Samos

We went to Samos Island on Tuesday morning for a meeting with the Bishop of Samos. Their manuscripts are in storage during renovation so we did not get to view them. We did have a good first meeting and were each given a very nice picture icon.

We stayed in Vathi and walked around the harbor taking in sights and watched the sun set over the horizon. This morning we went back to the port where we came in . This port was Pithagorio and was the home of the famous mathematician Pythagoras (you remember the Pythagorean theorem don't you?). We also visited the ruins of an old castle and church near the town.

Now we're back on patmos and I'm glad. There aren't as many people here and it is more peaceful.

Greek Food

Update: OLIVES! How could I forget Greek olives? These things are great!!!

I have tried some unusual foods here in Greece. Here are 10 things I have tried. I liked most of them and some were just strange. Actually, we can't find anything that is bad. The prices here are good too.

Above is a picture of one of our appetizers. Looks appetizing doesn't it?

• Octopus (see the picture)
• Sea Urchin (a little black thing with a ton of sharp spikes)
• Grilled Lamb (really good, one favorite)
  
• Seafood Crepes (awesome, another favorite)
• Gyros (this is Greece!)
• Greek Salad (I still don’t like tomatoes.)
• Fresh Feta Cheese (great flavor)
• Greek Coffee & Frappe (strong & muddy. I like it.)
• Swordfish
• Dates (a sweet treat, pretty good)

Views of Patmos

Photo 1: View of Patmos from the ferry. The monastery is at the top of the island. Photo 2: Night view of Skala with the monastery lighted in the background. I took this from our hotel balcony.

A Day at the Monastery

Today we had the most exciting day of our trip. This morning, with much apprehension, we approached the gate of the monastery. We weren't sure of what kind of greeting to expect. First we were offered kaffe (coffee) and were ushered into the office of Abbot (the head of the monastery) and were greeted very warmly and served a frappe (iced coffee) by an assistant. The assistant librarian was there for us and was able to interpret for the Abbot who only spoke a little English. Dan answered some questions about DTS and some nice words were exchanged. The Abbot then gave us a gift of a small picture of John writing in a cave which was a special welcome gift. We were then invited to have lunch with the Abbot. Next we were taken to the museum where we saw ancient manuscripts and some of their oldest relics. The assistant librarian then escorted us to the old library area where the manuscripts are stored. Before we knew it we were set up in a back room and photographing the first of the 5 codices that we came here to photograph. Around 1:00 we went to the dining hall and were seated at a long table and served a nice lunch with more food than even I could eat. We didn't sit at the same table as the priests but it was a privilege to have been invited to eat with them. After lunch, we were privileged to visit the archive room where we saw some of their oldest documents. We were treated very warmly and respectfully by our new friends at the monastery, Yanni (the Assistant Librarian) and Antonas (the Museum Guide).

Thanks for all of your prayers. Not only is this a dream come true for our team, it has been a long wait full of planning. Today we really saw God's amazing power and grace.

Please be in prayer that our time here continues to be productive and beneficial. Also that we would be able to get all of the work done, even with time to spare possibly for other manuscript studies and some building of some good relations here.

On Patmos

Update: I got some pictures to upload. The first is the theater at the Acropolis. I think this is where Yanni performed. The second picture is the Parthenon. Look at the people in the picture to see how big it is. More Later...

We made it to Patmos. Yesterday we walked around Athens and visited the Acropolis. The Parthenon is HUGE!!! I'm having trouble uploading pictures here but I'll keep trying so check back.

Three Years Down

Another semester has come and gone (along with my third year in seminary). This one ended with a bang because I actually had 2 final exams this week. I've gotten used to having more large writing projects due at the end of each semester rather than final exams so this was a change of pace for me. I think I prefer turning in papers instead of cramming for tests. Today was DTS commencement and it was really crowded. This was the first time DTS has ever had a ticketed graduation and it was a bit of a hassle. I'm hoping that they find a new, larger place to have it in the future so people won't have to have tickets. However it was a nice ceremony and several of my friends graduated.

Now my focus turns to travelling to Greece. We leave this Thursday afternoon and I'm busy making checklists so we don't forget anything. We have been photographing some manuscripts here in Dallas to practice for the trip. We photographed a facsimile of Codex Sinaiticus and will also do a Facsimile of Codex W soon. I'm excited about going but have been too busy to get very nervous about my first international trip.

A Word for Today
Codex Sinaiticus - 4th century Greek Biblical manuscript discovered by Constantin von Tischendorf at the Monestery of St. Catherine on Mt. Sinai. It is the only known complete copy of the New Testament in majuscule script.