Digging Deep

In modern times, we often see big metropolitan cities with tall skyscrapers and 5G cell towers. That may tell future civilizations how people lived and connected within that city. My recent visit to my homeland of Israel alongside my children has been a different kind of trip. I’ve seen it more like a journey through time where we could explore the past.
Traveling to cities such as Jerusalem, Acre, Masada, Jaffa and Caesarea is like traveling through a 2000 year old tunnel that gives a glimpse into the way people used to live. Last week. I escaped to Greece with my husband. We visited old sites complete with broken Temple columns, remains of bathhouses and water storage aqueducts, similar to the mikvehs (soaking in the water for spiritual reasons) found in Israel. Oil lamps were used for religious traditions. Old pottery vessels of urns, jugs, cups and dishes were used for daily cooking.
Old coins rich with a patina from different time periods had images of the leaders of those olden days that tell us many stories about their commerce. The more I dug into the subject, the more I learned about the past. There were mosaic floors made of tiny broken tiles painted with amazing images that depicted scenes of wars, military leaders, and many plants and animals that illustrated all facets of life.
The more we excavate, the more that we learn that people everywhere were the same as now. People in all times deal with the same simple basic elements of living. From growing food, using handmade tools, trading spices/oils/glass, and shipping items in clay silos across the world to build a strong economy. Common people working for their leaders make us take a look at ourselves as a society. We come to an understanding that however simple the people’s needs were, they were complicated by their leaders’ ambitions to conquer more land.
It’s fascinating connecting to our roots and learning about the history of ancient people, their traditions, rituals, and their ties to the land. Every stone has a story to tell and each archway opens before us a world that was rich with culture. There is so much to discover; you never really know what’s under the ground you walk on. When I walk in an old city, I don’t just look at what’s on the surface. I’m often curious about the limitless possibilities of the discoveries that might happen just underneath.
Hugh MacDiarmid said, “There are plenty of ruined buildings in the world but no ruined stones”.
Naomi Young is a Jewish studies and a Bar/ Bat mitzvah teacher in Santa Clarita for 40 years. She is also a published writer and an artist. Contact her at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com Visit her art website at www.naomiyoung.com