Shiloh

In this series I have been sharing bits and pieces about a trip to Israel that my husband and son took earlier this year.  They went to fulfill Biblical prophecy, to get their hands dirty in Israeli soil, to assist the Jewish farmers as they resettle their ancient homeland, and as a bonus they were able to spend over a month together with “just the guys”.  What an experience they had!  So far I have shared about their arrival and first week in the resettlement of Har Bracha and their second week in Psagot.  At the end of their second week their team began working in a vineyard in Shiloh, a 10 to 15 minute drive from Har Bracha.  Shiloh is where my men worked for the bulk of their time in Israel.

The Emblem of Shiloh

In the Biblical Heartland of Israel, Shiloh holds special prominence.  It is here that the Tabernacle stood for 369 years while the young nation of Israel settled into her Promised Land under the leadership of the judges through to the days of Samuel the Prophet.  Shiloh is the place where the Children of Israel would travel three times a year to celebrate the festivals of HaShem.  This special city was the judicial heart of Israel early on as this is where Joshua cast lots for the portions of land for each tribe and where Israel’s High Priest lived – it was the first capital city of Israel.  Once the children of Israel entered into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants, the Tabernacle no longer needed to be quite so portable so while in Shiloh, the Tabernacle was given more permanent walls and a door.  In fact, the outline of the ancient structure is still visible in the ancient city of Shiloh.  G-d’s tabernacle stood here throughout the days of Joshua, Hannah and Samuel the Prophet.

Olive Groves in Shiloh

Today’s Shiloh bloc of communities, called Gush Shiloh, consists of 12 independent yet interconnected communities with a combined population of  about 6,000 people. Adjacent to the ancient city of Shiloh, the modern community of Gush Shiloh has the city of Shiloh at the center of the smaller adjacent communities. The 3,300 year old community was reestablished in 1978 and in 1979 the Israeli government recognized Shiloh as an official Israeli community in Judea and Samaria. Shiloh is just a few miles north of Beit El (or Bethel) and I’ll share a little about that later.  In the Shiloh bloc, residents work in a variety of industries: education, computers and technology, agriculture, and much more. Many residents work locally and others commute to work in Jerusalem and elsewhere. Local visitor’s attractions include:  Ancient Shiloh tourist sites, Achiya Olive Oil Factory, Shiloh Winery, Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund programs.  This is a thriving modern community nestled in the Biblical heartland of Israel.

Burning pruned vines in Shiloh vineyard

Working in Shiloh was a great joy for my men for several reasons:  Shiloh is home to the ancient Biblical sites and they would be able to visit many of them when time allowed, and the vineyard was not on top of a mountain so they could now work without the constant cold winter wind and rain sapping their strength.  It was in Shiloh that they were finally able to work in their t-shirts instead of layer upon layer of warm clothes and they began to get some sun on their skin, even a bit of a sunburn.  Once the vines were pruned, the parts that were removed were thrown into the fire, you can see the smoke in the vineyards in the photo above.  The teams of men would start their days with Bible study and their conversations would continue as they drove from Bracha to Shiloh as well as throughout the day as they worked.

prayer & study time in Shiloh

This was a time of wonderful fellowship as the men all worked together, studied together and had fun together in the Biblical heartland of Israel.  One afternoon the men were given 2 dozen chickens (live) and they spent the evening butchering most of them to have for their dinners throughout their stay.  It was a blessing, and a hysterical time because many of the men they were working with also live on farms and raise their own food which means everyone has a story to share about butchering chickens.  Their group had a meal rotation where everyone took turns making the days meals, and chicken was a common ingredient for dinners while they were there.

Tabernacle Site

While they worked in the vineyards they were given tours through the area when time allowed.  They were able visit the site of the ancient Tabernacle and given time to think deeply and pray.   It was amazing for them to see the remnant of the Tabernacle compound with the rock walls, post holes and even pieces of pottery laying in the dirt.  Just think, so long ago thousands of people would come to this place to worship HaShem, just as He said, and thousands of years later my men standing in the very spot that the Tabernacle stood and the worship services were conducted, the people celebrated and blessed G-d for 369 years.  After a hard days work in the vineyards to spend some time at this very special place, there just weren’t words to describe it.

Home of Eli the High Priest in Shiloh

Ancient walls & mosaics

They were also able to see the home where Eli the High Priest in Shiloh lived.  This is where Samuel the Prophet grew up.  Of course this is a very old home (in a cave, mind you) and has shifted or collapsed a little over the millennia, but here it sits.  There were many archaeological sites and buildings they were able to look at and some they even could walk about in.  There were ancient mosaics covered up and protected by sandbags – just sitting out there.

Shalom & a turtle in Shiloh

At one place they visited Shalom found a turtle stuck on it’s back in a hole.  Since his “homeschooling” didn’t stop while they were on their trip, one of Shalom’s tasks was to find and write about different animals, insects and plants he found on his journeys as well as about the various locations he visited.  In the Har Bracha entry I shared a photo of a gecko that shared their home and there are several photos of dogs, cats, turtles, various flowers, sheep & goats & a camel as well as some photos of the places they visited.  There were so many learning opportunities while my guys were away on their trip and I knew that as members of a seasoned homeschooling family, they would take advantage of as many learning opportunities as possible.  While their journals came home full, the camera didn’t.

In Shiloh the guys were able to visit a classroom at the school where the children were attentively involved in their daily lessons and then the guys were able to go to the trauma center next door.  Life in “the west bank” comes with an accepted risk and nearly every family has experienced terrorism in one form or another.  While it is very safe in Judea & Samaria, the stakes can be quite high at times.  Just next to the school is a facility where children who have been traumatized by acts of terror can find support and therapy as they heal from their wounds – emotional and physical.  Rather than having to travel far away from home for various therapy appointments, families can stay closer to home while Israel’s children recover from various terrorist experiences.  Whether they have physical wounds or not, many children have suffered greatly from the terrorist activities in Judea & Samaria and this special center is designed to help the children heal.  The evening after they visited the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund facilities, Shalom called me to tell me about it saying “Mom, this is exactly what Miriam was born to do – they even have therapy for the kids using animals.  You’ve got to come here.”

Mishkan Shilo Synagogue is a replica of the Biblical Tabernacle

Throughout their trip they were regularly treated to talks from gracious Rabbis who would teach them about the areas they were visiting, about the weekly Torah portions, or about whatever was on their hearts to share.  It was a tremendous blessing for my men and for the other men in their group.  They were able to visit the synagogue in Shiloh which is built as a replica of the Tabernacle.  There is such a desire to remember and honor Biblical history in Judea and Samaria that it shows in everything they do.  From the names of the towns to the way they construct their buildings to the types of jobs that people choose to do – Judea and Samaria have a rich Biblically focused environment, you simply cannot escape it.  But it’s not all about history.  While history is important to remember, that’s not the driving force in Judea and Samaria.  So what is it all about?  It is all about the future!  The future of Israel, the future of the people uniquely chosen by the King of the Universe to be His special treasure, even the future of the whole world in the Messianic Kingdom.  You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve come from.  These special people know very well where they have come from, and they know exactly where they are going!  It was an incredible blessing to experience this intense devotion, even as a visitor.

My guys’ time in Shiloh was amazing.  Working in the vineyards fulfilling Biblical prophecy (Messiah is coming soon!), working near and walking among ancient Biblical sites, learning from area Rabbis, teachers and members of the Jewish community that they worked with – it was all so overwhelming and such a blessing for our family.  Our whole family has been richly blessed from sending my husband and one son on this special trip.  I can only imagine the deep and lasting impact that would affect our family if we were all able to travel to Israel as humble servants together.  May it be His will that we can accomplish this task soon, together.

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Books:  God, Israel & Shiloh and The Islamic Tsunami by David Rubin

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