SYRIA and LEBANON

“Exploring the Biblical World”
A Study in Old Testament and New Testament Backgrounds
May 23-June 6, 2010

ITINERARY

Sunday, May 23
DEPARTURE DAY FROM THE USA
Your flights are scheduled roundtrip from JFK. See Flights for additional information.

Monday, May 24
ARRIVAL DAY IN SYRIA

Our Egypt Air flight arrives in Damascus approximately 4:45 PM. We will be met by our local guide at the airport. After customs and international arrival formalities we will travel to our hotel for check-in. Overnight Damascus. (D)






Tuesday, May 25
DAMASCUS

Our day begins at the National Museum. There is much to see here. Of special interest are the artifacts, ruins and reconstructions associated with Ugarit (Ras Shamara), Mari (Tell Hariri), Ebla (Tell Mardikh), Dura Europos and Palmyra. Next is the famous Hamidiyah Bazaar where local food, shopping and Syrian culture go hand in hand. Next is the Omayyad Mosque also known as the Grand Mosque of Damascus. The mosque and its grounds are a landmark for Islamic culture. In it a small shrine is said to contain the head of John the Baptist, who is honored as a prophet by Muslims. The Tomb of Saladin is also located here in a garden setting. Born in Tikrit, Iraq (1138) and died in Damascus (1193), Saladin served as the Sultan of Egypt and Syria and was well respected for his military conquest throughout the Levant region, including several decisive victories over the Crusader armies in Palestine. Nearby is the Azem Palace. Built in 1750 this complex first served as the residence for the Ottoman Governor of Damascus, As'ad Pasha al-Asem. Today it serves as the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. Next we focus our attention on the Apostle Paul who was en route to Damascus at the time of his conversion (Acts 9:1-22). Paul was taken to the house of Judas located on Straight Street. Located within the Christian quarter of the Old City it was here that Ananias came and prayed for Paul to regain his sight. Straight Street was the main east-west street (cardo) of Old Damascus from the Greek and Roman periods. Most of the ancient street lies beneath the modern structures, but a portion having a double colonnade remains. Nearby is the Chapel of Saint Ananias, thought to have historical ties to the house of Judas where Paul stayed. We end the day at a restored Roman Gate (Bab Kisan) of the Old City, where nearby, tradition holds that Paul was lowered out of a window to escape Damascus. Overnight Damascus. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, May 26
BOSRA

Today our focus is upon the ancient and well preserved ruins of the Nabatean and Roman city of Bosra. Located 84 miles south of Damascus, Bosra lies in a fertile region at the crossroads of ancient routes connecting Mesopotamia and Arabia to Greece and Rome. Bosra is first mentioned in a hieroglyphic inscription of Thutmose III (14th century BC). Alexander the Great and the Seleucids held Bosra and so attractive was this region to the Nabateans that they moved their capital from Petra to Bosra in the 1st century BC. Captured by Rome in 106 AD Bosra became the capital of the Roman Province of Arabia. The most notable ruin in Bosra is its theater. Built in the 2nd century AD with a seating capacity for 15,000 spectators, it is considered to be the best preserved Roman theater of antiquity. Other Roman architectural features that will draw our attention include a colonnaded street (Cardo), palatial Roman baths, Gymnasium complex, Tetrapylon, and monumental City Gates. Bosra also flourished during the Byzantine era. The Basilica of Bahira is noted in legendary memory as the locale where the Prophet Mohammed "learned the precepts of Christianity" from a Christian monk named Bahira. The city was captured by the advancing armies of Islam in 632 AD and fortified during the mid-11th century AD against the threat of advancing Crusaders armies. Overnight Damascus. (B,D).

Thursday, May 27
PALMYRA

We check out of our hotel and travel 125 miles to the NE to visit ancient Palmyra, an oasis city at the point of intersection of the caravan roads in the central Syrian desert. Known as Tadmor in the Bible (1 Kgs. 9:18; 2 Chiron. 8:3-4), it was perhaps visited by Abraham during his migration from Ur to Haran to Tadmor (?) to Shechem (modern Nablus) and perhaps by Ezra and the returning exiles upon their journey from Persia to Jerusalem. Mentioned also by Josephus, the Mishnah and the Talmud, the Hellenistic-Roman city of Palmyra is a large city of impressive ruins. It gained much of its wealth as a caravan stop along the "Silk Road" traversing east-west as far as China. Just west of the city is found the Valley of the Tombs -- a burial necropolis of the Hellenistic and Roman periods having "tower" tombs (above ground) and "hypogeum" tombs (underground). The most important edifice of antiquity is the 1st century AD Bet Temple (of Baal Shamim). As a building it reflects the infusion of Near Eastern and Greco-Roman temple architecture. As a worship center it reflect a religious syncretism of Canaanite, Greek, and Syrian deities. Other ruins of interest include the Cardo Maximus (colonnaded street), Arch of Triumph, Bath of Queen Zenobia, Theater, and Forum. Overnight Palmyra. (B,D).

Friday, May 28
MARI, DURA EUROPOS, DEIR EZZUR

We check out of our hotel and travel 150 mile to the east to the banks of the Euphrates River and the ancient Sumerian and Amorite city of Mari. This important trading center flourished from 2900 BC until its destruction by Hammurabi, King of Babylon, in 1759 BC. Excavated by the French in the 1930s, a cache of 25,000 clay tablets written in a cuneiform script revealed much about the 18th century BC Kingdom of Mari. As letters and administrative documents from the royal archives, they illustrate customs, provide names of notable political and religious leaders, indicate over 500 geographical place names and perhaps provides a cultural context in which to place the biblical patriarch. After its destruction by Hammurabi the city had only a modest and sporadic resettlement during the later Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman periods. Only 2 miles north of ancient Mari we come to the Hellenistic and Roman fortress city known as Dura Europos. Founded in 303 BC by the Greek Seleucids, captured by the Parthians, conquered by the Romans and abandoned in 257 AD, this frontier city was covered by desert sands until excavations were carried out in the 1920s and 1930s. Due to its remarkable preservation it is sometimes referred to as the "Pompeii of the Syrian Desert." Of special interest during our visit is the 3rd century AD Jewish Synagogue. This synagogue represents the earliest known Jewish synagogue in the diaspora. In Damascus you viewed its many fresco paintings depicting Jewish life and Jewish faith within a Hellenistic-Roman culture. Also discovered at Dura Europos is the earliest known Christian church. Dismantled and now reconstructed at Yale University, this Roman house-church had a central atrium with a pool serving as a baptistery and like the synagogue have wall frescos illustrating Christian life and Christian faith within a Hellenistic-Roman culture. Overnight in nearby Deir Ezzur. (B,D).

Saturday, May 29
HALABIA (ZENOBIA), EUPHRATES, SERGIOPOLIS

We check out of our hotel and travel about 20 miles north along the Euphrates River to the Byzantine site of Halabia, a fortress city thought to have been founded by Zenobia of Palmyra in the 3rd century AD to protect her kingdom and capital city of Palmyra from eastern invaders. Most of the ruins seen today date from the time of the 6th century AD Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD). A hilltop fortress looks down upon the fan-shaped city which has an enclosure wall spanning 4600 feet with five fortified gates. The ruins of the fortress and the lower city have not been restored yet vestiges of a praetorium, colonnaded streets, possible forum, bath house and two churches are recognizable. On the opposite bank of the Euphrates and 1.5 miles to the south is Zenobia -- another fortress center founded by Queen Zenobia to protect her small but thriving empire. A 50 mile journey to the north and west brings us to the Roman site of Sergiopolis which served as an Assyrian military outpost during the 9th century BC and may be the Rezeph of Isaiah 37:12. Located 18 miles from the Euphrates and on a major caravan route connecting Dura Europos with Allepo, the Roman site had no spring but was dependent on catching its winter rains into large cisterns. During the 4th and 5th centuries AD the city became venerated by Christian pilgrims as the place of Saint Sergius' execution -- a Roman soldier who was persecuted and beheaded for his Christian faith. A church was built over his grave and the city was renamed Sergiopolis. Among the ruins of the city to be visited is the Martyrium of Saint Sergius, the Basilica of Saint Sergius, a colonnaded street (Cardo) and a vast cistern complex. The remainder of the day is spent en route to Allepo, approximately 100 miles westward. Overnight Aleppo. (B,D).


Sunday, May 30
ALEPPO, DEIR SAMAAN

We begin our day at the National Museum of Aleppo which exhibits a treasure trove of Syrian history. Artifacts of special interest will be noted followed by free time to explore the various Halls and Galleries. Next is the Citadel of Aleppo built, rebuilt and restored throughout the 10th-15th centuries AD. It was on this natural hill that the Neo-Hittites of the 9th-7th centuries BC built an acropolis providing a strategic site for a military fortress to guard and protect the surrounding agricultural areas. Today the citadel acts as a hub for modern Aleppo with streets as spokes radiating into urban areas. Next is the Grand Mosque. Built in 715 AD the mosque has a robust minaret and an inviting central courtyard with geometric paving stones. Having been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times throughout its long history, the mosque was positioned in the courtyard of an earlier Byzantine cathedral thought to be on the ruined platform of a still earlier Roman cultic basilica. Adjacent to the mosque is the Madrasa Halawiya which incorporated parts of the Byzantine edifice into its own construction. Next we visit the Khan al-Wazir, a caravansary built in 1683. The open courtyard is surrounded by storage units where merchants would stored their merchandise. Above the storage area was the sleeping gallery. Nearby is the covered bazaar of Aleppo. You will be offered free time to explore the sights, sounds, aromas and merchandise of this eastern souk. We conclude our day with a one-hour drive west of Aleppo to the well preserve 5th century AD Basilica of Saint Simeon -- a famous hermit monk (386-549 AD) who lived 37 years of his monastic life atop a column greater than 50 feet in height having a diameter approximately 6 feet. He preached twice a day drawing great crowds. Although buried in ancient Antioch (Antakya, Turkey), a large Martyrium was built at his home monastery in ca. 475 AD. Uniquely designed in the shape of a cross, the Martyrium enshrined the column with in a central octagon and positioned four basilicas radiating outward from the column. In a short time the monastic village of Saint Simeon's Basilica grew into a large Christian pilgrim and monastic complex. Overnight Aleppo. (B,D)

Monday, May 31
EBLA, APAMEA, LATAKIA

We check out of our hotel and drive 34 miles southwest to the ancient site of Ebla. Located on the Orantes River it was an important trading center during the 3rd millennium BC, especially between 2400-2250 BC. Italian excavators in 1975 discovered among the palace ruins an archive of 20,000 cuneiform tablets in two languages -- Sumerian and Eblaite. These tablets express economic matters, provisions, tributes, legal cases, diplomatic contracts, political treaties, royal letters, dictionaries and school texts offering great insight into the life, culture, economy and political circumstances of this ancient Early Bronze Age city. The Eblaites were Semitic and spoke a Semitic language similar to ancient Hebrew. Semitic personal names among the tablets appear to have similar forms as those recorded in the book of Genesis: for example a-da-mu // Adam, h’à-wa // Eve, Jabal, Abarama // Abraham, Bilhah, Ishma-el, Isûra-el, Esau, Mika-el, Mikaya, Saul, David and more. The tablets also mention a number of Biblical locations: for example Ashtaroth, Sinai, Jerusalem, Hazor, Lachish, Gezer, Dor, Megiddo, Joppa and more. We continue SW approximately 60 miles to the Seleucid city of Apamea. Fortified and expanded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC and named after his wife (Apama), the city served as military supply base for the Seleucid army. The fertile lands surrounding the acropolis are recorded to have supported 30,000 mares, 300 stallions and 500 war elephants. In spite of its noted military strength the city fell to Pompey in 64 BC. The city continued to prosper under the Romans and Byzantines until it was destroyed in 540 AD by the Persian Emperor Chosroes I. The ruins of the Seleucid city were used by the Romans for their monumental architecture. The Cardo Maximus (N-S colonnaded street) is well preserved as is the Cardo Decumanus (E-W colonnaded street). A large theater, two Byzantine churches two Greek temples and a forum are notable features but await restoration efforts. Our final stop of the day is Modern Latakia. Serving as a port city throughout its ancient history the Phoenicians, Greeks, Seleucids, Romans and others conquered this city as a gateway to eastern commercial centers. Some ruins of the Roman city are scattered throughout the modern city, including a 1st century BC aqueduct funded by Herod the Great of Judea, a Corinthian colonnade which may be an architectural remnant of the Temple to Adonis and a Tetrapylon. Overnight Latakia. (B,D).

Tuesday, June 1
UGARIT, AMRIT, TARTUS, CRAC DES CHEVALIERS

We check out of our hotel and travel 6 miles north to the ancient site of Ugarit. While there is evidence of a settlement at this ancient site as far back as 6,000 BC, Ugarit was at its height as a flourishing city-state from 1450-1200 BC. Located only half a mile from the sea, Ugarit maintained strong political contacts with Egypt which influenced is art. Excavators have uncovered a Royal Palace having 90 rooms, homes with private libraries, a Temple of Baal, a Temple of Dagon and numerous royal cave-tombs. Among the finds at Ugarit, the discovery of cuneiform tablets written in an alphabetic order is perhaps the most important. These tablets are diplomatic correspondence, legal records, long lists of gods, offerings, supplies and dictionaries of word equivalents in the various languages used at Ugarit. Orderly alphabets of the modern world can tract their heritage back to the alphabetic tablets discovered at Ugarit. The Ugaritic archives has been of great significance to biblical scholarship, as these archives for the first time provided a detailed description of Canaanite religious beliefs during the period directly preceding and contemporary with the Israelite settlement. These texts show significant parallels to Biblical Hebrew literature, particularly in the areas of divine imagery and poetic form. Ugaritic poetry has many elements also found in Hebrew poetry: parallelisms, meters, and rhythms. Leaving Ugarit we turn south following the coastline for approximately 50 miles to the Phoenician cultic site of Amrit. Unspoiled by later Greek and Roman architectural elements etched upon so many earlier religious sites, Amrit presents unblemished Semitic temple architecture. Measuring over 200 feet square the Temple of Amrit has a sacred pool, sacred monument and sacred spring. Two miles to the north we come to another Phoenician colony known as Antaradus (modern Tartus). Like other Phoenician coastal cities, Antaradus passed into the hands of the Persians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Arabs, Crusaders and Arabs once again. The Crusader fortress of Tortosa served as the headquarters of the Knights Templar. Within the fortress lies an even earlier Byzantine Cathedral of Our Lady -- a 4th century AD church built by Constantine in honor of the Virgin Mary. Today it serves as a museum. The most impressive Crusader fortress in all of Syria, Crac Des Chevaliers, lies 25 miles to the SE. Perched atop a 2350 foot hill this castle dominates the landscape and the N-S route along the coast. It has five massive and concentric defensive walls, accommodations suitable for 4,000 soldiers and storage rooms for abundant supplies. In spite of its size and strength, it experienced both victory and defeat throughout it military history. Overnight Al Wadi Area. (B,D).

Wednesday, June 2
TRIPOLI, BYBLOS, JITA GOUTE, NAHR AL-KALB, BEIRUT

We check out of our hotel and cross from Syria into Lebanon. Our historical stop of the day is at ancient Byblos located 20 miles south of Tripoli. Byblos is the Greek name of the Phoenician city of Gebal mentioned in Psalm 83:7, Ezekiel 27:9 and implied 1 Kings 5. The Phoenician city of Gebal was named Byblos by the Greeks, because it was through Gebal that Egyptian papyrus (Bύβλος; bublos) was imported into Greece. Hence the English word Bible is derived from byblos as "the (papyrus) book." Here we will visit several worship centers. The local goddess of Byblos was Asarte, whose spheres of influence included war, protection, love and fertility. She was known as the Baalat Gebal, the "Lady of Byblos." This goddess was also patroness of the shipmasters, which was appropriate for such an important shipping port as Byblos. Her early Canaanite temple dates back to 2700 BC. Later, ca. 1600 BC, the Temple of Resheph (God of war) was built. Known also as the Temple of Obelisks, it was rebuilt during the Roman era as a temple to serve the cult of Adonis. Also among the Roman ruins is small but impressive theater. Leaving Byblos we travel 12 miles inland to the site of Jeita Grotto (Jita Goute) near the Dog River (Nahr al-Kalb). The grotto is an underground limestone cave complex which has an overall length of 5.5 miles. Overnight Beirut. (B,D).

Thursday, June 3
TEMPLE OF ESHMOUN, TYRE, SIDON

Today we focus on the two coastal Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. Sidon is mentioned throughout the OT and both Jesus (Mk 3:8) and Paul (Acts 27:3) visited this region. See also, Gen. 10:15,19; Josh. 11:8; 19:28; Jud. 1:31; 10:12; Isa. 23:12; 1 Kgs. 5:6; 16:31; 17:9-24; 1 Chron. 22:4; Isa. 23:2,4,12; Jer. 25:22; 27:3; 47:4; Eze. 27:8; 18:21; 32:30; Joel 3:4; Mt. 15:21; Lk. 4:26; 6:17. We travel south 40 miles from Beirut to an ancient worship complex just north of ancient Sidon. Known as the Temple of Eshmun (the Phoenician god of healing), it maintained its importance to nearby Sidon for 1500 years from the 7th century BC until the 8th century AD.
Thirty miles to the south of Sidon we come to ancient site of Tyre. Often in association with Sidon, Tyre is mentioned throughout the OT and NT (cf., 2 Sam. 5:11; 24:7; 1 Kgs. 5:1; 7:13-14; 9:11-12; 1 Chron 14:1; 22:4; 2 Chron. 2:14; Ezra 3:7; Neh. 13:16; Psa. 45:12; 83:7; 87:4; Isa. 23:1,5,8,15,17; Joel 3:4; Mt. 11:21-22; 15:21; Mk. 3:8; 7:24,31; Lk. 6:17; 10:13-14; Acts 21:3,7).
Tyre was once a twin-city having a small off-shore island and a mainland community until Alexander the Great built a causeway connect the mainland to the island during is conquest of Tyre in 332 BC. The archaeological park of Al-Mina ("the port") is divided into three areas. Area one is located on what was the Phoenician Island and contains ruins of the large district of civic buildings, public baths and mosaic streets. Area two contains an extensive network of Romano-Byzantine roads and other installations. Area three is most notable for containing one of the largest Roman hippodromes ever found. Overnight Beirut. (B,D).

Friday, June 4
BAALBEK, DAMASCUS

We check out of our hotel and travel 53 miles NE to the ancient site of Baalbek ("lord of the Beqaa Valley"). Nestled in the Beqaa Valley, it was known as Heliopolis ("city of the sun") during the Greek and Roman eras. Here we have the opportunity to explore the best preserved Roman Temple complex of the entire Roman Empire. Consisting of various temples dedicated to various gods (Jupiter-Baal, Jupiter-Zeus, Bacchus, Venus-Aphrodite and Mercury) numerous columns, enlarged podiums, massive stones and other megaliths give evidence of its former colossal architecture and reputation as a pagan worship center drawing pilgrims from throughout the Roman Empire. We cross back into Syria in the afternoon and return to Damascus. Overnight Damascus. (B,D).

Saturday, June 5
MALULA, DAMASCUS

Our morning takes us 25 miles NE of Damascus to the unique village of Malula. Isolated in the in the barren Qalamun Mountains, it is unique because this village and two neighboring villages (Jabadeen and Bakhaa) preserve ancient NT Aramaic as a living spoken language. The Christians of these communities have taken on the task to preserve and revitalize the use of ancient Aramaic. Over the years Aramaic speaking Christians have slowly exited the Middle East, have been assimilated by the surrounding Arab cultures, or have been converted to Islam, leaving only these small isolated villages with a remnant of spoken Aramaic. Once 100% Christian, the village of 5000 is now only 50% Christian and 50% Muslim. We return to Damascus where you will have the afternoon free to explore and make any last minute purchases before our departure. Overnight Damascus. (B,D).

Sunday, June 6
DEPARTURE DAY
We have a very early AM flight out of Damascus to Cairo with a connection to JFK. You will be given departure information the evening of June 5th. See Flights for additional information.

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