Drawn to The Past; The Bible Lives

After over thirty years of living in Shiloh I'm not the same person I was when we moved here September 1, 1981.  And it's not just a matter of being almost thirty-two years older than I was then. 

Living a short walk from where the Mishkan, holy Tabernacle had stood as the central point of Jewish Prayer for three hundred and sixty- nine years has done something to me, especially since I began a monthly pilgrimage to pray on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each Jewish Month at Tel Shiloh.

There are other Jewish women fighting over how one should pray at the Kotel, but davka, it's Shiloh which is the most ancient place for Jewish women's prayers.  It was at Shiloh where the Biblical Chanah, Hannah, had successfully prayed for a son.  Her mode of silent prayer, while obviously mouthing the words has been adopted by Jewish sages as the correct way to pray.

When I'm at Tel Shiloh and hear the traffic below, my mind goes to Biblical Eli, the Priest, who educated Chana's much awaited son Shmuel, and how he heard the hullabaloo of the unnamed runner arriving with the news of the capture of the Aron HaBrit, Holy Ark and the death of Eli's sons.  No doubt the sounds traveled up to Eli, HaKohen, like today's modern traffic can be heard by us.

It's easy to imagine Shiloh as a busy administrative and spiritual center when you see the large jugs that have been found by the archeologists.  Not only did Jews live here, but pilgrims came on the Jewish Holidays and all year long to pray.

Next month, G-d willing we'll be back at Shiloh HaKeduma to pray, again, together.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz

Sunday, June 9, 2013

1 Tammuz 5773, 8:30am

Tour of Tel & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים
ראש חודש תמוז בתל שילה
יום א' 9-6 א' תמוז תשע"ג 8:30
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
נא לבוא, לפרסם ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

 

 

There's now a very well kept up tourist center in Shiloh, Shiloh HaKeduma, at Tel Shiloh.  You can arrange tours and events there by emailing visit@telshilo.org.il or call 02-994-4019.