When I was living in Jerusalem my favorite Sunday afternoon activity was to visit a museum. After Church I would stop for coffee and then make my way to the Rockefeller Museum, the Israel Museum, or the Bible Lands Museum, where I could happily while away several hours with ancient artifacts. I would like to share some of my favorites with you in a small series.
This small clay figurine of a woman kneading bread dough was found in an ancient tomb in Achziv in northern Israel. It dates to the 8th-6th Century B.C.E., the time of the Divided Kingdom.
This delightful figurine provides a snapshot of everyday life in the biblical period, and points to the importance of bread in the ancient world. While water is the most essential element for sustaining life, bread was a close second in the ancient world.
Making bread was primarily the work of women in the Ancient Near East. They would rise early to grind the grain between two basalt stones (called querns), make a fire in their dome shaped oven, then make and bake the bread. It was arduous work.
This little figurine and other artifacts of everyday life from the Biblical era help us understand ordinary life behind the Biblical events. For example, this figurine always makes me think about the Book of Ruth. Ruth had an ordinary life, and would have arisen before sun-up every morning to grind grain, knead dough, and bake bread. I think that knowing this makes the story come alive in new ways, and helps us us connect more deeply with the story as we see that Ruth was not super-human, but an ordinary woman who took care of her family and sought to follow God. She was not so different from us and we can take comfort and courage from that. For, if she could be faithful after a long morning of making bread then we too can follow God as we walk through our ordinary days with all our ordinary chores.
Thanks, Heidi. I am so glad we were in Israel for Holy Week last year and know that things are a lot different there now. Blessings to you and Scott!
Maggie – Yes, a very different Holy Week this year, but Jesus is still the Risen Lord and conquered sin and death! Blessings to you. Looking forward to being home and seeing everyone. H.
I imagine everyone made it through COVID, the deadly version? Stay well, Stockwells😀👍. Yes, I have to catch up on these readings of Heidi’s. I think of Shalom as being so focused on ChristJESUS that we do not even get offended, much less constantly hoping the worst doesn’t spew forth out of our mouths or even barrage our brains/minds.
Stay well Heidi and Scott,
Love ya in Christ, StephJB.
Interesting and easy to relate too! Hope you are safe and well!
Marilyn Greely
Birmingham, AL
Marilyn – I am well. I pray that you are too. Crazy times. May God be with us all. H.