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Israel Study Tour - Friends of Hume
May 18-28, 2014
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Living Water
Our first adventure for today was a trip to Masada, a fortress set high on a mountain and built by Herod the Great. Fortunately for us, we rode a cable car to the top in 6 minutes, instead of the 45+ minutes it would have taken us to hike up the zigzag trail in the heat. As we were surrounded by the ruins of the palace and homes, our guide, Ronan, lectured to us about King Herod, while wearing his “It’s great to be king” T-shirt. We learned about the 1000 zealots and their families who set up camp on Masada in the first century to live free of Roman rule. Eventually the Romans set up 8 camps around the base of Masada. The zealots decided they would rather be free than to be ruled by the Romans, so they held out for 3 years while the Romans sent soldiers, catapults, battering rams and built a tower, all without success. Finally they enlisted the help of 5000 Jewish slaves who built a siege ramp. In 73 AD they reached the top and began to break down the walls. The zealots destroyed their fortress, put 10 men’s names on tablets. These men killed their families and friends, one of them killed the other nine, then fell on his own sword. In 1948, Israelis came back to Masada, archaeologists found the names in the clay and this became their anthem/symbol for the freedom of the newly established nation of Israel: “Masada shall not fall again!”
Masada
The summit of Masada sits 190 feet (59 m) above sea level and about 1,500 feet (470 m) above the level of the Dead Sea. The mountain itself is 1950 feet (610 m) long, 650 feet (200 m) wide, 4,250 feet (1330 m) in circumference, and encompasses 23 acres. The “Snake Path” climbs 900 feet (280 m) in elevation. From the west, the difference in height is 225 feet (70 m).
We next ventured to Ein Gedi, where David lived in the caves while fleeing from Saul. Ein means spring and Gedi means goats. David referred to Ein Gedi as a replenishment, a place where God sustains. There are four fresh water springs that supply water (mayim chaim=living water) to this beautiful spring, and the mountains are dotted with caves. Many of us took our shoes off and enjoyed the refreshing, cool water. Rich encouraged us to reflect on the heat of the desert surrounding us and how it makes us long to immerse our entire bodies in the water. We would long to stay in that relaxing place, much as we desire to stay in the healing places where God meets with us, and yet if we did we would become complacent, much as we do in our own lives when all is going well. But it is the desert places of our lives that call us back to God and build the character that He needs to build in us.
Ein Gedi
En Gedi is the largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea. The springs here have allowed nearly continuous inhabitation of the site since the Chalcolithic period. The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah, and was famous in the time of Solomon (Josh 15:62). Today the Israeli kibbutz of En Gedi sits along the southern bank of the Nahal Arugot.
The Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by Bedouin shepherds in 1947 was our next stop. After the initial discovery of 7 scrolls, some 200 more were discovered by archaeologists. Prior to hat time our oldest biblical manuscripts dated back to the 9th century but these scrolls dated back to the first century and recreated the entire Old Testament, except for the book of Esther.
Qumran Caves
Allegedly discovered by a Bedouin shepherd chasing a stray, the initial Dead Sea Scrolls found here changed the study of the Old Testament.
The seven scrolls discovered in this cave were the Manual of Discipline, War of Sons of Light, Thanksgiving Scroll, Isaiah A and B, Genesis Apocryphon and Habakkuk Commentary.
Our last stop was Jericho, in the West Bank, which has been controlled by the Palestinian Authority since 1994. We enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch, feasting on hummus, chicken, salad and pizza. We strolled through a shopping area near Elisha’s fountain and the Jericho Tel. Just another day in the Promised Land.
Jericho
The “City of Palms” spreads out on the west side of the Jordan River at 825 feet below sea level. In Jesus’ day a new center had been constructed on the wadi banks in the foreground by the Hasmonean rulers and Herod the Great.
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Sondi Pittam
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