CURRENT NEWS, GALLERIES AND COMMENTARY

February 12, 2007: Dr. Paul Wright, Executive Director

Once again local events in Jerusalem have prompted protests across the world and made international headlines in the process. The focal point of the tensions is the ramp leading from the Western Wall plaza to the Mughrabi Gate which provides access for non-Muslims to the Temple Mount. Two years ago heavy rainfall and an earthquake severely damaged the ramp, causing part of it to collapse. Plans have been in the works for months to replace the ramp with a more secure structure. Nearly one month ago archaeological work was begun at the foot of the ramp, on the western edge of the Southern Wall excavations, in preparation for the new construction to take place. Last week, at the same time as the Mecca conference during which Hamas and Fatah, the two leading (and rival) Palestinian political groups, agreed to work together in their response toward Israel, news flashed across the Middle East and beyond that work on the ramp was violating the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and placing its structural integrity in jeopardy. This understandably ignited anti-Israel passions throughout the region, even though the actual work on the ramp is being undertaken with the utmost care and is not in the immediate vicinity of the mosque (the ramp is outside of and below the Temple Mount; the mosque is on the Temple Mount platform). Ironically, within the last few years construction for a new mosque adjacent to and under the surface of the Temple Mount platform overseen by the Islamic Wakf caused the retaining wall of the platform to bulge severely in two places, prompting much less of an international cry even though danger of collapse of the wall itself—not a ramp leading to it—was real. Tensions in parts of Jerusalem were fairly high last Friday (the Muslim holy day) and Saturday, but have eased the last couple of days. Authorities from the municipality of Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the state of Israel have taken steps to provide public review and oversight of the process, which hopefully will diffuse tensions.  

As for the activities of Jerusalem University College in light of these events, everything is proceeding safely and normally. We advised students to stay out of the Old City and East Jerusalem over the weekend (as we do whenever there is potential for trouble) and everyone is safe and well and learning how to take the situation in stride. I was with the Physical Settings of the Bible class on Saturday for the Jerusalem Approaches field study, which includes trips to the Mount of Olives, Bethlehem and the Herodian. We made a slight detour at one point on the Mount of Olives to avoid a quick, local protest that involved blocking a street and setting the contents of a dumpster on fire, but we were in no danger at any time and were able to proceed with our full itinerary safely and securely, without incident. Students are participating fully in classes, field trip experiences and their field education placements.  

We have a total of 50 students enrolled for the semester program. Of these, 42 are graduate students. Associated schools sending students this spring include Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Columbia International University, Wheaton College, Evangel University, Olivet Nazarene University, Indiana Wesleyan University, Huntington University, Bethel College (IN) and Eastern University. Enrollment projections for next fall are strong, with interest being shown by several more schools that belong to JUC’s Consortium of Associated Schools. 

Forty-six students were enrolled in the January Geographical and Historical Settings of the Bible course, including groups from Asbury Theological Seminary, Greenville College and Grace University. We fought through cold, rainy weather and a persistent flu-type bug that made its rounds through almost everyone, but in the end this did little to deter the learning opportunities of the course. As is always the case, students returned home at the end having participated in a full academic and spiritual experience in the land of the Bible. 

We have added a new course to the curriculum this spring, The Parables of Jesus and Rabbinic Mishalim, taught by Rabbi Moshe Silberschein. With 21 eager students, this course ties for the largest course of the semester. Next fall we will be offering another first-time course, From the Jewish Jesus to Christianity, by Dr. Hal Revelson.  

Two MA students, Ben Post and Stacie Swan, announced their engagement a few days ago. To celebrate, we threw an engagement party, Arab style, Friday evening (in the Arab community, celebrating an engagement is as notable an affair as the wedding). Our cooks went all-out with a full spread of local foods, especially desserts. We decorated the dining room in the traditional style and everyone enjoyed the events of evening, including gifts, tributes and traditional folk dancing by William and Sharouk Copty, our campus manager and his wife (the foot-work of the students who joined them left something to be desired, but never mind—a good time was had by all). 

The JUC board of directors welcomes Dr. Russell Fuller of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to the board. Dr. Fuller was elected to a three-year term representing the seminaries of our Consortium of Associated Schools. 

I would remind all students considering our summer programs to look at the Spotlight on the front page of www.juc.edu for information on a special scholarship opportunity for the June Geographical and Historical Settings of the Bible course and the July Jesus and His Times course. This opportunity, made possible by a generous gift, provides funds for three students to attend these two courses. The application deadline is March 15.  

I would like to offer a special thank-you to our circle of friends and donors who responded to our Christmas campaign. Your gifts to our general fund and especially to our scholarship drive for worthy MA students are always very much appreciated. Jerusalem University College is healthy and strong financially and academically, and well-poised to meet the needs of the members of the Christian evangelical community who seek to come to Israel for a grounded, academically-sound educational experience.

Spring Semester 2007

Start of spring semester 2007.  Please Click the photo to go to the gallery.

Chilled to the Bone (It’s Wintertime in Jerusalem!) 

The climate of Israel is largely a product of that land's narrow dimensions between desert and sea. The vast Arabian Desert to the east encroaches to within less than 100 miles of the Mediterranean, pinching Israel between an extremely hot, dry desert climate and a more moderate climate tempered by the water. In the Sinai Peninsula to the south, the eastern extremity of the Sahara meets the Arabian Desert, and both touch the Mediterranean coast. Because Israel borders these two great deserts, many people who have never visited the land think that it is always hot, barren and dry. In the summertime, yes, but in the winter, no!  

As a Mediterranean land, Israel experiences just two seasons: a hot, dry and largely cloudless summer and a moderate-to-cold, rainy winter. All of the rain for the year typically falls between mid-October and mid-April. For Jerusalem, the average is 24 inches, about half of the typical annual rainfall for the mid-western United States. The higher elevations of northern Galilee average 36 inches per year, while the area around the Dead Sea, 1300 feet below sea level, averages just 2 to 4 inches annually. 

Each rainy season begins with what the Bible calls the "early rains" and ends with the "late rains" (Deut 11:14; Joel 2:23). The early rains fall in October and November, softening the ground for plowing, while the late rains of March and April swell the heads of winter barley and wheat for harvest.  

In contrast to the early and late rains, which are often gentle and not particularly long in duration, the winter rains of December, January and February typically are cold and heavy. These are the rains that soak the ground, filling cisterns and aquifers and bringing life to the barren hillsides. Winter storms typically roll into Israel from the northwest, dumping heavy waves of cold rain for three or four days. Between storms, the land experiences clear, sunny skies and moderate temperatures. 

One cold, wet winter day almost 2500 years ago, the priest Ezra gave the men of Judah and Benjamin three days to come to Jerusalem to stand accountable for their sins. Many had married foreign women, a sin in Ezra's day because it opened the land of Israel to the idolatrous practices of the gentile nations round about (Ezra 9:1-2):  

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month [i.e., late December or early January], all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain (Ezra 10:9). 

Chilled to the bone, sitting outdoors on cold stone pavement in a long, soaking rain, with the temperature only slightly above freezing--their physical discomfort signaled God's discomfort with them. Purification according to the requirements of the Torah would take some time, and the drenched men of Judah and Benjamin, teeth no doubt chattering, begged for more comfortable surroundings: 

"But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We don’t have the stamina to stay out in the open . . ." (Ezra 10:13).  

Graciously, Ezra agreed.  

While the details of what constitutes a sin to God's people may have changed since Ezra's day, the underlying premise has not. God demands that we remain faithful to Him in all areas of life, including our relationships with others. When we fall short, our relationship with Him becomes, as it were, chilled to the bone, and, like the people of Ezra's day, we must turn to Him for forgiveness. Have you felt the warmth of God's grace lately?