Israel Study Tour with Ancient Paths Study Tours

June 24 - July 6, 2022

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Day 04 - Life in the Negev

Staying overnight at a hotel along the Dead Sea, a few of us got up early to watch the sunrise over distant peaks. Some even took to the water for an early morning float upon the salty shores. The breakfast buffet was spectacular once again. We have had no complaints about the food we have enjoyed. The wide variety of middle eastern delights has kept us fully satisfied. And we would need the nourishment of a healthy meal for our journey today.

 

Once we loaded up and boarded the bus, we took a 30-minute journey to the ancient mount known as Masada. It rises 1200 feet above the desert floor to a 24-acre plateau at the top. We took the mile long "Snake Path" up the hill. We didn't spot any snakes, but the path is so named because of the winding trail with frequent switchbacks that leads curious hikers to the top of Masada. Although we huffed and puffed our way up the path at different speeds, in the end, everyone made it to the summit.

 

One of the first lessons we learned in exploring Masada's history is that it is located in the Judean desert. Fifty percent of the Promised Land is desert. The desert is a dry and thirsty land. It is also a place of isolation and often a very lonely place to be. It is a metaphor for life. It is not a stretch to say that half of our life we are experiencing desert-like struggles such as loneliness, or a hunger and thirst for some kind of satisfaction.

 

Rod and Libby are great tag-team teachers. Together they skillfully wove together the history of Alexander the Great, the Maccabean revolt, Herod the Great, Mark Anthony, Octavius (who later became Caesar Augustus), and the introduction of the Son of God into the human story which is littered with violent tales of conquest. Masada is a surviving testament to the massive wealth and power that Herod the Great possessed. The Masada complex was an ancient safe haven for men like David who was hunted by King Saul. But by the time King Herod ruled as a tetrarch of Rome, he has become so rich and powerful that he would do anything to maintain his control over the people of Galilee while still remaining loyal to Rome. So he built fortresses. Six of them to be exact. One of them was his desert fortress at Masada. He built two separate palaces there with enough fortifications to sustain 1,000 Roman troops for 10 years! Such impressive accomplishments for a man of his time. Despite Herod's great exploits, he was never able to please everybody. He died a horrible death (something about a vicious case of hemorrhoids was mentioned?) in 4 B.C. (2 years after Jesus was born).

 

Eventually, Israel's relationship with Rome reached a boiling point under Emperor Nero who destroyed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 70 B.C. Not only was Nero on the warpath against the Jews but Christians as well. His fiercest opponents in Israel were the Zealots who retreated to the Masada complex to seek refuge from Nero's wrath. But Rome would not be satisfied until every Jewish rebel was dead and gone. The Roman Army was sent to Masada to take down the fortress. They surrounded the mountain. They took 2 years to build an effective siege ramp to invade the city and kill or enslave its inhabitants. But when they did so, the Jews at Masada had committed mass suicide to avoid death or capture by Roman hands.

 

The tour of Masada continued through the ruins of the palace, bath houses and massive cistern for storing water. We also witnessed a young Jewish boys' Bat mitzva being held on site. After a long morning of 100-degree heat and very little wind to cool us off, we headed down the back side of the Masada mount. Waiting below was our lunch which was topped off with popsicles and ice cream provided by our tour guide Guy, and our bus driver Yigal.

 

After lunch we headed into the interior of the Negev desert to Tel Arad, an ancient Canaanite city. It was there where we were taught lessons about family life in Israel. It was a patriarchal society. What we know as "family" was called "Beit-Av" which translated from Hebrew means "Father's House". Rod spoke at length about the thread of "Redemption" that runs throughout the Scriptures. Many team members contributed to the conversation that included examples from Boaz & Ruth, Hosea & Gomer, Abraham & Lot, and the Prodigal Son. Atop Tel Arad we sat in the remains of a Temple courtyard where Rod replayed the covenantal sacrifice made between God and Abraham. This Covenant was fulfilled when Christ became the final sacrifice for our sins and the curtain separating man from God was torn away from the entrance to the Holy of Holies.

 

The last stop of the day was about a 90 minutes away in a small town called Mizpeh Ramon. Here we silently in solitude were instructed to read Deuteronomy 8, a chapter about God providing a dwelling place in the Promised Land for His people. We read this while overlooking a deep valley below. It's part of the Desert of Zin where the Israelites were led during their 40 year journey with God in the wilderness. 

 

A new hotel stay in Mizpeh Ramon tonight. Dinner was wonderful. We are all getting to know each other better. At the end of the day, someone with a Fitbit clocked 16,000 steps today and over 3,300 calories burned. We should all sleep well tonight. And we will surely be nursing some sore leg muscles tomorrow!

 

by J.T. Bean

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