Cliff Dwellings Mesa Verde, Colorado

 Well Preserved Ancient Architecture By the Ancestral Pueblo People

By Naomi Craig

Imagine with me that you are a rancher in the 1880's near Cortez, Colorado. You are searching for lost cattle among the vast canyons of the Mesa Verde area, only to look up and find this magnificent cliff dwelling, untouched by humans for nearly 700 years. *

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde Colorado, Photo by Naomi Craig

Can you imagine being the first one to explore this ancient dwelling? 

Or what about being the ones to engineer this type of dwelling?

Navajo Canyon, Mesa Verde Colorado, Picture by Naomi Craig

I mean, who looks at this landscape and says "Let's build communities in the cliffs?"

 There are over 600 cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Parks, and research shows while the Ancestral Pueblo occupied the area from 500 AD, it was only around 1200AD that the cliff dwellings were built and inhabited. For unknown reasons, the cliff dwellings were abandoned around 1300 AD, and the people migrated south into New Mexico and Arizona. 

Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde Map, National Park Service

The fortitude of these people is undeniable. They would climb the hand-and-toe holds up to the top of the mesa where they would farm and hunt. Thankfully, the Ancestral Pueblo just tossed their trash over the side of the cliff, and archaeologists have been able to learn about their habits and lifestyle.

Mesa Verde Canyons, Picture by Naomi Craig

Just to give a picture of how steep these cliffs are. 🤯🤯🤯Hope the Pueblos weren't afraid of heights!

Did you spot the cliff dwelling?

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Cliff Dwelling, Mesa Verde Colorado, Picture by Naomi Craig

I am so amazed by the ingenuity of people! 

What dreamer could see the village unfolding in the cleft of the rock face? Was the architect employed to oversee construction of the 600 other cliff dwelling in the area, or were multiple people gifted with the ability to plan out an environment that would sustain life and safety for their clan?

Square Tower, Mesa Verde Colorado, Picture by Naomi Craig

While the Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde were built much later than the Biblical cities of Upper and Lower Beth Horon, it seems the building techniques didn't change much. Just as the Ancestral Pueblo desired to establish a safe, profitable environment where they could enjoy life, She'erah from 1 Chronicles 7:24 must have wanted the same for her people in the hills north of the Aijalon Valley.

Have you ever visited Mesa Verde? 

Author of Biblical fiction, avid reader, pastor's wife, Naomi loves reading the Bible and imagining how things were at the time. When she’s not serving in various areas at church or trying to stay on top of mountains of dishes, you'll most likely find her enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee. Naomi co-hosts #BehindTheStory on YouTube and helps facilitate Biblical Fiction Aficionados Community on Facebook. When not writing or trying to wrangle social media, Naomi attempts to get her rescue dog to be cute on command for the many pics she takes throughout the day.

*According to the pamphlets/information handed out by Mesa Verde National Park, the credit for finding the cliff dwellings is attributed to two brothers-in-law searching for lost cattle. However if you look online, there is other documentation and timelines of discovery, including possible sightings as far back as 1765.

The find of Cliff Palace is credited to the Richard Wetherill and Charles Mason because Richard was the first one to enter the cliff dwelling even though Richard's brother, Al, had sighted this magnificently preserved cliff dwelling the year prior.

To learn more about Mesa Verde National Park Read

National Park Service Important Events In the Development and Preservation of Mesa Verde

A Woman Architect in Ancient History?

 by Naomi Craig

Ancient Egyptian Women, Wikimedia

Upper and Lower Beth Horon (now Beit Ur el foqa and Beit Ur el tachta) are mentioned several times through the Bible.

Sun looks out of the dark clouds, Wikimedia

Remember when Joshua asked for the sun to stand still so he could defeat the kings of the Amorites, and the Lord threw down rocks from heaven to defeat Israel’s enemies? (Joshua10)? That was on the ascent and descent to Beth Horon.

The Beth Horons were in the Land allotted to the tribe of Ephraim, and one of them was a Levitical city of refuge (Joshua 21:22)

Right after King Saul made that unlawful sacrifice before Samuel could get there, the Philistines encamped and were eventually driven out at the pass of Beth Horon and Aijalon Valley (1 Samuel 13:18, 14:22,31)

Solomon fortified the cities with gates and walls (2 Chronicles 8:5)

Upper and Lower Beth Horon also played into the Jewish revolt of the Maccabees between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

But what about when it was built? Or more specifically, WHO built it.

The student's manual of ancient geography, based upon the Dictionary of Greek and Roman geography (1861)

1 Chronicles 7:20-24 is a brief break from the line of geneaology. In it, the only time mentioned in scripture is “Now his daughter was She’erah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen She’erah.”

PikiWiki Israel 64666 upper beth horon village, Wikimedia

And then we are right back to the begats.

Hold on. Back up.

Women aren’t mentioned often in the Bible, so when they are it stands to reason that there was something pretty epic about this lady.

Not to mention the little fact of a woman building three cities. Even more intriguing is that two of the three cities are standing to this day.

According to my research, She’erah was Ephraim’s daughter. His dad was Joseph—you know the guy who went from slave/prisoner to Pharaoh’s vizier in a matter of minutes because the Lord gave him the wisdom to save Egypt from the seven year famine. (Read my post on the Biblical Joseph in Egyptian history here). Ephraim’s mom was Egyptian, making She’erah at least a quarter Egyptian.

I bring that up to point out She’erah would have had access to Egyptian wisdom and resources as she’s building these cities. What would have brought her up out of Egypt to build off the Aijalon Valley?

The Bible doesn’t say, but because all of the nations owed Egypt big time for keeping everybody alive during the famine, and the Bible documents that people eventually gave their land to Pharaoh when all other resources ran out. In my imagination Pharaoh pretty much had the makings of an empire.

Also, while Joseph was still alive, and for many years after, the Hebrews and the Egyptians lived in harmony. It was only much later when Joseph was forgotten that the Hebrews were made into slaves.

So here is a woman, granddaughter to Pharaoh’s vizier, part Egyptian, part Hebrew, trying to establish herself in a man’s world by building cities.

Yeah, that sounds like an easy task.

True, Egyptian women DID have more rights than Hebrew women traditionally. However, I can’t imagine all the men in the clan and camp would have been thrilled working under a woman architect.

Bethoron Tahton - Lower Bethoron 1880,Wikimedia

Have you noticed the insert about She’erah and her family before?

She'erah's Legacy

As tragedy ravages the camp, can She’erah step up and complete the outpost?
She’erah is a woman trying to leave her mark in a man’s world. Her vision and ability surpasses her father’s, yet she remains second-in-command as they are tasked to build Pharaoh’s outposts in Canaan. She knows she is worthy of the task, but her clan is skeptical.
The last place She’erah expects support is from her charioteer, but Lateef is the lone voice of encouragement. His integrity and steadfastness is a plumb-line in She’erah’s life and she can no longer deny her growing feelings for him.
Acts of sabotage threaten the construction and the shaky foundation of She’erah’s pride. It’s up to She’erah to break generations of rivalry, distrust, and jealousy—if she can learn to rely on the strengths and abilities of those around her to help.

Will she learn to trust God and others before her life’s legacy comes crumbling down around her?

Author of Biblical fiction, avid reader, pastor's wife, Naomi loves reading the Bible and imagining how things were at the time. When she’s not serving in various areas at church or trying to stay on top of mountains of dishes, you'll most likely find her enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee. Naomi co-hosts #BehindTheStory on YouTube and helps facilitate Biblical Fiction Aficionados Community on Facebook. When not writing or trying to wrangle social media, Naomi attempts to get her rescue dog to be cute on command for the many pics she takes throughout the day.


Preorder She'erah's Legacy here