Satellite Bible Atlas Map 1-8 focusing on the southern approaches to Jerusalem

In the previous video we saw how most major routes approach Jerusalem

from the north In this video

we learn about three routes that approach Jerusalem from the south

On Map 1-8 note the rugged canyons

the Upper Sorek and Cesalon Valleys that flank Jerusalem's western side like

deep moats These canyons make it very difficult to approach

Jerusalem directly from the west One route comes from the Sorek Valley in the

Shephelah and climbs the Refaim ridge avoiding the deep canyons of the Upper Sorek

Likewise another route from the Elah Valley in the Shephelah climbs

the Hushah Ridge Both these routes intersect near Hushah and

Bethar The Hushah ridge

joins the Road of the Patriarchs near Bethlehem The Hushah ridge is undoubtedly the route

David travelled on when he travelled from Bethlehem to the Elah

Valley where he fought Goliath

This event is marked on Map 5-3 David brought down supplies to his brothers

who were part of the army of Israel facing off against the Philistines in the

Valley of Elah Note another route that approaches Jerusalem

from the southwest The route branches off from the Hushah ridge

at Bethar The Valley of Refaim becomes a wide plain

on Jerusalem southwest side convenient for travel

M: We're standing here in the Valley of Rephaim

where the Philistines attacked David twice after he became king of Israel in Jerusalem

This valley is the actually the main southwestern approach to Jerusalem

After David became King of both Judah and Israel in Jerusalem

the Philistines attacked twice via the Valley of Refaim

Following God's directions during the 2nd Philistine attack

David got behind them and cut off their route of escape

Because of the rough terrain of the Upper Sorek

the Philistines had no choice but to flee north

David pursued them from Gibeon to Gezer To arrive at Jerusalem directly from the south

one travels on the Hill Country Watershed route

The route is called the Road of the Patriarchs because Abraham Jacob and Joseph traveled

on it The Road of the Patriarchs is the only north-south

route in the Hill Country The deep canyons cutting both to the east

and west of the watershed restrict travel to the top of the Ridge

On Map 1-6, note the string of biblical cities along this route

Here's Hebron where the patriarchs were buried

and where David was first crowned King of Judah

North is Bethlehem where David and Jesus were born

then Jerusalem Gibeah, Saul's capital

Ramah, home of the prophet Samuel Mizpah fortified by king Asa

Bethel where Jacob saw angels and where Jeroboam placed a golden calf

Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was first set up under Joshua

and Shechem where God first promised Abraham's descendants the land

Back on Map 1-8 the road of the Patriarchs is labeled on the Watershed route between

Bethlehem and Jerusalem The route was used on a number of occasions

in the Bible For instance, as marked on Map 2-2

Abraham journeyed from Beersheba to Mt Moriah, Jerusalem

with the intention of sacrificing Isaac Map 5-5 shows

that both David and his son Absalom came from Hebron to Jerusalem

There is a strategic pinch or bottleneck

in the Road of the Patriarchs near the city of Jerusalem

The Bible calls the spot Ketef, or the Shoulder of Hinnom

It is a hill marked by a small triangle just below the word Jerusalem on Map 1-9

Here drainage of the Refaim Valley on the West

and the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys on the east pinch very close to the watershed

Let's see the Ketef Hinnom bottleneck on this Google Earth photo

The oldest part of Jerusalem, including the City of David, and the temple mount

are shown here by the yellow shading Jerusalem is separated from the Watershed

route by the Hinnom Valley The Rephaim Valley descends from the watershed

to the west creating the narrow ketef hinnom bottleneck

The road of the Patriarchs passes through this narrow pinch

Marked on Map 4-9, as recorded in the Book of Judges chapter 19

a Levite was returning from Bethlehem to the Hill Country of Ephraim in the north

When he arrived opposite Jebus probably at Ketef Hinnom

the man's servant suggested turning aside and staying the night in Canaanite Jebus

But the Levite said "No, Let's go on to one of the cities

of Israel, either Gibeah or Ramah" Israelite tombs at Ketef Hinnom were the location

of an important archaeological discovery: We're just on the outskirts of Jerusalem

on the shoulder of Hin and we're at a tomb that dates to the first

temple period, 600BC, right around there We have benches right here

these guys are showing us what it was like There are even carvings for the heads where

they would lay the people they would lay the deceased- this would have

been all enclosed- the deceased would lay here for about an year

at which time then the people who come back in

and the flesh had decomposed they take all the bones

they put the bones down below here in the depository

and this actual depository was found the oldest recorded piece of scripture

that was the priestly benediction from Numbers chapter 6

it was found on a small piece of silver in this depository

On Map 1-14 let's examine one more route leading to Jerusalem

A route approaching Jerusalem from the southeast is called the Tekoa -- En Gedi Ridge route

Because of the cliffs near the Dead Sea and the rough terrain of the Judean desert

this is the only route that leads into the Hill Country from the Dead Sea region

The route begins at En Gedi and climbs the steep Ascent of Ziz

the ridge between the Nahal Arugot and Nahal David

The route ascends through the wilderness to Tekoa, hometown of the Prophet Amos

Then it runs past Herodian, a fortress built by Herod the Great

joins the Road of the Patriarchs at Bethlehem then north to Jerusalem

Here is a photograph of the En Gedi region from the Pictorial Library of Bible lands

Note the two deep canyons the Nahal Arugot and Nahal David that define

the steep ridge between them This is where the Ascent of Ziz climbs up

from the Dead Sea The route then stays on the ridge up to Tekoa

We just climbed the ascent of Ziz from En Gedi:

woohoo~ Map 6-4 marks out a biblical event that occurred

along this route A coalition of nations from the East: Moabites,

Ammonite and Edomites made a sneak attack on Judah and arrived at

En Gedi The enemy began to come up the Ascent of Ziz

King Jehohashapat of Judah called upon the Lord

The Lord told Jehohshaphat Judah would not even have to fight in this battle

Instead of the army, Jehoshaphat sent singers in the front line

They went out past Tekoa praising the Lord The enemy had turned against each other

and all Judah had to do was go out and pick up the spoil

Upon returning, the people of Judah named a Valley Berachah, meaning blessing

The Valley of Berachah is probably just west of Tekoa

Back on Map 1-8 take another look at where this route comes

to Tekoa M: Behind me is the town Tekoa, the hometown

of the prophet Amos Now God had told Amos to leave his native

land of Judah and go up north to Israel, specifically Bethel

and preach against the King there because of the sin in the land

F: And about 75 years before Amos King Jehoshaphat of Judah sent out singers

in front of the army to confront the force that came in from the

east This might be the valley of- what's it called-Berachah,

the valley of blessing where they got the spoils

THe wide green Valley just west of Tekoa may be the Valley of Berachah

The route then travels near Herodian We're here at the Herodian built by Herod

the Great just south-east of Bethlehem Herod when he heard that the king of the Jews

was born in Bethlehem ordered all the children under the age of

2 killed Here's an aerial photograph of the Herodian

fortress from the Pictorial Library The Jewish historian Josephus recorded that

Herod the Great was buried with great pomp here

In 2007 archaeologists announced the discovery of the remnants of Herod's tomb

Our route arrives near the road of the patriarchs at Bethlehem

We're in nativity square in Bethlehem and behind me is the Nativity Church

which is the traditional place where Jesus was born

We're still in Bethlehem and you can see behind me a modern marketplace

and we're in the probable site of the Old Testament Bethlehem which is where King David

was from "Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures

forever" This video was written by Professor William

Schlegel, Translated by Dr. Simon Liu, Miss Anny Zhang

And edited by Dr. Joseph Kim Please visit www.logos101.org for more information.

Again, it's www.logos101.org And this is Joseph Kim. Thank you!