What God has established

Day 3 Audio Israel Blog - Rob and Amy Wright
http://gtitours.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Day-3-Audio-Israel-Blog-Rob-and-Amy-Wright.mp3

“It’s good to be the king!” was our Israeli tour guide Ronan’s t-shirt and catchphrase for the day. This was in reference to King Herod and his three palaces at Masada. We also visited the city and caves of Qumran where John the Baptist likely lived. We experienced Biblical locations, learned lessons from Israel’s history, and felt the power of Christ’s metaphors as we saw his illustrations from nature.

Although it’s not mentioned in Scripture, the stronghold of Masada plays a significant role in Israeli history. Today we had the opportunity to explore the extravagant ruins of Herod’s palace atop a mountain. One of the great aspects of our tour is the various options for physical ability. I (Jason) decided to “race” to the top, which really meant jogging 50 yards and then heavily breathing while walking up the snake trail up the mountain. I (Melissa) however, took a much shorter and direct route in a gondola with a few other not so crazy people. The view from the gondola allowed us to see for miles in every direction. A rather impressive sight. It also allowed us to cheer on the rest of the crew as they got close to the top.

One thing we learned today was the important role Masada played during the time of Herod. Rather than a military fort or royal refuge, Masada functioned as a center of commerce. Archeologists have discovered store rooms for salt, perfume, and bitumen. Salt during that time was used as currency, and because of its proximity to the Dead Sea, salt was extracted in an abundance bringing wealth to the region.

Sometime after Herod’s death, Judea vied for independence from the super power of Rome. The Zealots, a militant Jewish sect numbering 1,000 retreated to Masada in an attempt to preserve their way of life from Roman oppression. After the destruction of the temple, and the fall of Jerusalem, the Zealots at Masada believed they were the only remaining free Jews. Rome eventually surrounded Masada in eight camps totaling 10,000 legionnaires. It took three years for Rome to create a ramp of rocks to reach the top of the stronghold. When the Zealots realized their eminent defeat, they chose to die free rather than by Roman swords. In a single night 10 Zealot men took the lives of every man, woman, and child in the stronghold and then their own. When the Romans reached the top, there was no one to conquer. Because of the stance of the Zealots, modern Jews to this day still declare “remember Masada” and are required to climb Masada several times during their lives.

It was an honor to celebrate such a tradition of the Jewish people. Remembering their history is very important to all Jews. As we learn more about how God’s people have been oppressed over the years, we also get a better gimps of the determination and passion these people have for keeping their legacy, traditions and independence alive. It’s a beautiful reminder that what God has established is worth fighting for. It begs the question, what do we remember that keeps us fighting for the things of God, and what mountains are we climbing to keep it alive?

Ein Gedi (Heb: spring of the wild goat) is nested in a network of caves in cliffs. 1 Samuel references David cutting off a corner of King Saul’s robe in the caves of Ein Gedi. David revered God with such a profound respect that killing, let alone cutting the robe of God’s anointed king broke David. He had faith in God’s promise that he would become king, but it would be in God’s timing and not of his own timing. God’s word holds many promises for us, do we live in those promises or do we take matters into our own hands? David was a man after God’s own heart because of his complete trust in God’s providence and love.

The last site we visited was Qumran. Qumran is very significant in the history of both Jews and Christians because it was here that the Dead Sea scrolls were found. In the 1940’s a trio of shepherd boys were throwing rocks into the caves of Qumran when they accidentally broke some clay jars. In those clay jars were found copies of meticulously copied scripture. Every book of the Bible, except for Ester (which is thought to have been burned before the significance of the scrolls was discovered), was found in these caves. Many for the scriptures predate Christ by 400 years, such as the book of Isaiah, lending validity to the claims of the Bible being true and not a fabrication of a later date.

It was a great day, thanks for reading!
Melissa Otto & Jason Savage