The Center for Biblical Resources provides a more realistic background to our favorite Bible stories.
By Janet Mendelsohn Moshe
Picture baby Jesus born in a manger 2,000 years ago. The first image that usually comes to mind, and the one that is most often represented, is a wooden barn and a manger of wood stuffed with straw. However, this is unlikely to be an accurate portrayal of the original nativity scene, claims Dr. Jim Fleming, director of the Biblical Resources Pilgrim Center. Renaissance artists painted biblical and New Testament scenes in their familiar European landscape, not the actual scenery of the Holy Land. Fleming explains that since the Land of Israel is mostly dry and warm, and wood is scarce, Joseph and Mary probably found shelter in a cave in Bethlehem, and the manger where Jesus lay may very well have been a feeding trough carved out of stone.
This scene has been reconstructed at the Center as part of a project to portray a more "historically accurate" picture of biblical events. Located in the picturesque Ein Kerem neighborhood of Jerusalem, the Center brings the texts of the Old and New Testament
to life with reconstructions based on archeological finds and guided tours.
After studying archeology in Jerusalem in 1973, Fleming returned to his hometown of Houston, but he soon realized that he preferred educating to excavating. As a Christian, Fleming understood the importance of teaching the Jewish roots of Christianity, and he believed that Israel was the ideal place in which to do so. He left the United States to develop his ideas in Israel in 1975, but still maintains an office near Houston, where he occasionally lectures.
According to Hannaniah Pinto, manager of the Center, no effort has been spared in expanding its educational program. "Many groups from around the world come to visit the Center," explains Pinto. "Here they are able to broaden their horizons and understand a great deal more about the Bible."
One example of Fleming's ideas put into practice is the threshing floor which has been reconstructed at the Center. As grain was the main food staple in biblical times, Fleming explains that the hopes and fears of the community were focused on the threshing floor at harvest time, to see if there would be enough food for the coming year. Thus the Psalmist wrote: "He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." (Psalms 126: 5-6) Fleming explains that the threshing floor was a flat area of exposed bedrock surrounded by a low wall of fieldstones, ideally located at a high spot exposed to the afternoon breezes, necessary for threshing. He also reports that the harvest season was a time of unity and hard work: "Everyone cut the grain with sickles, tied the sheaves and let them dry in the field. When dry, the sheaves were spread on the threshing floor in preparation for the separation of the kernels from the husks." One can also imagine Boaz from the Book of Ruth, smiles Fleming, sleeping on the threshing floor in order to protect the harvest.
Fleming has also reconstructed a watchtower in a vineyard to illustrate how the ancient farmer slept on the roof of the watchtower during harvest time in order to protect his grapes from theft. He believes that this watchtower was also a symbol of the belief in the Divine protection given by God to his people.
At the Center, one can also learn much about the olive tree. By way of introduction, Fleming quotes Hosea 14:7, where the prophet exclaims: "[The Lord's] beauty shall be like the olive tree." Fleming explains that although this gnarled tree with its silver-green leaves is indeed striking, its beauty is in its function. An olive tree can yield up to 80 liters or 18 gallons of oil annually, and in biblical times this oil was vital for cooking and lighting, as well as for soap, medicine, and religious rituals. Fleming also demonstrates how the oil was extracted using a reconstructed olive press.
One of the attractions for Christian visitors is the chance to eat "the Last Supper", a meal with 15 dishes including unleavened bread and wine or grape juice. The diners sit at a triclinium (three-sided table) where the custom is to recline on pillows and cushions. "We want people to understand the background of the Bible and the context in which it was written," explains Pinto. "This is the way one should visit the Holy Land: Bible in hand."