Hello and welcome to day number five in Israel! This was our off day. We could shop, sleep, or take an optional trip to the Dead Sea area and see
some things that we did not have time to see yesterday. Our gang did not come 5889 miles (measured from Newark, NJ) just to sleep or goof off, so
we are signed up to go! We started out by driving the same road from Jerusalem toward Jericho as we drove yesterday, so I thought I would give
you a few more scenery pictures. I am deliberately putting these pictures in random order. If you read yesterday's blog, you should be able to tell
the order they were taken. Can you?
some things that we did not have time to see yesterday. Our gang did not come 5889 miles (measured from Newark, NJ) just to sleep or goof off, so
we are signed up to go! We started out by driving the same road from Jerusalem toward Jericho as we drove yesterday, so I thought I would give
you a few more scenery pictures. I am deliberately putting these pictures in random order. If you read yesterday's blog, you should be able to tell
the order they were taken. Can you?
The correct order is: The lower right was first, lower left was second, upper left was third, upper right was last.
I mentioned the Bedouin shepherds yesterday. They still tend the sheep and goats much like their forefathers. We past several of their homes and
flocks off this main thoroughfare. These people have little to no education and will not need it. They travel like nomads from field to field feeding
their flocks.
I mentioned the Bedouin shepherds yesterday. They still tend the sheep and goats much like their forefathers. We past several of their homes and
flocks off this main thoroughfare. These people have little to no education and will not need it. They travel like nomads from field to field feeding
their flocks.
We traveled south the 13 miles to the Dead Sea then turned west. You have to see this land to comprehend it. It reminds me much of the western
United States. Tall rock mountains tower over the horizon for miles, then suddenly the land become flat and level. In south Israel, especially south of
Jerusalem, the land is dry and barren. Small communities are often built at the base of the mountains to make use of the plains and the run-off water.
The land is wide open with few trees to block your view and it is as big as the sky! Valleys run deep. From the top of a mountain, across a valley and
back up the other side, you could easily walk a mile or more. The mountains often end abruptly and fall off sharply for 1/4 a mile or more. Rock
slides and washes from the flash floods are common. The currents are so strong that we saw where an entire road had been cut apart with a twenty
foot deep gnash from a single flash flood. Rocks are everywhere--and I mean everywhere. In every field, thousands and thousands of rocks are
stacked or just worked around. Everything is made of rock. On this drive, to our right were the tall red rock mountains while on our left, the plain
leads into the Dead Sea. These pictures cannot do the scenery justice but look out our right window first...
United States. Tall rock mountains tower over the horizon for miles, then suddenly the land become flat and level. In south Israel, especially south of
Jerusalem, the land is dry and barren. Small communities are often built at the base of the mountains to make use of the plains and the run-off water.
The land is wide open with few trees to block your view and it is as big as the sky! Valleys run deep. From the top of a mountain, across a valley and
back up the other side, you could easily walk a mile or more. The mountains often end abruptly and fall off sharply for 1/4 a mile or more. Rock
slides and washes from the flash floods are common. The currents are so strong that we saw where an entire road had been cut apart with a twenty
foot deep gnash from a single flash flood. Rocks are everywhere--and I mean everywhere. In every field, thousands and thousands of rocks are
stacked or just worked around. Everything is made of rock. On this drive, to our right were the tall red rock mountains while on our left, the plain
leads into the Dead Sea. These pictures cannot do the scenery justice but look out our right window first...
...then our left.
Depending on the quality of your monitor, the pictures may look hazy but the blue out the left window is the Dead Sea in the distance. The Dead Sea
is feed with the flash flood waters, coming down from the mountains, and the Jordan River. Just like in the American west, the ground is too rocky to
absorb the rain waters so they run miles and miles through the valleys (called wadis or wadies in Israel) until they get to the Dead Sea. At the same
time, they are descending as much as 4000 feet from the heights of the hills around Jerusalem to the below sea level Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is
actually evaporating away. The Jordan River is being consumed by the people and used for agriculture so that it is not feeding the Dead Sea enough
to sustain it. Since 1970, the Dead Sea has been backing away from the road at a rate of 3 feet per year, hence, it is now some distance from our
highway.
Our stop was Masada. Masada was build by King Herod (alive at the birth of Jesus) as a fortress in case he fell out of displeasure with the Romans or
the Jews. He died around 4BC, however, never needing it. Some 70 years later, the Jews revolted against Rome and a group of them fled to Masada.
The Romans laid siege against Masada for 2 1/2 years. From the front side (looking at Masada from the Dead Sea), Masada rises 1450 feet, so it was
no easy task getting them out. Two garrisons of soldiers (8,000) built 8 camps around it and eventually used Jewish slaves to build a dirt ramp to the
backside of Masada. They built the ramp one bucket of dirt and rock at a time. When the Jews in Masada saw Masada would be breached and that the
Romans would place their fellow Jews in the front of the garrison so they would have to kill Jews to defend it, they made the decision to kill
themselves and die as a free people. They burned the fort but left their food and water to show the Romans that they had not done this act in
desperation but by choice. Lots were drawn and ten soldiers (I think) were selected to kill the people. Then one of them killed the other nine and fell
on his own sword. To this day, Israeli soldiers are taken to the top of Masada and sworn into the military. Their pledge is, "Madasa shall not fall
again." The view is beautiful but the Comcen winds (wind from off the dessert carrying dust particles) hid much of the distance. Some of the
buildings have been rebuilt in part. (If you see a black line on a building, everything above it is a re-recreation and everything below it is original.)
The rock foundations, pictures, bathhouses, and mosaics are over 2,000 years old.
is feed with the flash flood waters, coming down from the mountains, and the Jordan River. Just like in the American west, the ground is too rocky to
absorb the rain waters so they run miles and miles through the valleys (called wadis or wadies in Israel) until they get to the Dead Sea. At the same
time, they are descending as much as 4000 feet from the heights of the hills around Jerusalem to the below sea level Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is
actually evaporating away. The Jordan River is being consumed by the people and used for agriculture so that it is not feeding the Dead Sea enough
to sustain it. Since 1970, the Dead Sea has been backing away from the road at a rate of 3 feet per year, hence, it is now some distance from our
highway.
Our stop was Masada. Masada was build by King Herod (alive at the birth of Jesus) as a fortress in case he fell out of displeasure with the Romans or
the Jews. He died around 4BC, however, never needing it. Some 70 years later, the Jews revolted against Rome and a group of them fled to Masada.
The Romans laid siege against Masada for 2 1/2 years. From the front side (looking at Masada from the Dead Sea), Masada rises 1450 feet, so it was
no easy task getting them out. Two garrisons of soldiers (8,000) built 8 camps around it and eventually used Jewish slaves to build a dirt ramp to the
backside of Masada. They built the ramp one bucket of dirt and rock at a time. When the Jews in Masada saw Masada would be breached and that the
Romans would place their fellow Jews in the front of the garrison so they would have to kill Jews to defend it, they made the decision to kill
themselves and die as a free people. They burned the fort but left their food and water to show the Romans that they had not done this act in
desperation but by choice. Lots were drawn and ten soldiers (I think) were selected to kill the people. Then one of them killed the other nine and fell
on his own sword. To this day, Israeli soldiers are taken to the top of Masada and sworn into the military. Their pledge is, "Madasa shall not fall
again." The view is beautiful but the Comcen winds (wind from off the dessert carrying dust particles) hid much of the distance. Some of the
buildings have been rebuilt in part. (If you see a black line on a building, everything above it is a re-recreation and everything below it is original.)
The rock foundations, pictures, bathhouses, and mosaics are over 2,000 years old.
We also went to the Dead Sea. Our group did not get in but many did. The area that we visited is a beach with restaurants, hotels, and eateries all
around it. The high content of minerals in the water causes you to float whether you want to or not. It is also supposed to be good for the body so many
consider the Dead Sea a health resort. Since so many were wearing so little, I will not share pictures.
Last, we visited En Gedi. This is the place where David hid from King Saul. You might remember that it was at En Gedi that Saul went into a cave, and
David cut off part of his clothing.
around it. The high content of minerals in the water causes you to float whether you want to or not. It is also supposed to be good for the body so many
consider the Dead Sea a health resort. Since so many were wearing so little, I will not share pictures.
Last, we visited En Gedi. This is the place where David hid from King Saul. You might remember that it was at En Gedi that Saul went into a cave, and
David cut off part of his clothing.
There is so much more to say, but I am out of time. I don't have time to proof this as I am running late, so I hope it makes sense. God bless you.
Israel - March 10, 2008