Epiphany and the Incense Route Revisited

 

Saturday, January 06, 2024

The Magi, the Incense Route, and Avdat

 

                                         Camel Caravan Sculpture at Avdat Archeological Site, Israel 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.”

Matthew 2:1-2 NRSVue

Radiant God, light for all people and all places,

by the guidance of a star you led the Magi

to worship the Christ Child.

By the light of faith 

lead us to worship you in peace and love,

and guide us in your way.

We pray in the name of Christ, 

light of the world. Amen.

Voice United 86 An Epiphany Prayer 

I posted this blog entry two years, ago almost exactly three months after the terrible attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists. The campaign of retribution had begun in Gaza yet we couldn't have known how terrible it would become, reducing this Palestinian territory to rubble and killing 70,000 or more, mostly civilians. As I noted then, we were less than an hour from the border of the Gaza Strip in the relatively remote Negev Desert. On this Feast of Epiphany we can continue to pray for peace and love.  

We were in Israel last April for a wonderful couple of weeks of exploration, literally from one end of the country to the other. As we travelled south with our gracious hosts, Ruth's sister and her husband, we stopped at a national park in the Negev desert. We'd never heard of the archeological site called Avdat, one of the Nabatean town on the ancient Incense Route from Saudi Arabia which brought frankincense and myrrh -- sound familiar? It was early in the morning so we were the only people there, exploring the hilltop ruins which include the remains of several churches from later eras. The view was 360 degrees and amazing. 

Today is January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany in the Christian liturgical calendar and the time to consider the Magi, the astronomers and astrologers who made the demanding journey following a heavenly body, in search of a promised child. While its long been thought they came from Persia along a route from the east and north, some scholars speculate they could have been using the established Incense Route from the south and east. 

We'll never know for sure if "our" Magi passed through Avdat, but it was fun to be in that place and to imagine the caravans passing through. Little did we know that only a few months later this land would be in turmoil and that Gaza, just to the west of our travels through the Negev, would be virtually destroyed. We could benefit from a few epiphanies, some wise ones, and some light in this gloomy time.