ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 קרית יערים Kiriath-jearim

Kiliati-sialimi

1 SAMUEL 7:1-2

AND THE MEN OF KIRIATH-JEARIM CAME AND TOOK UP THE ARK OF THE LORD AND BROUGHT IT TO THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB ON THE HILL. AND THEY CONSECRATED HIS SON ELEAZAR TO HAVE CHARGE OF THE ARK OF THE LORD. FROM THE DAY THAT THE ARK WAS LODGED AT KIRIATH-JEARIM, A LONG TIME PASSED, SOME TWENTY YEARS, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL LAMENTED AFTER THE LORD.

1 SAMIUELA 7:1-2

(6:22) Pea omi ha kau tangata Kiliati-sialimi, ‘o nau ‘ohake ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova, ‘o ‘ave ki he fale ‘o ‘Apinatape ‘i he mo‘unga, pea nau fakatāpui hono foha ko ‘Eliesa ke tauhi ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova.

1 PEA faifai pea kuo fuoloa ‘a e nofo‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘i Kiliati-sialimi, ‘o ‘osi ‘a e uofulu ta‘u.

2 Pea tangi toupili ‘a e fale kotoa ‘o ‘Isileli kia Sihova.

Since qiryat means "city of" and y'arim means "woods" or "thickets." Qiryat-Yearim or Kiriath-jearim is the City of Woods. Located about seven miles west of Jerusalem, this town's claim to fame is that the ark of the covenant was housed there in the hilltop dwelling of Abinadab. There it remained until David's reign, when it would eventually-with a devastating stumble along the way-be transported to Jerusalem  (1 Chron. 13, 15).

In 2019, archaeologists determined, with high likelihood, that Kiriath-jearim is the town known as Emmaus in the NT. In this village, on the day of his resurrection, Jesus revealed himself to two of his disciples while he was breaking bread with them (Luke 24:30-31). The ark of God had come to Kiriath-jearim once more. Only this time, it was the Christ-ark, the embodied place of divine glory, who was on the move so that he might bring life to all through his resurrection victory.

O Lord, our blessed ark of mercy, open our eyes to see you in the breaking of the bread.