Masada National Park, Qumran National Park, Dead Sea
Today happens to be our extra day. A day to spend be-bopping around Jerusalem, travel to Masada, or to go to Palestinian governed, Israeli owned Bethlehem. As you can see by the Dead Sea photo at the right of me and a fellower traveller, Mary, mom and I chose Masada.
Driving along, I am amazed at the beauty and starkness of the desert wilderness. Someday, I would love to travel as a nomad in these lonely parts. It boggles my mind that Jesus was sent to a desert wilderness such as this to be tempted for 40 days. With occasional run-ins from other desert travelers, you can go weeks without seeing a single soul. It is a beautiful place with unforgiving and unrelenting floods (Isaiah 35) and sheer cliffs that can make desert passage dangerous. It is also a place of captivating beauty as the early morning sun sets the cliffs to hughes of oranges, reds and browns. It really is an amazing place, one that I pray I will be able to come back to to experience more fully...maybe on the back of a camel! ha!!!
As we drive past the Dead Sea Cliffs to our right and Edom Mountains in Jordan to our left, with a large body of water serving as a border between two countries down below us, we wind our way past areas smelling of sulfur. This is from the Dead Sea. Birds who fly over this body of water thinking it is fresh water, are killed as they become overcome in the noxious fumes. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea, except recently found bacteria, save salt. In fact, this lake has the highest content found anywhere in the world, including the salt flats of Utah. It contains 34% salt content! What I also find interesting is that this place is the lowest lake and point of dry land in the world. As we drive to the last stand of the Jews from Roman rule (Masada) we pass spas that use the minerals from the sea to heal and make cosmetics. We pass desert oasis', places that pop up green out of nowhere, including the place where Lot and his family met their fates...across from the foothills of Sodom in southern Israel to the Oasis of Ein Geti. We drive by a herd of camels and Acacia trees (trees used to build Noah's ark) to find ourselves in front of a massive structure of rock standing on its own from the range around it- Masada.
Masada is an interesting place, even more interesting for those who are afraid of heights...like me. But I survived the climb via a cable car. It was easier, considering I was surrounded by many others from my bus. Looking down and out, we pass over hikers taking the cliff stairs to the top and bottom. If we had time, I too would be making this trek...fears aside...it is really breathtaking! We arrive to the top to be greeted by the remains of another of Herod's great accomplishments- the hanging palace. The first question most of us have is how could anyone live here? The answer has been determined through the finds of giant water cisterns located on the sides of the mountain, where Herod built to collect water from the giant floods that took place. Granted this is only desert and they can get only 2" of rain at the most, this rain has nothing to soak it up into the ground and creates flash flooding and death for anyone unprepared in its way- it happens that quickly. Women then brought water from the sides of the mountain cliffs up to a cistern in the city. These cisterns were found to be able to hold 10 years worth of water. Between that and possibly gardening on top, the Jewish community could hold out against anyone, including the Romans who attacked this place in 73 ad in Israel's last stand against the Roman empire.
As I look around, I again ask myself why build here? It is a strategic location against not only the Romans, but also the Edomites who gave King Herod grief from across the Dead Sea. Interestingly, this fortress is one of 7 that he built in the mountains to use as signals to his other posts and here, a place of community including bathhouse, storage houses, and swim pool. If anyone has seen the Lord of the Rings last movie, a signalling system such as this one was used.
As we look around, many people of all types come to this place. Children have Bat Mitzvah here. School groups and military groups come to learn about the land in this part of Israel. It is the second most visited place in Israel, next to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Due to it's historical prevalence and the respect for those who fought off the Romans here, the military would swear its new recruits in here. If one reads the work of Josephus and the downfall of this place in 73ad, they will wonder if all had happened as he told it. According to the records found here through excavation, every bit is true, right down to the remaining 3 store houses that were not burned. This was not just a Jewish place, but also a pagan place, where Romans would come to visit Herod and use the bathhouses and community to pamper themselves in many different ways. Rabbis would request that their Jewish people not venture the direction of the bathhouses...for obvious reasons- Roman life was very seductive. Many Jews began to study Roman life and Greek philosophy and became part of the culture (Helenized Jews).
When Herod dies, the prosperity of this place turns to poverty. The people of this land blame the Romans for their oppression. Finally in 70 ad, Romans destroyed Jerusalem and her temple. 960 refugees come to Masada. By 73 ad, Romans finally made it to this place to take over the people here. They built 8 army camps around the mountain, several still can be seen from the air. Within the span of 4 months, they had built a ramp to the lowest part of the community and set the entrance on fire to gain entry to the fortress. When they finally reached the top, all that could be found were a couple of buildings untouched by fire (which the Jewish Zealots did themselves) and a few surviving women and children. It is said from survivor accounts that the men, led by Eleazar, drew lots (with names written on them) to determine who was to kill their families first and then to determine which of the men were to kill the other men down to the last ten men. The last man would then kill himself. This story is difficult to swallow for devout Jews as it is Taboo to kill oneself. However, the people here are revered as national heroes for their stance. In 1948, during the time of Israels independence, the people held tight to these inspirational stories of old to help them fight for their freedom. We leave this fascinating place, not able to visit all of it due to time, and head for Qumran.
Along the path to Qumran, we were treated to 3 jet fighters flying near us over the Dead Sea. The Israelis were doing manoeuvres. It really was a wake up call that things do happen here. We then visit a factory called Ahava, which is world famous for creating cosmetics and skin care products from the healing minerals in the Dead Sea. After a brief video, which I missed due to searching the skies for more jet fighters that I could hear, but not see, we shopped and then headed for lunch at Qumran national park. This place is interesting. I wish we could hire the national park service for a night to take us to some of these caves in the hills to live for one night. This is a no-no, but would be a blast doing. Qumran is the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found by a 17 year-old sheep herder when one of his goats was lost in a cave. He went back to collect three of them, and tried to sell the scrolls to locals in Bethlehem. When no one bit, he took them to a shoe maker to have shoes made out of them. The shoemaker suspected that these were of importance and paid the boy a few coins and took them to a local church and the rest is history, as was the shoemakers poor bank account, which had millions in it from the find. The boy you may ask...did he get anything from this find? Not a penny. In fact, when he couldn't get $5 for treatment from a doctor, a treatment that could have cured him, the shoe maker wouldn't give him a penny. The boy, named Mohammad, died at 65 suffering from sickness he never recovered from, feeling that his life was nothing from bad luck when he opened a scroll vase to unlock a genie. The shoe maker??? When Bedouin nomads living here found out how much the scrolls were worth, they went back and started cutting them up believing they could get twice as much. A mediator was brought in- the shoemaker to help serve as a go-between. The scrolls were thus saved. He ended up becoming rich, owning hotels and properties throughout the region. Although he was wronged, Mohammad never wanted any harm come to the shoemaker. His belief was that it is not for man to judge man, but for God to judge. This story ends on an interesting note. Right after Mohammad dies, the shoemaker dies. The scrolls are now found at the Israeli Museum and Rockefeller Museum, both in Jerusalem.
From here, hot and tired, we anxiously drive to the Dead Sea for a dip. Because of the buoyancy of the salt water, nothing sinks to the bottom. We suited up and ran down to the shore for a few moments of play. Once in, we all felt like kids again. we could bob like bobbers, fly like superman, and even sit Indian-style in the water without drowning. It was funny to see people start spinning and not be able to stop because they kept going in circles at the top. I, as several others, were told to not get your face in or near the water, or if you had a cut of any kind, to be careful...let's just say that next time I won't splash myself. My left eye and lips will never be the same....oooohhhh the sting!!! After recovering, several of us covered ourselves in the mud we have heard so much about. It was oozy and gooey and squirted between our fingers and toes. Some of us even found sink holes in the water and sank to our knees and hips in it. Thankfully we weren't wearing shoes, or we would have lost them due to the suction of the mud. The mud, filled with supposed healing properties from the mineral content, is good for your skin and joints. So we took a mud bath, as you can see from today's posted picture of Mary and I (I am on the left in black). Once rinsed off, my skin had never felt so smooth or soft. It felt as though someone had taken a big bottle of oil and pored it over me. We all joked that we glowed from the spa treatment we gave to ourselves.
So we now end our day, but not without a visit to town. Three new friends, all around the same age and energy level, took a taxi to one of the districts downtown to do some last minute shopping. We bartered for deals, relaxed for the first time on our trip at our pace, listened to live music of all styles (violin, guitar, harp and saxophone throughout the entire street), ate American food from McDs and BK (my fish sandwich cost $10 in US- Seriously! No fries or drink---just a sandwich). Eli mentioned that at BK, it is pronounced Vopper, not Wopper, as the Hebrew language does not have a W. So Michelle had a Vopper Jr. lol!!! We were all so sick of the food and water...just wanted something from home...it was the best sandwich many of us could remember having! ha!!! The guys did their thing for a bit as we went up the street briefly to shop at some other shops. When we came out of one shop, Michelle and I looked for them and we could not figure out where the guys went. We weren't too worried though...there were officers and others who could help us out if needed. We
wandered looking at shops and finding even better deals until we could locate them. These guys know how to power shop!!! It ended up us waiting on the guys and searching them out! We finally literally ran into one another around a corner and together continued hitting shops around this street. Michelle and I will laugh about this one for quite some time.
Aaron did discover something interesting in a shop we were in that really sunk home that we were not in the states. He found a note with 3 bolts taped to it. Those bolts were part of a bomb that went off in the street in front of this shop set off by a suicide bomber a while ago. The bolts and other shrapnel set off came in through the windows and barely missed those working in the store. As I looked outside, it was full of teens playing around, shoppers of all types and nationalities going about their business, and three Americans standing looking at this little note, it struck me that this could happen anywhere to anyone at anytime. Welcome to the world today. It was a sobering thought.
Craig ended up teaching us all a lesson or two in getting a great price for an item. He taught Aaron how to do this for the first time, and Aaron came out with some great deals! Craig proved to be one of the best barterers I have ever met. I just hope that I remember not to do this in the US...they will either think I am crazy or have me arrested. ha!!! To me, it was one of the best ways to end a trip, surrounded by fun new friends, feeling, smelling and seeing Israel come to life around me, at a pace that we set for ourselves.
Night all! Need to get some rest for tomorrow- sniff...our last day.
Today happens to be our extra day. A day to spend be-bopping around Jerusalem, travel to Masada, or to go to Palestinian governed, Israeli owned Bethlehem. As you can see by the Dead Sea photo at the right of me and a fellower traveller, Mary, mom and I chose Masada.
Driving along, I am amazed at the beauty and starkness of the desert wilderness. Someday, I would love to travel as a nomad in these lonely parts. It boggles my mind that Jesus was sent to a desert wilderness such as this to be tempted for 40 days. With occasional run-ins from other desert travelers, you can go weeks without seeing a single soul. It is a beautiful place with unforgiving and unrelenting floods (Isaiah 35) and sheer cliffs that can make desert passage dangerous. It is also a place of captivating beauty as the early morning sun sets the cliffs to hughes of oranges, reds and browns. It really is an amazing place, one that I pray I will be able to come back to to experience more fully...maybe on the back of a camel! ha!!!
As we drive past the Dead Sea Cliffs to our right and Edom Mountains in Jordan to our left, with a large body of water serving as a border between two countries down below us, we wind our way past areas smelling of sulfur. This is from the Dead Sea. Birds who fly over this body of water thinking it is fresh water, are killed as they become overcome in the noxious fumes. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea, except recently found bacteria, save salt. In fact, this lake has the highest content found anywhere in the world, including the salt flats of Utah. It contains 34% salt content! What I also find interesting is that this place is the lowest lake and point of dry land in the world. As we drive to the last stand of the Jews from Roman rule (Masada) we pass spas that use the minerals from the sea to heal and make cosmetics. We pass desert oasis', places that pop up green out of nowhere, including the place where Lot and his family met their fates...across from the foothills of Sodom in southern Israel to the Oasis of Ein Geti. We drive by a herd of camels and Acacia trees (trees used to build Noah's ark) to find ourselves in front of a massive structure of rock standing on its own from the range around it- Masada.
Masada is an interesting place, even more interesting for those who are afraid of heights...like me. But I survived the climb via a cable car. It was easier, considering I was surrounded by many others from my bus. Looking down and out, we pass over hikers taking the cliff stairs to the top and bottom. If we had time, I too would be making this trek...fears aside...it is really breathtaking! We arrive to the top to be greeted by the remains of another of Herod's great accomplishments- the hanging palace. The first question most of us have is how could anyone live here? The answer has been determined through the finds of giant water cisterns located on the sides of the mountain, where Herod built to collect water from the giant floods that took place. Granted this is only desert and they can get only 2" of rain at the most, this rain has nothing to soak it up into the ground and creates flash flooding and death for anyone unprepared in its way- it happens that quickly. Women then brought water from the sides of the mountain cliffs up to a cistern in the city. These cisterns were found to be able to hold 10 years worth of water. Between that and possibly gardening on top, the Jewish community could hold out against anyone, including the Romans who attacked this place in 73 ad in Israel's last stand against the Roman empire.
As I look around, I again ask myself why build here? It is a strategic location against not only the Romans, but also the Edomites who gave King Herod grief from across the Dead Sea. Interestingly, this fortress is one of 7 that he built in the mountains to use as signals to his other posts and here, a place of community including bathhouse, storage houses, and swim pool. If anyone has seen the Lord of the Rings last movie, a signalling system such as this one was used.
As we look around, many people of all types come to this place. Children have Bat Mitzvah here. School groups and military groups come to learn about the land in this part of Israel. It is the second most visited place in Israel, next to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Due to it's historical prevalence and the respect for those who fought off the Romans here, the military would swear its new recruits in here. If one reads the work of Josephus and the downfall of this place in 73ad, they will wonder if all had happened as he told it. According to the records found here through excavation, every bit is true, right down to the remaining 3 store houses that were not burned. This was not just a Jewish place, but also a pagan place, where Romans would come to visit Herod and use the bathhouses and community to pamper themselves in many different ways. Rabbis would request that their Jewish people not venture the direction of the bathhouses...for obvious reasons- Roman life was very seductive. Many Jews began to study Roman life and Greek philosophy and became part of the culture (Helenized Jews).
When Herod dies, the prosperity of this place turns to poverty. The people of this land blame the Romans for their oppression. Finally in 70 ad, Romans destroyed Jerusalem and her temple. 960 refugees come to Masada. By 73 ad, Romans finally made it to this place to take over the people here. They built 8 army camps around the mountain, several still can be seen from the air. Within the span of 4 months, they had built a ramp to the lowest part of the community and set the entrance on fire to gain entry to the fortress. When they finally reached the top, all that could be found were a couple of buildings untouched by fire (which the Jewish Zealots did themselves) and a few surviving women and children. It is said from survivor accounts that the men, led by Eleazar, drew lots (with names written on them) to determine who was to kill their families first and then to determine which of the men were to kill the other men down to the last ten men. The last man would then kill himself. This story is difficult to swallow for devout Jews as it is Taboo to kill oneself. However, the people here are revered as national heroes for their stance. In 1948, during the time of Israels independence, the people held tight to these inspirational stories of old to help them fight for their freedom. We leave this fascinating place, not able to visit all of it due to time, and head for Qumran.
Along the path to Qumran, we were treated to 3 jet fighters flying near us over the Dead Sea. The Israelis were doing manoeuvres. It really was a wake up call that things do happen here. We then visit a factory called Ahava, which is world famous for creating cosmetics and skin care products from the healing minerals in the Dead Sea. After a brief video, which I missed due to searching the skies for more jet fighters that I could hear, but not see, we shopped and then headed for lunch at Qumran national park. This place is interesting. I wish we could hire the national park service for a night to take us to some of these caves in the hills to live for one night. This is a no-no, but would be a blast doing. Qumran is the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found by a 17 year-old sheep herder when one of his goats was lost in a cave. He went back to collect three of them, and tried to sell the scrolls to locals in Bethlehem. When no one bit, he took them to a shoe maker to have shoes made out of them. The shoemaker suspected that these were of importance and paid the boy a few coins and took them to a local church and the rest is history, as was the shoemakers poor bank account, which had millions in it from the find. The boy you may ask...did he get anything from this find? Not a penny. In fact, when he couldn't get $5 for treatment from a doctor, a treatment that could have cured him, the shoe maker wouldn't give him a penny. The boy, named Mohammad, died at 65 suffering from sickness he never recovered from, feeling that his life was nothing from bad luck when he opened a scroll vase to unlock a genie. The shoe maker??? When Bedouin nomads living here found out how much the scrolls were worth, they went back and started cutting them up believing they could get twice as much. A mediator was brought in- the shoemaker to help serve as a go-between. The scrolls were thus saved. He ended up becoming rich, owning hotels and properties throughout the region. Although he was wronged, Mohammad never wanted any harm come to the shoemaker. His belief was that it is not for man to judge man, but for God to judge. This story ends on an interesting note. Right after Mohammad dies, the shoemaker dies. The scrolls are now found at the Israeli Museum and Rockefeller Museum, both in Jerusalem.
From here, hot and tired, we anxiously drive to the Dead Sea for a dip. Because of the buoyancy of the salt water, nothing sinks to the bottom. We suited up and ran down to the shore for a few moments of play. Once in, we all felt like kids again. we could bob like bobbers, fly like superman, and even sit Indian-style in the water without drowning. It was funny to see people start spinning and not be able to stop because they kept going in circles at the top. I, as several others, were told to not get your face in or near the water, or if you had a cut of any kind, to be careful...let's just say that next time I won't splash myself. My left eye and lips will never be the same....oooohhhh the sting!!! After recovering, several of us covered ourselves in the mud we have heard so much about. It was oozy and gooey and squirted between our fingers and toes. Some of us even found sink holes in the water and sank to our knees and hips in it. Thankfully we weren't wearing shoes, or we would have lost them due to the suction of the mud. The mud, filled with supposed healing properties from the mineral content, is good for your skin and joints. So we took a mud bath, as you can see from today's posted picture of Mary and I (I am on the left in black). Once rinsed off, my skin had never felt so smooth or soft. It felt as though someone had taken a big bottle of oil and pored it over me. We all joked that we glowed from the spa treatment we gave to ourselves.
So we now end our day, but not without a visit to town. Three new friends, all around the same age and energy level, took a taxi to one of the districts downtown to do some last minute shopping. We bartered for deals, relaxed for the first time on our trip at our pace, listened to live music of all styles (violin, guitar, harp and saxophone throughout the entire street), ate American food from McDs and BK (my fish sandwich cost $10 in US- Seriously! No fries or drink---just a sandwich). Eli mentioned that at BK, it is pronounced Vopper, not Wopper, as the Hebrew language does not have a W. So Michelle had a Vopper Jr. lol!!! We were all so sick of the food and water...just wanted something from home...it was the best sandwich many of us could remember having! ha!!! The guys did their thing for a bit as we went up the street briefly to shop at some other shops. When we came out of one shop, Michelle and I looked for them and we could not figure out where the guys went. We weren't too worried though...there were officers and others who could help us out if needed. We
wandered looking at shops and finding even better deals until we could locate them. These guys know how to power shop!!! It ended up us waiting on the guys and searching them out! We finally literally ran into one another around a corner and together continued hitting shops around this street. Michelle and I will laugh about this one for quite some time.
Aaron did discover something interesting in a shop we were in that really sunk home that we were not in the states. He found a note with 3 bolts taped to it. Those bolts were part of a bomb that went off in the street in front of this shop set off by a suicide bomber a while ago. The bolts and other shrapnel set off came in through the windows and barely missed those working in the store. As I looked outside, it was full of teens playing around, shoppers of all types and nationalities going about their business, and three Americans standing looking at this little note, it struck me that this could happen anywhere to anyone at anytime. Welcome to the world today. It was a sobering thought.
Craig ended up teaching us all a lesson or two in getting a great price for an item. He taught Aaron how to do this for the first time, and Aaron came out with some great deals! Craig proved to be one of the best barterers I have ever met. I just hope that I remember not to do this in the US...they will either think I am crazy or have me arrested. ha!!! To me, it was one of the best ways to end a trip, surrounded by fun new friends, feeling, smelling and seeing Israel come to life around me, at a pace that we set for ourselves.
Night all! Need to get some rest for tomorrow- sniff...our last day.
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