Day 02 - Tel Arad, Bedouin Experience, Masada

We all woke up much refreshed after a full night’s sleep. Our hotel had an amazing breakfast with a coffee bar, which we all took advantage of to fuel up for the day ahead! First up on our itinerary was another tel (unexcavated mound)….

Tel Arad

We traveled away from the low hills and further into Israel. Tel Arad is a settlement that was built over 5000 years ago. Hearing how old and how much history are behind these locations is startling; especially when most of our taught history is less than 250 years.

Bedouin Camp

Our next stop was to a man-made oasis named Kfar Hanokdim, where we were able to experience the hospitality of the Bedouin people and learn more about their culture. Part of that was experiencing how they traveled, by camel! Some of us were a little nervous to ride them but a good time was had by all. On our return to the camp, the Bedouins served us tea, coffee, and pita bread; all made by hand over an open fire. We learned how much hospitality is a theme throughout the entire Bible. One phrase that really resounded was how “hospitality is the heart of God”. Pastor Ralph had us read from Genesis 18, where Abraham shows hospitality to a group of angels. Hearing those verses while sitting in a tent, eating similar bread, in a location similar to where Abraham would have lived, was surreal.

Masada

We finished our day by visiting Masada, a fortress built atop a mountain in the Judean desert by Herod the Great. We started by climbing up the back of the fortress, courtesy of a ramp that the Romans had built for a siege in 70 A.D. It was quite a hike and gave us such a sense of accomplishment upon reaching the top! As we climbed, Yehuda told us about the history of the site and pointed out the many features that made Masada so spectacular for its time. In the middle of the desert, 12 water cisterns and over 29 storage rooms allowed Masada to become both a refuge for Herod as well as 964 rebels who hid from Romans after the fall of Jerusalem.

After we checked into our hotel, we all raced to change into our swimsuits. Why? Well, our hotel for the next two nights is located a few minutes’ walk from the Dead Sea! After our climb up Masada, we were all wanting to take a nice soak in the mineral-rich waters. It is such a different experience than floating in the saltwater we know from living in Florida! Our trip has been so incredible, it’s hard to believe we are only on Day 2! See you tomorrow for Day 3.