The Laughlins

Yesterday, Mark and I were freeloaders on an IBEX trip to the beach in Ashqelon. We spent a lot of time battling waves, filling our swimsuits with sand, and even visiting some archeological sites near the beach. We visited some ruins from the Roman period that included many tall, granite pillars as well as statues of Atlas holding the world on his shoulders, Nike, the winged goddess of victory, and others. We also visited the archeological site in the northeastern part of the park where archeologists discovered a city gate from the middle Bronze period. Its vaulted ceiling is significant because it is one of the oldest arches discovered anywhere in the world, and one that reaches to the ceiling level of the gate. Mark and Seth decided to be adventurous and went in for a closer look of the remains...while I rested on the beach :) For more information on Ashqelon and links to many other informative websites, check out this BiblePlaces.com link.