Theological Geography Class 1

Pre-trip to Jordan

One of the great differences between Biblical faith and others, is that Yahweh's rescue of his lost and ruined creation is not just a story, but a story of real people, occurring in real places, in real time, with a real God who really does act in history to restore not just individuals, but nations, races, tribes, and ultimately his whole creation!  

One of the arenas of this rescue is Jordan.  Some of our pilgrims will go to Jordan and see these places, where God showed up and acted on behalf of his people.  

Jordan means descending...referring to the slope from north to south, from Mt. Hermon to the Dead Sea.

5 Regions: From north to south: Bashan (East of the Jordan and north of the Yarmuk river), Gilead (East of the Jordan and between the Yarmuk and Jabbok rivers), Ammon (East of the Jordan and south of the Jabbok river), Moab (East of the Jordan river and south of Arnon and north of the Zered river), Edom (East of the Jordan river and south of the Zered river).

God made a distinction between Amorites like Sihon and Og and extended family like Ammon, Moab, and Edom.  

Edom means red...and is double reference both to Esau's coloring and to the color of the rocks of the land in which he made his home.  

Abraham, Ishmael, Midian, Esau-Edomite, Seir, Sela, Petra...King Aretas IV mentioned in 2 Cor 11:32...Petra is likely where the Apostle Paul went when he said he went to Arabia...in Gal 1:17 following his conversion.  King Aretas was a client king of Rome not unlike King Herod.  These Kings governed at the pleasure of Rome.  King Aretas was a Nabatean Arab, descended from Esau as Nebaioth, a son of Ishmael and brother-in-law of Edomite, Gen 25:13; 28:9; 36:8,9; 

Throughout history there was hostility from Edom toward Israel Gen 27:40; Deut 2:12; Num 20:14ff; 1 Sam 14; 2 Chr 20:15-17.  In the NT, recall Herod the Great's attempt on Jesus' life in Mt 2:13-18; and how Herod Antipas conspired with Pontus Pilate to kill Jesus in Lk 23:11,12.  

The Edomites were idolatrous 2 Chr 25:14 and the remains of pagan altars can be found today around Petra where young virgins were sacrificed and burned, their ashes scattered on the cliffs and over the city.

Today, Petra is perhaps the largest and most extensive ghost town on the planet.  Its destruction was prophesied in Is 34:5,10-15; Eze 25:12,14; Jer 49:16-18.

The Herodian line are called Idumeans, which is Greek for Edomite.  

Lot, Gen 19:30ff, the sons produced by incest with his daughters, Ammon, Moab...became idolatrous and evil...offering child sacrifices to their gods Molech, and Chemosh respectively...They opposed Israel's entrance into the Promised Land Deut 23:4; Neh 8:1-3.  Solomon entered into multiple alliances producing marriages so that he built temples for the worship of these gods for his wives on the Mount of Olives, see 2 Kings 3:27; 1 Kings 11:7.  Josiah destroyed these shrines in 2 Kings 23:13.  The Northern Kingdom of Israel dominated Moab during the time of the Divided Kingdom, particularly in the reigns of Omari and his son Ahab.  Following Ahab's death Moab revolted and defeated Israel. 2 Kings 3:4,5.  

Moabite or Mesha Stone was discovered in Dibon, the capital of Moab, by German missionary Rev. F. Klein on August 19, 1868.  You will see a replica of the stone in Amman.  It mentions both Yahweh and Chemosh.  The original stone was destroyed as the Louvre sought to obtain it...the stone has been reconstructed with recovered pieces and is today in Paris at the Louvre.  The stone recounts how Chemosh overthrew Yahweh and Kings Omri and Ahab.  

Ben Ammi is the nation that comes from the union of Lot by incest with his younger daughter which produced Ammon. Amman, sometimes referred to as Rabbah or Rabbah. Ammon was the place Uriah was abandoned and killed at the direction of King David.  He was one of David's mighty men and the husband of Bathsheba, with whom David had an affair...etc., perished in battle 2 Sam 11.  Amman sat on the King's Highway, a trade route connecting Asia and Africa by way of Egypt.  

Tribes

Rueben, Num 21:21ff; 32:1ff taken from Sihon Amorite King at Heshbon, settled on East bank of the Jordan north of the river Arnon.

Medeba, 6 miles south of Heshbon...mosaic map from Bet-Shan to the Nile

Gad, Num 32,33,34 settled on the East bank of the Jordan south of the river Jabbok

Half tribe of Manasseh, settled on the East bank of the Jordan north of the river Jabbok, Num 32:33ff Gilead.  Manasseh also held the territory west of the Jordan due west of its east bank territory.  The north-east bank territory was taken from another Amorite king Og of Bashan...the Golan Heights today.  

Mines of Timneh...mentioned in Joshua 15:10 and changed hands between the tribes of Dan and Judah as well as passed back and forth between Israelite and Philistine control.  Jud 14:1; 2 Chr 28:18. Samson's first wife lived in Timneh. Copper and later iron were the resources mined here. In the time of the monarchy iron weapons became the difference maker in combat. Prior to that time Copper was seen as the metal highly prized…idols were sometimes covered with copper. A copper serpent was discovered near Timneh, perhaps associated with the goddess Ashtaroth.

Theological Geography

Class 1

Pre

-

trip to Jordan

One of the great differences between Biblical faith and others, is that Yahweh's

rescue of his lost and ruined c

reation is not just a story, but a story of real people,

occurring in real places, in real time, with a real God who really does act in history

to restore not just individuals, but nations, races, tribes, and ultimately his whole

creation!

One of the arenas of this rescue is Jordan.

Some of our pilgrims will go to Jordan

and see these places, where God showed up and acted on behalf of his people.

Jordan means descending...referring to the slope from north to south, from Mt.

Hermon to the

Dead Sea.

5 Regions: From north to south: Bashan (East of the Jordan and north of the

Yarmuk river), Gilead (East of the Jordan and between the Yarmuk and Jabbok

rivers), Ammon (East of the Jordan and south of the Jabbok river), Moab (East of

the Jordan ri

ver and south of Arnon and north of the Zered river), Edom (East of the

Jordan river and south of the Zered river).

God made a distinction between Amorites like Sihon and Og and extended family

like Ammon, Moab, and Edom.

Edom means red...and is double r

eference both to Esau's coloring and to the color

of the rocks of the land in which he made his home.

Abraham, Ishmael, Midian, Esau

-

Edomite, Seir, Sela, Petra...King Aretas IV

mentioned in 2 Cor 11:32...Petra is likely where the Apostle Paul went when h

e said

he went to Arabia...in Gal 1:17 following his conversion.

King Aretas was a client

king of Rome not unlike King Herod.

These Kings governed at the pleasure of

Rome.

King Aretas was a Nabatean Arab, descended from Esau as Nebaioth, a son

of Ishmae

l and brother

-

in

-

law of Edomite, Gen 25:13; 28:9; 36:8,9;

Throughout history there was hostility from Edom toward Israel Gen 27:40; Deut

2:12; Num 20:14ff; 1 Sam 14; 2 Chr 20:15

-

17.

In the NT, recall Herod the Great's

attempt on Jesus' life in Mt 2:13

-

18

; and how Herod Antipas conspired with Pontus

Pilate to kill Jesus in Lk 23:11,12.

Theological Geography Class 1

Pre-trip to Jordan

One of the great differences between Biblical faith and others, is that Yahweh's

rescue of his lost and ruined creation is not just a story, but a story of real people,

occurring in real places, in real time, with a real God who really does act in history

to restore not just individuals, but nations, races, tribes, and ultimately his whole

creation!

One of the arenas of this rescue is Jordan. Some of our pilgrims will go to Jordan

and see these places, where God showed up and acted on behalf of his people.

Jordan means descending...referring to the slope from north to south, from Mt.

Hermon to the Dead Sea.

5 Regions: From north to south: Bashan (East of the Jordan and north of the

Yarmuk river), Gilead (East of the Jordan and between the Yarmuk and Jabbok

rivers), Ammon (East of the Jordan and south of the Jabbok river), Moab (East of

the Jordan river and south of Arnon and north of the Zered river), Edom (East of the

Jordan river and south of the Zered river).

God made a distinction between Amorites like Sihon and Og and extended family

like Ammon, Moab, and Edom.

Edom means red...and is double reference both to Esau's coloring and to the color

of the rocks of the land in which he made his home.

Abraham, Ishmael, Midian, Esau-Edomite, Seir, Sela, Petra...King Aretas IV

mentioned in 2 Cor 11:32...Petra is likely where the Apostle Paul went when he said

he went to Arabia...in Gal 1:17 following his conversion. King Aretas was a client

king of Rome not unlike King Herod. These Kings governed at the pleasure of

Rome. King Aretas was a Nabatean Arab, descended from Esau as Nebaioth, a son

of Ishmael and brother-in-law of Edomite, Gen 25:13; 28:9; 36:8,9;

Throughout history there was hostility from Edom toward Israel Gen 27:40; Deut

2:12; Num 20:14ff; 1 Sam 14; 2 Chr 20:15-17. In the NT, recall Herod the Great's

attempt on Jesus' life in Mt 2:13-18; and how Herod Antipas conspired with Pontus

Pilate to kill Jesus in Lk 23:11,12.