Jensens survey of the old testament adam 335
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? as you read the descriptions given
below.
Valley west of Mount Hermon. The Jordan
River originates here, north of the Sea
of Galilee. Between the Lebanon and
Hermon ranges, the rift valley is very
prominent.
Sea of Galilee. The sea is 685 feet below
the level of the Great Sea. This
beautiful area was inhabited by many
people in New Testament times.
Jordan River. The river is entirely below
sea level, from the Sea of Galilee to the
Dead Sea. The hot and humid climate
of this valley discouraged the building
of cities. Jericho was an exception (see
Map F).
Salt Sea (Dead Sea). This is 1,286 feet
below sea level. What main river flows
into it? The sea has no outlet, hence its
dense and rich mineral content. A few
cities were located on its shores in Old
Testament times.
Al Ghor (Araba). A hot, dry valley. No
cities were located here.
Gulf of Aqaba. Solomon built a fleet of
ships at the north end of this gulf (1
Kings 9:26).
The rugged hills rise
sharply from the low rift valley to the
high plateau. Few cities were located
here.
TRANS-JORDAN HILLS
From the fertile tableland of the
north to the semidesert south, this
plateau was the scene of relatively
little New Testament history. Its
rolling land was used mostly for
grazing livestock. Jesus ministered at
PLATEAU
times in the cities of Decapolis and
Perea (see Map F, page 65).
As you proceed with your survey of the
New Testament, especially the four
gospels and Acts, visualize the
topography that you have just studied.
For example, when you read that “a
certain man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho” (Luke 10:30),
you should be able to visualize a
descending road, one moving down off
the ridge.
C. WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Palestine is in the same latitudes as the
southern United States. Its climate is
controlled generally by the prevailing
westerly winds from the
Mediterranean Sea. However, because
of the diversity of topography, the
climate varies considerably from place
to place. Overall, there are two
seasons: warm, dry summers, and cool,
wet winters. The rainy season lasts
from November to March, the rains
being unusually heavy at the beginning
and end of the season (from which
come the terms “early” and “latter”
rains).32 Average temperature ranges
for Jerusalem, representing recent
records, are forty-one to fifty-four
degrees Fahrenheit in January and
sixty-five to eighty-five degrees in
August. The moderating effect is
caused by the more constant
temperatures of the Mediterranean
Sea.
The climate of Galilee, where Jesus lived
most of His life and accomplished most of
His public ministry, was more pleasant in
