March 8, 2025

—There is only one woman in the Bible that I can find who is specifically referred to as a shepherdess. Do you know who it is? Genesis 29:9 reads,

“Now while [Jacob] was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.”

—Most of us are far removed from a shepherd’s life, yet the Bible overflows with images of shepherds and their sheep. David leaning against a tree, trying to think like one (Psalm 23). Jesus teaching that good shepherds give their lives for the sheep (John 10), and, of course, beautiful Rachel watching her dad’s flock and turning Jacob’s head (Genesis 29).

—The Shepherdess, displayed in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Israel, also turned my head the first time I saw it. Executed in oil on canvas and measuring sixteen by twenty-one inches, it captures a solitary shepherdess, holding a wooden staff and seated in the foreground of a quiet pasture. Painted in 1889 by Vincent van Gogh, a minister’s son who himself pursued the ministry for a short time before turning to art, I’m drawn to the face of the shepherdess. Is she young or old? Rested or beleaguered? Is it a hot day or a cool one? Is it windy or still? I can’t tell, and yet not knowing actually adds a touch of timelessness to the painting, for the shepherdess is always among her sheep. They are never alone.

—At first I missed them—the sheep! They had blended unseen into the hilly background of the canvas, but when I looked again, there they were, standing just to the left of the shepherdess, not far from her, perhaps eager to remain near, unwilling to stray, for they have a good shepherdess.

–Daniel McCabe

Who We Are

—Shalom Y’all Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all gifts to our ministry are tax-deductible. SYM was formed in 2021 to teach the Bible and lead tours to Israel. Our teaching and presentations feature the acronym S-H-A-L-O-M, which means “peace” in Hebrew.

——S – Scripture Study

——H – History and Geography

——A – Archaeology

——L – Life in the Land

——O – On-the-Ground Tours

——M – Media and Resources

Our Mission

—To teach and encourage those who love the Bible, the land of the Bible and the people of the land and to lead educational tours to Israel that forever change the way you read your Bible and worship the Lord

Our Prayer

—“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).