“Seek Yahweh while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to Yahweh, and He will have compassion on him. Turn to our Elohim, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55: 6-7
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Royal Purple Dye on Fabric Found in Timna, Israel
See “Israeli archaeologists find ‘Biblical royal purple dye’”.
The article above is about an amazing discovery in Timna, Israel. They say that the fabric dyed royal purple dates back to 1000 BC during King David’s reign, but Timna has a lot more in common with King Solomon than it does with King David.
Timna is where Solomon’s mines are located. Timna Park is a site that you will want to see when you visit Israel. Below is a picture that Katie took in Timna Park in 2006. We were living in the Arava at the time, and Noam and Sarai came down from Tel Aviv to spend the weekend with us. We spent a day exploring the park. I’m on the left. Noam is in the center, and Sarai is on the right. They were in the IDF at that time.
In Timna Park, there is a life-sized replica of the Tabernacle. Noam and Sarai are exploring the bronze altar in the picture below. While we were in the Holy of Holies, I got a call from a friend in Herzliya whose name is Lior. I said, “Lior, excuse me for just a minute. I’m in the Holy of Holies, so I need to step outside.” He enjoyed that. Moses actually led the Children of Israel through here, so the real Tabernacle was in this area for a while along with the Ark of the Covenant. Yahweh was with them, too. He was in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In other words, Timna Park is worth seeing for several reasons.
Timna is about 10 miles north of Eilat where King Solomon built and anchored a fleet of ships that he used for trade. Israel during Solomon’s reign was almost unimaginably prosperous. Israel was rich beyond compare during his reign.
Timna is about 50 miles north of Nuweiba, Egypt on the eastern shore of the Sinai Peninsula. Nuweiba is the location of the Red Sea crossing during the Exodus. King Solomon erected a monument in Nuweiba to commemorate the crossing. It’s still there today, but it has been defaced by Muslims.
Solomon erected an identical monument on the other side of the Red Sea to commemorate the site where the Children of Israel climbed out of the Red Sea. It’s in Saudi Arabia today. When news that it existed leaked out, Saudi officials had it removed. That was about 30 years ago. It probably still exists, but Saudi officials won’t divulge its location.
There is a lot to see in the Promised Land. Mount Sinai is in Saudi Arabia. Today it’s called Jabal al-Lawz. With relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel improving, Saudi officials are allowing people to visit the site. One day, they may open it up as an attraction for tourists. We’ll see.
All of the Promised Land is important to Yahweh, but there are several sites in the region that are extremely important to Him. Obviously, Mount Sinai is one of them. So is the City of David, or ancient Jerusalem. Yahweh chose the City of David as the place where His Name will reside forever. The City of David is being excavated right now. It is a must see when you visit Israel.
Shiloh (pronounced “she-low”) is another important site. The Tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness and used for 40 years during the wilderness journey was located in Shiloh after the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan River. It was in Shiloh for 369 years before King David moved the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. We don’t know for sure where the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant are today, but they are somewhere. I hope they will be discovered and presented to the public soon.
Be’er Sheva (Beersheba) is another important site. It’s the only city in Israel that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob called home at some point in their lives. That makes it special. Because I lived close to Be’er Sheva in 2006, I visited the city often, but I never really explored it. One day, I will.
The list of important sites in Israel is long. I won’t try to name them all. Let it suffice to say that you can visit Israel every year for the rest of your life and not see and explore all of them, and the list keeps getting longer thanks to archaeological excavations. That’s one of the reasons why I plan to live in Jerusalem and spend most of my time there. It’s easier to see and explore Israel if you live there. I have other things to do in Israel, too, but right now seeing and exploring are at the top of my list of things to do.
The U.S. will become my second home. My family is adjusting to that reality. I’m just waiting for Yahweh to give me the green light. I am already accumulating things that I will need in Israel. I can hardly wait to take them over there.
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“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”
John 10: 14-18
