Tuesday was a very special day. We visited Shiloh where the Tabernacle resided for  many years. It was here that Hannah prayed for a son and God gave her Samuel, who later became the prophet, who anointed David to be king. While there, we had a time of reflection and prayer for special needs.

We drove through the area where Joshua’s long day occurred, and on to Gezer, one of Solomon’s fortified cities. I Kings 9:15 lists three cities that he built, and archaeologists have determined all three of those city gates were built by the same man of that time period.

Another stop, Beth Shemesh, was where the cows brought the Ark of the Covenant once the Philistines released it.

Qeiyafa was the encampment of the Israelite army above the Elah Valley. Here David chose 5 stones from a small brook to kill Goliath. At Qeiyafah, we got into small groups and ran around trying to identify various gates, the palace, and other items of interest. We were able to find some pottery shards there from the 10th century B.C.