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Reflection by: Gabriel Ee

Chronicles of a pilgrim – Day 10 – Jerusalem

#sequelachristi2022

Ancient Shiloh

An ancient city that was once the capital of Israel, Shiloh was the resting place of the tabernacle for over 3 centuries. Shiloh most likely meant “peaceful” or “tranquil” in old Hebrew.

The plains of Ancient Shiloh

The Bible records a tragic close to Shiloh’s illustrious history. At the end of the priesthood of Eli, the Israelites foolishly removed the ark from Shiloh and took it to the battle of Ebenezer, believing it would help them defeat the Philistines. The results were disastrous: “And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent, and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken …” (1 Samuel 4:10-11).

Crusader Church of Nebi Samuel Mizpah

Overlooking the ancient route from Beit Horon to Jerusalem (today highway <436>) is a tree-covered, limestone mountain (885 meters high) that gets its name from the Hebrew prophet Samuel who according to Judaism, Christianity and Islam is buried there. Another tradition is that this site is Mizpeh, where Samuel anointed Saul, the first King of Israel, and where King Solomon made a thousand burnt offerings at the high place of Gibeon.

Pilgrims gathered around in front of the Crusader Church

In 1099, during the First Crusade, the Crusaders saw Jerusalem for the first time from here and named the mountain, Mons Gaudi (Mountain of Joy). As part of the fortress that they built there in the 12th century, was a Romanesque-style church over the burial cave and a hostel for Christian pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. When the Crusaders were defeated by the Arabs under Salah a-Din in 1187 the fortifications were destroyed. In the 14th century, the Mamelukes converted the church into a mosque. The building and minaret we see today are neither Mameluke nor Ottoman but were rebuilt by the British after WWI – the heavy fighting between the Turks and British and aerial bombardment by the British for the strategic hill damaged the building. Jewish armies fought here, from forces led by Judah the Maccabi against the Seleucid-Greeks in 165 BCE to the Harel Brigade who failed to capture the mountain during the War of Independence (1948) but were successful in the Six-Day War (1967).

Emmaus

A town where two disciples came across Jesus after he had risen from the dead. 


The specific site of Emmaus is unknown, with several locations being possible matches for the ancient town. 

Unfortunately for pilgrims drawn by the account in Luke’s Gospel, the identity of Emmaus became lost early in the Christian era. Only in the 21st century are scholars reaching a consensus favoring a location near Moza (or Motza), on the western edge of Jerusalem, where there is no commemorative site to visit.

The Emmaus story is well-known: Two disciples downcast by the death of Jesus, and confused by reports that his body is missing, are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They encounter a stranger who listens to their concerns, then gives them a Scripture lesson that makes their “hearts burn within them”.

Finally, as they share the evening meal, he breaks bread and they recognize him. By then the risen Christ has disappeared from their sight, and they immediately hurry back to Jerusalem. (Luke 24:13-35)

Out of several locations for Emmaus proposed over the centuries, expert opinion is focusing on Colonia (or Kulonieh), near the modern Jewish neighborhood of Moza. Excavations instigated by the New Testament scholar Carsten Peter Thiede at the location from 2001 to 2004 confirmed the existence of an upper-class, 1st-century Jewish village which was called Emmaus.

Reflection

Our day began at the Tomb of Samuel, the burial ground for the prophet Samuel which had a crusader church built atop it. Tradition is that this site is Mizpeh, where Samuel anointed Saul, the first King of Israel, and where King Solomon made a thousand burnt offerings at the high place of Gibeon. Inside the church was a staircase leading to the rooftop, which gave us a stunning view of the surrounding hills and landscapes. 

The view atop the Tomb of Samuel

We then headed to Ancient Shiloh, the ancient city that once stood as the capital of Israel. Shiloh was the resting place of the tabernacle for over three centuries, serving as the meeting point between heaven and earth. Shiloh was eventually destroyed by the Philistines and was marked as a cautionary tale for divine judgment.

We enjoyed an outdoor lunch in Ancient Shiloh and proceeded to Emmaus, the town where two disciples came across Jesus for the first time after his resurrection. Unfortunately, the specific site of Emmaus is unknown, with several sites being possible matches for it. We celebrated mass in the same restored Byzantine Basilica as Pope Benedict XVI once did when he was still a Cardinal. 

Although today was relatively uneventful compared to other days, I found it important to reflect on the similarities between each place that we visited. One key point that Friar John Paul brought up was that everywhere we went had a high density of rocks and rubble. This was a consistent, yet symbolic reminder of the vast history that has transpired between the time of Jesus and our time now. It is truly God’s will that has allowed us to view and tread the same path walked by his son a millennium ago.

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