Grandeur

Our second full day in Israel began on the shore of the Dead Sea at nearly 1200 feet below sea level. From our hotel we could see the Dead Sea in one direction, and in the other direction we saw rock formations similar to those found in the southwest United States. We loaded into the bus at 7:45 and made our way to Masada National Park, a site where Herod the Great built three palaces.

Upon arriving at the park some of our group opted for the tram ride to the top of the palace, and the rest of us began the two-kilometer walk up the Snake Trail. The trail was a 1200-foot vertical climb and featured nearly 700 stone steps. As we climbed, so had a beautiful view of the Dead Sea.

It was only upon reaching the top that we could get a sense of the grandeur of the palace. It seemed to go on forever in all directions. It was upon this site that Jews fought the Romans to seek to maintain their independence. The top of the palace had many different areas where we could enjoy some amazing views. It felt like the sort of place where a person could easily spend the better part of a day. After a few different lessons from Ronen about the history of Herod the Great and his descendants we all walked down the backside of the palace back to the bus. Masada was a truly remarkable place that made an impression on our whole group.

From Masada we drove out to the desert, where we all got to ride camels! We had guides take us for about a thirty-minute walk. It was a unique experience, to be sure, but we were all ready to dismount by the time it was done. The sight of a few dozen Americans in a camel caravan was something to behold!

After the camel rides we had a quick lunch and walked to a Bedouin tent where we were treated to some Bedouin hospitality including tea, Turkish coffee, and and tortillas. Ronen and Matt led us in a teaching about the centrality of hospitality to the biblical story, and cited examples in the Old Testament of hospitality being practiced and hospitality codes being broken. Even after only two days we are seeing how an increased understanding of Ancient Near East culture helps us more accurately understand biblical texts.

In the afternoon about one third of the group got off the bus for another hike. This hike took us down a “wadie” or dry riverbed. For nearly two hours we hiked, climbed, and bouldered our way through the wadie. The trail was rugged and rocky, which made for an interesting and challenging walk. At times the rock walls on either side of us were 100 feet tall or more. It was a spectacular experience.

After the hike, the group reunited in the hotel lobby to walk down to the Dead Sea for a float. We caked ourselves in mud and slowly got in the water. This was the first time most of our group had been in the Dead Sea, and we reacted to our buoyancy with a combination of wonder and incredulity.

Tomorrow we will finish our time in the Dead Sea region and continue our adventures near the Sea of Galilee. We are all looking forward to what’s next!