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Israel Pastor's FAM Trip
January 2-13, 2019
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My soul thirsts for you
Nearly 3000 years ago, David, finding himself in the desert region near the Dead Sea, proverbially put pen to paper and wrote: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1). What an explicit description of the land we found ourselves wandering about in today.
Starting with the palace fortress of Herod called Masada, many of our group climbed the 1000+ foot mountain sitting in the desert with an incredible view of the Dead Sea from the top (the rest of the group took a leisurely 3 minute gondola ride to met us at the top). Seven historical stories later, we had gained a glimpse of not only Herod the Great’s brilliance for engineering and economics but also better understood the tension between the Romans and Jews during the first century.
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).
After we left Masada, we entered the desert oasis of Ein Gedi, where David penned Psalm 63, likely while hiding in its caves from King Saul. In this barren land, Ein Gedi contains a small stream and beautiful waterfall—the only source of fresh water for miles. It was there, standing near the falls that we were reminded that a cool spring in the summer heat is a place of satisfaction, refreshment, and salvation. It too is easy to access and effortless to partake in—you just need to dive into its depths to experience its unlimited supply. In parallel, Jesus is our Living Water—and our call as Christians is to dive into His depths and experience His life and limitless supply.
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.
It has been a full day—we also saw Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, dipped our toes in the Jordan River near the spot the Israelites crossed over into the Promised Land and where John baptized Jesus, and many of the ladies got a kiss from a camel in Jericho.
As we head north to sleep on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, we can’t help but recall the importance of the desert, how much God did there, but ultimately our desperate need for Jesus—for as the deer pants for the streams of water, we too must hunger and thirst after Christ.
Qumran
10 miles south of Jericho, Qumran was on a “dead-end street” and provided a perfect location for the isolationist sect of the Essenes to live.
The site was excavated by Catholic priest Roland deVaux from 1953-56. More recent excavations of the site have taken place under the direction of Hanan Eshel.
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