be: Artificial Intelligence meets natural stupidity.” Presentation at the Second Interpreter Science and Mormonism Symposium, March 12, 2016 (http://www.templethemes.net/media/videos/Jeff%20Bradshaw-480p.m4v). Links to an expanded, written version of this presentation published in a series of Meridian Magazine articles can be found here (http://www.templethemes.net/publications.php#mm-future).

Book Review: The Joseph Smith Papers: Documents Volume 6: February 1838 – August 1839

by

Available from the FairMormon Bookstore at 10% off

This volume of the Joseph Smith Papers was edited by Mark Ashurst-Mcgee, David W. Grua, Elizabeth A. Kuehn (who spoke at the FairMormon Conference last year about the Kirtland Crisis of 1837), Brenden W. Rensink, and Alexander L. Baugh. It covers the aftermath of the Kirtland Crisis of 1837 and the move to Far West, the identification of Adam-ondi-Ahman, the formation of the Danites, Hawn’s Mill, the Extermination Order, the stay at Liberty Jail, and the beginning of the building of Nauvoo.

As with all of the volumes, it contains an explanation of the Joseph Smith Papers Project and its methodologies, a volume introduction that gives the general history of the time covered by the volume, section introductions with more detailed history and context of the documents contained in each section, the documents themselves, and reference material such as source notes, timelines, maps, biographical information, organizational charts, and works cited. Each document is introduced by a source note and historical introduction. The document transcripts then contain extensive footnotes with sources and explanations. In some cases, the footnotes are multiple levels deep.

The editors did a good job of explaining controversial events and putting them in context, but also freely admitted when things are unclear. In the first document, the source note discusses Joseph Smith’s plural marriage with Fanny Alger, including Oliver Cowdery’s allegations of adultery. It is explained that “A few individuals who knew JS well recounted later that he had received a revelation about the doctrine of plural marriage as early as 1831, possibly in connection with his work on the revision, or new ‘translation’ of the Bible” (page 12). “After his separation from Alger and the controversy arising from Cowdery’s accusations, JS set aside the practice of plural marriage for several years” (page 13). A later footnote explains “It is unclear precisely what information JS entrusted to Cowdery regarding JS’s relationship with Fanny Alger. Later accounts variously claim that Cowdery performed a marriage ceremony between JS and Alger, was called upon by JS to mediate between JS and Emma Smith after the relationship with Alger was discovered, or had been taught the doctrine of plural marriage privately and took a plural wife contrary to JS’s instructions” (page 91, footnote 454). [Read more…] about Book Review: The Joseph Smith Papers: Documents Volume 6: February 1838 – August 1839