The Shephelah field trip is in the low hill country of Judea located south west of Jerusalem. Our first stop was Beth Shemesh, which was an ancient fortified Israelite town. The Philistines controlled the low lands while the Israelites controlled the hill country. This is the area where Samson was raised and used his great strength against the Philistines. 
This is a Bedouin tent we could see in the valley. The Bedouin lifestyle has remained the same for centuries. They are poor shepherds that migrate around and live off the land.
The Elah valley is where David and Goliath fought centuries ago. The Israelites were in the hill country but the Philistines would attach up the valleys. David had the faith to take a stand against Goliath the champion of the Philistines. Today BYU students pick up stones in the dry riverbed and sling them across the Elah valley. Their accuracy would not win any contest. 
Mareshan was an ancient fortress in the Judean Highlands. Archaeologists have found an underground complex there. There are numerous rooms cut into the stone. They have reconstructed the equipment for the oil factory that was previously there. It is believed that Herod the Great was born at Mareshan.
Tel Lachish was the largest Old Testament city in the hill country; second in importance to Jerusalem at this time. Archeological excavations revealed 8 layers of inhabitation on this site. Archeologists reveled evidence of Joshua and the Israelite conquest. 
Our first field trip is an orientation walk that takes us from East Jerusalem which is the Palestinian Arab part of the city into West Jerusalem which the modern Jewish area. We begin at the lower gate of the BYU center, which is located in a Palestinian area. As we walk along we go up the hill towards the ancient city walls of Jerusalem.
The main business street in the Palestinian area is Salah ed-Din Street. It is always crowded and congested there are various shops, post office, money changers, and bakeries.
This shop has clothes for Palestinian women. They always wear modest loose clothing.
Palestinian women are very modest and frequently cover their head when they are out in public.
We go through Damascus Gate, which is the busiest gate into the Old City then on down to Jaffa gate, which leads to West Jerusalem or the Jewish area.
This is a modern shopping area along Jaffa road. Ben Yehuda Street is also a popular shopping area in West Jerusalem with upscale shops and restaurants. This area has buildings that still have the marks left from the bullets during the fighting in the 1967 war. 
There are stores, restaurants, and a post office in the Jewish area. You see Jews wear the orthodox Jewish clothes but also western clothes. 
The biggest problem with our apartment is that I have to carry groceries down five flights of steps. There are twenty steps per flight which makes one hundred steps between my apartment and the parking garage. And then walk up four or five flights to classes and most other activities. Walking is my daily exercise while living here.
My favorite part of our apartment is the patio and the view overlooking the old city. It is pleasant to go out in the evening and relax while looking out over the city.
Unfortunately there was only one bedroom apartments available at the center. I really miss my big master bedroom and bathroom. Above the bed is the picture I bought in Rome of the Vatican and Tiber river. 
Once I got my family pictures up it felt more like home. The kitchen has all modern appliances and supplies. My problem was going shopping and most labels are in Arabic or Hebrew. Maybe a third of the products have a small amount of English writing. As soon as I got in the grocery store I remembered how crazy it is to guess what is in the package I am buying. I am purchasing food for breakfasts and lunches but eating dinner at the center.
Our apartment is small but adequate. It took some time to get use to our home for the next year. We have a living room, kitchen, and one bathroom all completely furnished.
Every four months a group of 80 students come to the center to study. They take a full load of classes including Old Testament, New Testament, Ancient Near East History, Modern Near East History, Judaism, Arabic, Hebrew, and weekly field trips to to give on site discussions of Biblical events. I will be here while my husband teaches for one year.
This is the entrance to the BYU Jerusalem Center. It is a beautiful building on well sculptured grounds. It is in a prominent location and overlooks the old city of Jerusalem. There is much curiosity about Mormons and the center building. The center hosts regular tours of the building and thousands come through. However, the church has promised to not proselyte in Israel so there is not discussion about our beliefs.
We arrived in Jerusalem August 30, 2009. We are staying at the BYU Jerusalem Center on Mount Scopus (the building with the row of arch windows) on the east side of Jerusalem.
