Monday, 10-19-09

The hotel we stayed at last night was located on the water front of the Dead Sea. We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, and had the morning to enjoy swimming (or I should say floating) in the strange and salty mineral water. How fun it was to be so buoyant! Our skin felt silky smooth after we got out of the water… like we’d just had a special spa treatment : )

        Wolfes at the Dead Sea                                                           

                        Having so much fun!

                            Look at us floating!              

                          

After a late breakfast, we headed out for Masada National Park. We began our bus ride with a reading from Psalm 138, and we focused our attention on God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness, and gave Him praise.

Masada is located on a plateau in the desert which rises about 1,475 feet above the level of the Dead Sea. Rather than walking the steep “Snake Path” in the 106 degree weather, we took an aerial tram up to the top. The steep cliff walls and remote location of Masada made it an ideal fortress. Herod the Great recognized the strategic advantages of this site, and chose to develop it into a great city with luxurious palaces, bathhouses,and even a large wine cellar. Even though Masada was located in the desert, water was not a problem. Herod built an ingenious water system with multiple cisterns to supply water all year long.

Herod's winter palace and bathhouses at Masada

We learned about the history of Masada mainly as reported from the writings of Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian who became a Roman citizen from the first century. In the year 66, Jewish rebels took over Masada from the Romans, but in the year 74, the Romans took it back. They set up military camps around the base of Masada, the remains of which we were able to see. They also built a huge ramp on the western side which is also visible today, and they used catapults and a battering ram to break down the wall around Masada. The Jews built support walls out of wood, and the Romans were able to set fire to this wall, and eventually burn down the city. The 960 Jews who were greatly outnumbered by the Romans, when they knew they were facing defeat, decided rather than give up their freedom to Roman rule, they took their own lives and the lives of their families. The Romans were expecting a big fight from these Jewish zealots, and were very surprised by what they found once inside.

After this, we traveled on to Qumran National Park, the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It is located on the north-western shore of the Dead Sea. We had lunch at this location and also had some time for shopping. Our Israeli tour guide told us that this was the best place to purchase Dead Sea products, like shampoos, soaps, body lotions and mineral mud products.

The Essenes, a Jewish sect living in the desert regions, were scattered after the Romans conquered Qumran in the year 68. We saw some of the ruins from their dwelling places, as well as some of the community rooms such as an assembly hall and pottery workshop. We also saw a “Scriptorium” or writing room, where the scribes wrote many of the scrolls found in the caves. It is thought that the Essenes used these caves as their hiding places for their libraries. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered between 1947 - 1956 in 11 different caves, with over 900 documents found. They are housed at the “Shrine of the Book” Israeli museum. We also learned that John the Baptist may have been associated with the Essenes.








After our time at Qumran, we started on the pilgrimage road toward Jerusalem. We read Psalm 22 and prayed for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem. Our tour guide played a Jewish song called, "Jerusalem," which helped us all appreciate our ascent into this great city of our God.