Q and R - Women of the Holy Land: Walk Where They Walked

Isaiah 41:8-9 But you Israel are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you , ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away.’”

Quamran, Khirbet Quamran Never mentioned in Scripture, but important to the transmission of Scripture to us today. North East side of Dead Sea. Nine miles south of Jericho, thirteen miles east of Jerusalem. Was home to the Essenes, an extreme sect of devout Jews that withdrew to desert area to live a communal life. Men never married once they joined the sect because they wanted to be ritually pure when the Messiah returned. Some scholars believe that if the men were married before they joined with the sect they could bring their wives, but their personal lives with their wifes was closely regulated.
The Essenes spent much of their time copying the Scripture by hand. When news came that Israel was invaded and that Jerusalem had fallen they hid their scrolls in caves for safety. This library, of 800 scrolls and fragments of scrolls, was found in 1947 and has been named the “Dead Sea Scrolls,” because of its close proximity to the Dead Sea. The complete book of Isaiah was found. One of the scrolls describes, in detail, the beauty of Sarah. Joshua 15:62 may refer to the area of Quamran.

The importance of the find of the scrolls at Quamran is that it proves that the Old Testament that we hold in our hand today is the same one that Jesus read. This is further evidence of the inspiration and accuracy of the Bible.

Qubeibeh Traditional site for Emmaus. Present day Arab village. Some scholars think
that one of the ‘two disciples on the road to Emmaus may have been a woman (wife) (Luke 24:13-32). The ruins of a Crusader era church stands over the traditional site of the house of Cleopas. Eastern edge of the Ajialon, Ayyalon Valley.

Isaiah 41: 17b-20 I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine, and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Rachel’s Tomb Outskirts of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem(Gen. 35:16-19; 1 Sam.
10:2.). Probably the most frequently visited burial site in Israel. Why wasn’t Rachel buried with the other family members? A favorite site for prayers for Israel and the Jewish people during times of trouble. Jewish women have always had an affinity for Rachel, especially those who are barren, or who have waited many years for motherhood.

Childless women in the Bible: Sarah (Gen. 11:30), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), Rachel (Gen. 29:31), Manoah’s unnamed wife (Judg. 13:2ff), Hannah (1 Sam.1:2), Michal (2 Sam. 6:23), and Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:14).

Note that each of these barren women produced a child that had a great impact in the history of Israel. Of these mentioned, Michal was the only one who remained barren. The pressure for a family to have offspring often pushed the handmaiden or concubine into the arms of the husband. Infertility was considered the woman’s problem, never caused by the man. (For more information on burial customs, see Lazarus Tomb.)

Ramah of Benjamin Traditional site where Rachel died giving birth to her second son,
Benjamin. This may be the same town as Ramah of Samuel. Now called el-Ram.

Ramah of Samuel Biblical home town of Hannah, where Samuel was born. After being
barren for years, Hanna dedicated her son as a Nazarite. This vow, in itself, did not require Samuel to be separated from his parents, but Hannah literally gave up her son to God. Hannah weaned Samuel for three to five years before taking him to Eli (1 Sam. 1). Actual location is not determined. Samuel had four sons – there is no mention of his wife (1 Sam.8:1ff). A woman gave directions for Saul to find Samuel (1 Sam. 9:9-13) in this area, and this is the area where Deborah judged (Judg. 4:4-5). Ramathaim-zophim.

Ras el-Kharrubeh See Anatoth.

Note - if you have an interest in the women of the Holy Land be sure to see my other blogs: www.biblestudy4women.blogspot.com; www.biblestudy2women.blogspot.com.