Where is zarephath in sidon

The site of the ancient town is marked by the ruins on the shore to the South of the modern village, about 8 miles to the South of Sidon, which extend along the shore for a mile or more. They are in two distinct groups, one on a headland to the West of a fountain called Ain el-Qantara, which is not far from the shore.

Here was the ancient harbor which still affords shelter for small craft. The other group of ruins is to the South, and consists of columns, sarcophagi and marble slabs, indicating a city of considerable importance. Arch of Titus Church of St. Trees, Flowers and Plants. Cultural Images. Western Mediterranean. Iron Age tell and Phoenician harbor Zarephath is preserved in the name of the modern village, Sarafand.

Biblical History During the severe famine in the reign of King Ahab, Elijah sought out lodging with a widow in Zarephath. Excavations James Pritchard directed excavations at Zarephath on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania in and Download all of our Lebanon photos! Related Websites Visit the nearby cities of Tyre and Sidon , or travel up to the mountains to visit the remaining cedars of Lebanon.

One day he drank too much wine and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers about it.

Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders and walked in backwards, and covered their father's nakedness. When Noah woke up and found out what Ham had done, he said, Genesis The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.

Noah predicted that Ham's sin would continue and develop in Ham's son Canaan. Genesis tells us that Sidon was the firstborn of Canaan. Van't Veer writes, My God is Yahweh, p. That was why Canaan had to be subjected to the yoke of slavery… It was imperative that others have mastery over Canaan… Canaan was not to be allowed Cain's freedom to assert himself and subdue others, for that would lead irresistibly to the world's destruction.

If Canaan were not held down, his unrighteousness would flood the entire earth…". He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them,. The people were amazed and almost dumbstruck. So Jesus said to them,.

Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. Jesus recalled Elijah's going to the widow of Zarephath to makes the point that unless the people of Nazareth and the people of Israel accept Him as the Messiah He will turn to the Gentiles.

Van't Veer, p. This meant that the law of replacement would go into effect with all its consequences. According to that law, the Gentiles would be called to accept the duties and privileges of the covenant that had been rejected by the Jews. Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

So in Elijah's being sent to the widow of Zarephath we have a pointer to the grace that would be sent to the Gentiles after Christ's death and resurrection. As Dr. Lightfoot says, Elijah was the first prophet to the Gentiles.

Now what does this mean for you? For us who are Gentiles, who are Christians, this means you ought to have great humility and awe when you think about your salvation. Your salvation came about, in part, because others rejected God's grace. You were not naturally in the way of God's grace.

You are not natural children of Abraham. God's grace is so wonderful, that if some of those who were chosen by God reject Him, God uses that to have mercy on others. The transgression of the Jews meant the riches of the world. This means you ought to have great humility at your salvation. We Gentiles, in particular, should not boast about our salvation. God's grace only came to you because others rejected it.

Paul speaks about this in Romans In verse 17f he wrote,. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. Then in verse 24 he said to the Gentile Christians,. This is often the attitude we bring with us when we go to that hostile space of Zarephath. We think we can overcome hostility with hostility.

What does it look like to take off the outer trappings of our own warrior prophet in our divided society today and to walk into Zarephath seeking hospitality that has the power to create something new? Elijah walks into Zarephath without his warrior prophet armor. He comes with his own hunger and his own vulnerability he is on the run, he too is malnourished and desperate to one who is also vulnerable, this widow and her son who are on the brink of starvation.

Vulnerability meets vulnerability. There is an exchange of gifts: a morsel of bread, an unexpected word of good news. Here, in Zarephath in the heart of enemy territory, claimed for another. Each week when we come to this table, we make our way to Zarephath. We are asked to remove some of our armor, to come forth in our vulnerability, and to meet here vulnerable others and a God who is open and vulnerable to us.

And we do this strange exchange of gifts: a morsel of bread, an unexpected word of God news, honest words of prayer spoken. And we encounter God, present in life-giving power. What we do here is what we are called to do out there, beyond these doors. Take off your armor, warrior prophets.