The Sheepfold at Galilee

The artist traveled to Israel in 2003 to research and paint biblical scenes from the Holy Land.

The most meaningful place in Israel for me was the Sea of Galilee. We stayed at a bed and breakfast above the Sea of Galilee and this painting was done from my bedroom window. Below us was a sheep fold. The shepherd came out every morning and took the sheep up to higher pasture. There was only one gate at the front. At the rear of the pen the shepherd seemed to be feeding and separating some of the sheep. The roof of the fold could have been in Alabama as it was a beautiful tin, but the trees behind were indigenous to Israel and few. There were rocks everywhere. Above the sheep pen were very expensive mansions.

This work shows the life of a shepherd in biblical times. It is based on the passage in John 10 where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”