Ten Reasons why I loved the Negev

This week we took a four-day field trip to the biblical Negev (meaning “south” or “dry” in Hebrew) which, as its name implies, is the southernmost region in the Promised Land.

My top ten favorite things about the Negev:

1) Its rich history. The Negev, with its “maybe-you-can-make-it-maybe-you-can’t” atmosphere, is a visible reminder of God’s provision for the patriarchs, the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, and individuals such as Hagar and Elijah.

2) Wearing dorky hard hats at Beersheva. ;)

Negev Trip

Actually, one of the most interesting things to see at Beersheva is the horned altar, which is a good example of the high places which Hezekiah destroyed. The horns on each corner of the altar represent power as well as mercy. Adonijah and Joab both took hold of the horns of the altar to beg for mercy. Understanding this concept really brought Luk 1:69 to life, which describes Christ as the horn of our salvation.

Negev Beersheva altar

3) Avdat, a Nabatean city. The Nabateans were a group of nomadic traders who displaced the Idumeans from Avdat and settled there. Unlike most of the tells (layers of remains stacked on top of each other) we had seen, most of Avdat was remarkably in tact, and its beautiful architecture was still very evident. At Avdat I was surprised to see two Christian churches, one with a baptismal! These can be explained by the arrival of the Byzantines, who forced the Nabateans to convert to Christianity.


4) Machtesh Ramon, a large crater carved out by water, in the wilderness highlands near Kadesh Barnea. At night after dinner we all hiked to a little cave where we huddled around and praised God through song and reflected on how deep His love for us is. As remarkably deep as the crater was, His love is infinitely deeper.


5) Time of reflection in the Wilderness of Paran, where many of the events associated with the Wilderness Wanderings took place. This was our first real taste of the desert, and served as a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the lessons of the wilderness that Israel was to learn. Meditating on Deuteronomy 8 while looking out over the Wilderness of Paran was an incredible experience, and helped me to better understand the context.

6) Our hike up the beautiful Red Canyon, with its unbelievable rock formations and crevices. Every direction I looked, every step I took, everything I saw, was absolutely breathtaking.


7) At the Red Sea I got to snorkel for the first time in my life. Even though I was very clumsy and had to come up every few seconds to empty out all the water that accumulated in my breathing mask, I had a blast. It was definitely a wonderful reminder of the beauty and perfection of God’s creation, some of which man will never even see. It is all for His glory.

8) Visiting the life-sized replica of the Tabernacle at Timnah. The Tabernacle had always seemed so abstract to me, and the measurements and cubits and endless details overwhelmed me. Now I feel like I have a much better understanding of the layout and significance of the Tabernacle and all of its contents, and deep gratitude for Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for sin. Contrast this to the bloody mess and slaughterhouse aspect of the Tabernacle, and you suddenly understand the implications of Christ’s atonement.
Psalm 84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

9) Masada!!! Out of all of the hikes we went on during our time in the Negev, the hike through the mineral mountains at the foot of Masada, which were made of spongy chalk, was definitely the most interesting. Kind of like a cross between walking on snow (not cold, though) and sand.
We ended the day by gathering on one of these mountains and praising God through reflection on His Word and through “psalms, songs, and spiritual songs.” The next day we got up at the crack of dawn and hurried to Masada just in time to catch the sunrise as we went up. Although it was an incredibly difficult hike, it was well worth it. Check out the previous post to see more pictures of Masada and learn about its fascinating history. (I realize that I sound like a commercial).

10) The fellowship. Each night we had different roommates, and although I love my roommates at the moshav, it was fun to get to know some of the other girls better and bond with them. In between our huffing and puffing on the hikes, we also shared some great conversations, as well as during our long bus rides (which were also great for naps!)
Hine mah tov umah naim shevet achim gam yachad!! Ps. 133:1 (Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!)