Dothan: An Eternal Reminder of God’s Protection!
Almost 3,000 years ago, the ancient city of Dothan was the setting for a most miraculous demonstration of God’s protection for His people and specifically, His prophets. The Aramean king had repeatedly dispatched his soldiers at strategic points to ambush the armies of the northern Kingdom of Israel but to no avail.
The pioneering community of Mevo Dotan, near ancient Dothan, attests to God’s everlasting protection. Photo: “Mevo Dotan-entry,” by קרלוס הגדול, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Completely at a loss as to his lack of success, one of the king’s servants explained: “Elisha, the prophet in Israel” who could see the hidden, was the one providing intelligence reports to the king of Israel. (II Kings 6:12) Enraged, the Aramean king sent his army to capture Elisha, who was then in Dothan.
Arriving at night, the Aramean forces surrounded Dothan, leaving Elisha’s servant terrified by the seemingly insurmountable danger. Yet Elisha bore witness to something concealed to the naked physical eye: “Do not fear,” Elisha reassured him, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (II Kings 6:16) After beseeching God, the eyes of Elisha’s servant were opened to see that “the mountain was full of (Heavenly) horses and chariots of fire” who would safeguard him and Elisha. (II Kings 6:17)
In ancient Dothan, the Heavenly chariots of fire shielded Elisha and blinded the attacking Aramean army!
Elisha prayed to God, and those very Heavenly forces struck the Aramean army with blindness. With the Aramean soldiers effectively neutralized, Elisha took advantage, pretending to lead them to “the prophet in Israel” who, unbeknownst to them, was he himself. From Dothan, the blinded men followed his direction to the city of Samaria, where, upon their arrival, their blindness was removed and they discovered themselves surrounded by the King of Israel and his army! Dothan thus became a site of testimony to God’s endless providence over His people and prophets, no matter how overwhelming circumstances appear. Similarly, against all odds, pioneers today, with God’s help, have revived communities in all corners of the Biblical Heartland!
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The Families Restoring the Glory of Zion
One of the pioneers helping to revive a relatively isolated corner of the Biblical Heartland is Ahava Bashan, who, along with her husband Yotam and their two daughters, Ayala and Naveh, moved from the urban center of Jerusalem to the small community of Kedem Arava, just north of the Dead Sea.
“We chose to leave the city to live in this tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone,” said Ahava.
Ahava, Yotam and their daughters Ayala and Naveh have enjoyed every second living in Kedem Arava, “a place rooted in the values connected to the land of our ancestors.”
Having worked in the field of community management, which involves establishing connections between people and advancing initiatives for the greater public, Ahava was particularly drawn to the harmonious relationships among the families of Kedem Arava.
“Kedem Arava is a place rooted in the values connected to the land of our ancestors, where everyone extends their hands for one another,” she noted.
“Life here is expensive, competitive, and dangerous, but we have no other land,” said Ahava.
Ahava was specially drawn to the harmonious relations between Kedem Arava’s families.
“Being here in this Land is the destiny of the Jewish people, and that is why we feel most fortunate to be raising our family in Kedem Arava!”