This summer, I had the unique experience of traveling to Armenia and Israel to volunteer on two archaeological digs. While abroad, I learned a lot about fieldwork from Dr. Cobb and Dr. Iserlis—the respective directors for each site—and really got to live in the community with the locals, who graciously opened their homes to us, showed us the coolest places, and made the most amazing local dishes. Working for hours on end through the 120 degree heat, I gained a new appreciation for air conditioning and learned that maybe waking up at 4 am and taking cold showers aren’t as bad as I previously thought.
The two months I spent living in these countries are difficult to describe. They were filled with new friends, delicious food, and yes, lots and lots of dirt. While my biggest objective while I was over there was to get field experience and learn how to actually “do” archaeology, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my faith and the rich religious traditions I was surrounded by.
Israel is perhaps the more obvious candidate of the two for my contemplations—so much biblical and religious history is sewn in every corner of the country, from the settlement of the tribes in the Promised Land, to the Temple Mount, to medieval metropolises. However, I spent just as much time immersed in thoughts of faith in Armenia where I visited six monasteries and even attended a service at one. The following images represent just some of the many musings from my travels, from my time spent on holy ground.
Then the Lord said to him, “Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’
—Acts 7:33
Life in the Shadow of Mount Ararat
Although located in present-day Turkey, Mount Ararat is perhaps one of the most iconic symbols of Armenia, and for good reason: it dominates the landscape of the Ararat region and can be seen from most of the southwestern part of the country depending on the cloud coverage. For most followers of the Abrahamic religions, Mount Ararat is brought to mind as the final resting place of Noah’s ark in Genesis. Looking at the peaks of the volcano, it is easy for me to imagine the ark nestled in the gentle dip between the peaks.
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
—Genesis 9:12-13
Seeing God All Around
On my last weekend in Armenia, I spent some time hiking and enjoying God’s creation. These two pictures were taken just hours apart from one another, the first at Angel’s Canyon and the second at Hell’s Canyon. The drive between the two was less than an hour, but they couldn’t be more different. While sweating and applying copious amounts of sunscreen, I was struck how creative and powerful God is that He could create a world with such landscapes where the only constant seemed to be the endless, rolling hills. As we trudged along the path, Angel’s Canyon filled my vision with overlapping hues of yellow and brown, with the occasional lizard the only living creatures we saw in the deserted landscape. However, once we arrived at Hell’s Canyon, we were greeted by a bunch of thrill seekers cliff jumping and rock climbing and many birds soaring across the sky. Bright green grass and small white and purple flowers popped out against the gray and red of the rocks and cliffs below, painting a tranquil scene.
At the bottom of the second picture, you can see two stone monuments that fill the country, called khachkars. I love UNESCO’s description of how “they act as a focal point for worship, as memorial stones and as relics facilitating communication between the secular and divine.” One of my favorite things about Armenia is just how prominent religious imagery and history is, serving as a subtle reminder of the faith that has connected so many Christians past and present. As Armenia is a primarily Orthodox country, I was both comforted by seeing familiar scenes and iconography adorning the walls of homes and the landscape surrounding me, and full of intrigue and awe at the different worship styles and practices I got to witness. Just the day previous to my hike, I had the opportunity to visit one of the most famous monasteries in Armenia called Khor Virap. While there, I was delighted to be able to listen to the a cappella worship and was inspired watching the huge mass of people sing along while slowly pushing through the crowd into the small chapel room.
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
—Isaiah 6:3
Reflections from the Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee was one of the many places on my Israel bucket list, and several things immediately struck me. Standing on the shore gazing out on the lake, my first observation was that it was much smaller than I expected. The second surprise came as I got in the water: it’s kind of hard to swim in because of old tree stumps and sticks at the bottom of the lake.
But seriously…
I spent some time alone while the others digging with me had swam out further. I just stood there, waist deep in the warm water and feeling the gentle lapping of the waves against my body, reflecting. Jesus could have walked on the very same beach I had just set my towel down on. Peter could have tried to walk on water an arm’s length from where I’m standing. Sure, I was separated from these events by thousands of years, but as I was standing in that spot, they felt more real than ever before.
So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
—Matthew 14: 29-31
Adventure in Nazareth
On one of my weekend trips in Israel, we spent one day in Haifa and the next in Nazareth. Walking through the Old City of Nazareth, I witnessed the variety of faiths in just one area, as well as the representation of Christians from around the world. While in Nazareth, I visited a cathedral, a synagogue, and a mosque within the span of a few hours, experiencing them with some of my dig friends, who were Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Atheist. What we saw sparked some interesting and deep conversations ranging from who some of the people in the Bible are, why the sites we visited are significant, the order of books in the Old Testament and the Tanakh, and differences in Catholicism versus Protestantism.
The Church of the Annunciation–shown in the second picture–featured hundreds of pieces of art in the courtyard and inside the church itself, representing thousands of Christians around the globe who all worship the same God. It was so inspiring to see just how many countries were represented, all united in the hope of Jesus Christ.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
—Colossians 3:11
These are just some of the many experiences from this summer that have stuck with me. Through them, I have grown in feeling the “realness” of my faith, seeing the beauty and love of God, and talking about my faith with others. But these experiences didn’t stop the second I got off the plane: I am constantly revisiting these moments and thinking through how I can take what I have learned—practically and spiritually—and continue developing in these areas. While coming back to the States after such a high is difficult (I especially miss the tolma and falafel), I can’t help but to carry as much of that holy ground with me as I can every day. I think where I’m at now is best summarized in the lyrics of Barbara Streisand’s “On Holy Ground.”
While abroad,
“I walked
Through the doors
I sensed His presence
And I knew
This was a place
Where love abounds.”
But the entire world
“is a temple
The God we love abides here
Oh we are standing
In His presence
On holy ground
We are standing
On holy ground.”
And my response?
“Let us praise
Let us praise
Praise God now
Praise Him anyhow
For we are
We are standing
In His presence
On holy, holy ground.”
Penn Epistle 