Thank goodness the haze cleared out for the final day of our Negev field study. We stopped first at Masada, a very interesting mountain with a lot of history behind it. Herod built a palace up on Masada as a secure fortification in the event a retreat was necessary. Although it was so secluded, he managed to build such an effective aqueduct system they were able to fill a swimming pool! So whereas the besieging armies had to hike through the desert to the springs of En-gedi for water, Herod's soldiers were splashing in the pool on the mountaintop.
Later, Josephus, the historian, records that the Romans were so frustrated with Israelite rebellion, they decided that no matter what, they would take Masada. Rather than submit to Roman rule the Israelites finally decided to destroy their storehouses and commit mass suicide. Whether or not this account is true is debated, but it's a dramatic and powerful story nonetheless. So much so, the Israeli military used to march their recruits up Masada in full battle gear in order to receive their issued Bibles at the top and swear in, "Never again." Never again would Israelis need to commit suicide in order to avoid foreign rule. However, recently the military has stopped doing this, because they've realized that it's the Israelites who suffered through exile and foreign rule who continued on the Jewish line. Glorifying suicide is not congruent with Jewish theology, so the military has since ceased swearing in their recruits at Masada. However, the site remains very significant to Jewish history.
The "War Machine"...bwahahaha!
Hiking to the top of Masada
I missed breakfast that morning, so I popped some BBQ Pringles instead. =P
CIU power team
Pillars from Herod's palace on Masada
These birds were everywhere--and everywhere around us after Stewie decided to feed them some Pringles.
A rabbinic classroom
Stewie didn't need a classroom to preach Paul's sermon on Mars' Hill.
A visitor doing his prayers on top of Masada
The white trail is the "Snake Path" we took down the mountain. Going downhill has never been so difficult. No wonder Herod only ever came to his palace on Masada twice.
And at this point of the trip, we start taking self-portraits...
...and being silly or looking creeper. =P
But not to worry, because the the next stop was water! The Dead Sea has the highest salt content in the world and is also the lowest point in elevation on the entire earth. Apparently, it is shrinking rapidly everyday, though.
You really do float in the Dead Sea.
And be careful you get NONE of it in you because it will buuuuurn!
I made it my mission to find some Dead Sea mud, and with the help of Jon and some locals, I succeeded in plastering my body with mud! (Don't worry, Mom. It's supposed to be really good for your skin because it's very rich in minerals.)
From the saltiest water on earth we went to some of the most refreshing, cool spring water at En-Gedi. This is the place where David cut the corner off of Saul's robe while Saul was, uhh, "relieving himself." haha.
The water levels were lower than usual.
But it still made for an AMAZING swim.
On our hike back, I managed to catch a rock badger mid-air. =D
...I wonder, if you put a rock badger and an ibek on a cliff, who would have better footing?
Finally, we concluded the Biblical Negev study with a visit to Qumran, the site where they discovered the famed Dead Sea scrolls.
A mimosa tree...possibly?
The cave where they found the first set of scrolls. It's also called "The Library."
The Dead Sea and Jordan Plateau behind me
Yay! Jon's little finger-man climbed the rock!
And from there, it was back to Jerusalem for hot showers, delicious dinners, and wonderful beds for our sleepy heads...
No comments:
Post a Comment