Potluck » Holy Land

Scraps and Scrolls

Ron Dauphin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:39:50 +0000

On my visit to Israel a few years ago, I spent part of a day at the Shrine of the Book, part of The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. That’s where the Dead Sea Scrolls are located, and where I learned about the scientific and theological study that has taken place with these valuable and sacred documents.

Written between the third and first centuries BCE, the Dead Sea Scrolls include the oldest known biblical manuscripts in existence. In 68 BCE, they were hidden in 11 caves in the Judean desert on the shores of the Dead Sea to protect them from the approaching Roman armies. They weren’t discovered again until 1947, when a Bedouin shepherd threw a rock in a cave and realized something was inside. … Among other topics, the scrolls offer critical insights into life and religion in ancient Jerusalem, including the birth of Christianity.

Now the Google corporation has announced a new project to make the Dead Sea Scrolls, said to be the most important archeological discovery of the 20th century, accessible to the world.

[via The Official Google Blog]

In the Travel section

Ron Dauphin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:13:27 +0000

It’s been a rough week, but here’s a bright spot. The Cleveland newspaper, The Plain Dealer, picked up one of my Holy Land photos to include in their Travel section. If you have the Sunday paper (July 5), it’s on page 2 of Travel.

Sunrise on the Sea of Galilee

More Holy Land photos are found here.

The Holy Land in Pictures

Ron Dauphin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:44:08 +0000

St. Mary Magdalene Russian Orthodox Church, Jerusalem

Click photo to enlarge.

The Holy Land in Pictures

Ron Dauphin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:00:26 +0000

Scenes from Jerusalem:

Dome of the Rock, Islamic mosque at the traditional site of Abraham's intended sacrifice of Isaac

The Holy Land in Pictures

Ron Dauphin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:00:01 +0000

Scenes from Jerusalem:

Men praying at the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall

The Holy Land in Pictures

Ron Dauphin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:26:48 +0000

Scenes from Jerusalem:

Fruit and vegetable vendors line the streets in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's old city, where it's less tourist-oriented and more typical of life in the Middle East.

The Holy Land in Pictures

Ron Dauphin — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:03:01 +0000

An abandoned Orthodox Church in Galilee

This church, located just outside the ruins of Capernaum, was abandoned because it sits in “no man’s land”, territory under dispute during war.

The Holy Land in Pictures

Ron Dauphin — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:00:54 +0000

Banyas Falls, Galilee