Transcript biblical geography

BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY
The Climate and Weather
Conditions of the Palestine
The Importance of the
Climate
• It determined the succession of
season, the seasonal activities
and the calendar of feasts.
• It imposed its rhythm to
collective, familial and
Individual life.
Two Factors that
Determine the Climate
• The position of the Palestine at
the southeastern corner of the
Mediterranean where the desert
and sea almost touch each
other.
• The division of the region into
North-South Lines of relief.
Major Climatic Regions
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The coast plain, including the plain of
Esdraelon as far as Affuleh.
The Cis Jordan hills, including also
Carmel
The Rift Valley, including the valley of
Jezreel
The Trans-Jordan Plateau.
The Steppe- This is region dividing the
cultivable area from the true deserts of
the Negeb in Cis Jordan and of Eastern
and Southern Trans-Jordan.
The Desert.
Six Major Rules Which Determine the
Differences Between the Regions
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Since Palestine lies at the southeastern corner of
the Mediterranean, rainfall tend to decrease as
one goes from north to south.
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Rainfall tends to decrease also from west to east
that is as one goes farther from the sea.
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Rainfall tends to increase, however, as one goes
up the mountains.
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Rainfall tends to decrease very markedly on the
lee side of the mountains that is toward east.
This is particularly true of the eastern slopes of
the hills of Cis-jordan leading down into the rift
valley.
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Temperature tends to decrease with an increase
in height.
Palestine Weather Cycle
• The dry summer from mid-June
to mid September.
• The rainy season in the cooler
half of the year.
• The transitional seasons.
The Summer
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Mid-June to Mid-September.
Extraordinarily regular.
The Eastern winds.
The low pressure draws air in from
the Mediterranean which deflects
the Etesian winds towards the
Palestinian coast.
• The dew factor- responsible for the
growth of grapes during the summer.
Shittah- The Rainy
Season and the Winter.
• It is unpredictable.
• The rainy season begins gradually
during the second half of October.
• The former Rain- The thunderstorms.
• The cold season from about
Christmas- The snow fall.
• The latter rain-March and April
The Transitional
Seasons
• Between the rainy season and the
summer at either end are the
transitional seasons.
• The Sirocco - a hot dry wind from
the desert.
• The Sirocco produces the highest
temperature of the year.
• The Sirocco of the spring season are
highly destructive of the winter
vegetation.
The Climate and the
People of the Bible
Biblical thought is shot through and
through with the conception – The
climate reflects the nature of God in
His dealings with man.
The Climate and the
People of the Bible
• The uncertainty and the variety- The
Israelite could never experience a
sense of Stability in his daily life.
• The uncertainty and the variety- not
a matter of chance.
• Biblical writers- God was in full
control of the climate and the kind
of the weather he gave them was
part of his purposes for them.
• Israelites responded to natural
beauty and marveled at it.