Life in Biblical Times
I’ve always wanted to go to the Holy Land. In the early 90’s I had the chance during a time when there was a little unrest in the region, but nothing like it is now. Friends went ahead; I stayed at home. They had no problems on the trip. This is probably one of the greatest regrets of my life – not taking this trip.
Recently, I did take a trip with my wife to LaGrange, Ga. to the Explorations in Antiquity Center. It’s a place where you can experience life in biblical times. It was a wonderful and safe experience. My wife had taken a group of fourth and fifth graders there several years ago and they loved it. She convinced me that I needed to go. I am glad I did.
On our tour we learned about tents made of goat hair and how it reacts differently to the weather. It swells when it is wet and becomes porous when it dries. This makes the inside of the tent dry in rain or damp weather, and it makes it porous so it can cool in hot weather. The tents did not smell so I am assuming they didn’t use the hairs of a billy goat.
We also learned what the burial tombs were like in biblical days and how the bones of family members eventually ended up together over time. We saw a replica of a cross and the part of the cross that the person being crucified would typically be responsible for carrying; such was the case with Jesus.
We learned about the four pressings of olives—tithe, cooking, light, and soap. We even got to see the olive oil lamps at our biblical meal. At this meal I worried that it could be a meal that would initiate a trip to Cracker Barrel afterwards. Astonishingly, the meal was not disappointing, and it actually filled me up.
As a footnote, in biblical days you ate with your right hand, not your left. Do the research and you will find out more about this custom.
In addition to learning about which hand to use while eating, we learned about what prayers were used at this “Last Supper” meal, as well as what each of the foods represented in the meal. We learned about where and how people were seated for the meal. It was truly an enjoyable experience.
All in all, it was a great and a safe experience to the Holy Land. I encourage you, your family, your Sunday school class, or a group of friends to visit the Antiquity Center. You will not be disappointed.
And finally, what I really enjoyed about the experience was learning some new understandings of why Jesus said what he said.
Many of his sayings were based on the customs and life of the people in that day and time. It was another way of bringing the words of Jesus alive in a new dimension from the Word of God.