Soldiers see biblical site

Photo By Staff Sgt. Ty Stafford | Soldiers take pictures of Abrahams Pond. The local population of Al Asad believe the pond is where Abraham and his family stopped on their pilgrimage from Err to Haran.  

11.25.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Soldiers from the 64th Corps Support Group at Al Asad, Iraq, recently visited what could be a biblical site on the base camp.
Nestled next to a former Iraqi Police Academy is a small pond overgrown with reeds and bushes which according to locals is Abraham's Pond.
According to Arab legend, Abraham visited the oasis at Al Asad on his journey from Ur to Haran (Gen 11:31). In the legend, he stopped at the oasis, drank from its water, and bathed himself. He and his family also camped there for a short time before moving on to Haran.
"It is very possible he traveled from Ur to Haran and stopped here. It is right in the pathway," said Sgt. Matthew Nelson, chaplain assistant.
Nelson and Maj. Richard Graves, a chaplain, after obtaining consent from the Marine commandant at Al Asad, conducted their first tour of the area Nov. 2. Visitation of the site was restricted prior to the tour because people would leave trash there, Nelson said.
Before the tour was set up, many servicemembers began a clean up effort in April around the oasis which had been neglected over the years. Several layers of trash and debris were removed around the pond and from a nearby building which is said to be more than 100 years old.
"It is one of the oldest buildings here at Al Asad and gives you an idea of what the architecture was like back then," Graves said.
Down the road from the pond is also a stark reminder of Saddam Hussein's reign, an Iraqi cemetery from the Iran-Iraq War.
Buried in shallow graves are the remains of soldiers and civilians who died during the war.
Marines and Navy seabees conducted another clean up project in May in an effort to bring an aura of respect for those fallen.
"I didn't think there was anything like this on post. It was pretty interesting," said Master Sgt. Ann Stevens, 64th CSG.
The chaplain team plans on conducting weekly tours of the site for all servicemembers interested in visiting the historically significant site.

• Date Taken: 11.25.2005
• Date Posted: 11.25.2005 05:03
• Story ID: 3846