Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran (Israel)

Masada

We started today at King Herod's fortress of Masada. Our tour guide began with the story of Herod bringing his wife Miriam and her mother to Masada. Then, the King went to Rome. Parthians (from Persia) sieged Masada while Herod was away. When the King returned, he saved the city. Then, he made cisterns and storerooms to last a siege for seven years. King Herod didn't live forever. And, after his passing, a group of Israelis revolting against Roman rule moved into the fortress. Rome laid siege to Masada. Just as the Romans were about the enter, the Israelis decided to commit mass suicide instead of submit to Roman rule.

Floor mosaic inside Masada

It's a gripping history and archaeological site that was only excavated in the 1960s. Our guide recommended reading the lead archaeologist Yigael Yadin's book "Masada" to learn more about the history and excavations. Today, the site is still an active archaeological dig. The parts that have been excavated are neatly signed in English; and, there are many places to sit in the shade around the site. There are still a few murals preserved on walls. And, there are baths in the Roman style. In the ruins of the old synagogue, we entered the genizah, the place where old Torahs and other religious books are stored. Inside, a rabbi was copying the Torah by hand.

Ein Gedi spring

Our next stop was Ein Gedi. This area is mentioned in the Bible, most famously as the place where David hides from a homicidal Saul (1 Samuel 24:1-2). It's a rocky area that is now a National Park. Inside, we saw a small rodent like animal called a hyrax. Think possum ornery but cuter looking. We walked in to see the Ein Gedi spring flowing down the rocks. On our way back out to the bus, we saw ibex in the parking lot.

Looking up at the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found

Our final destination today was Qumran. Around 100 BC, a sect of Jews thought that the current priests/rabbis were too liberal. Therefore, they moved to Qumran to live a holier life apart. As devout Jews, they spent time copying the scriptures. But, no one thought any of those ancient scrolls were still around until the 1940s, when Bedouins found scrolls in pottery jars in a cave near Qumran. So far the caves around Qumran have contained pieces of every book of the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) except Esther! (To see digital captured images of the scrolls, click here.)  These are the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.

Beit-She'an, Jordan River, Dead Sea (Israel)

Small portion of Beit-She'an

 Beit-She'an is an amazing archaeological site. The majority tour the old Roman city that was constructed in the 60s BCE. We walked over mosaic floors beside ornate columns. We saw the old Roman style toilets as well as oohed and aahed at the Roman theater. The site is an ongoing archaeological dig. At least the archaeologists get to sit under a tarp (albeit black) in the scorching sun and heat. Even though Beit-She'an is truly an amazing site that will never be fully excavated (much of the current town sits atop ruins), the most interesting ruins for me were atop the hill or "Tel" above Beit-She'an. On the Tel are ruins from 5000 BCE! Ruins from Kings David & Solomon, Egyptians, and Romans. It's quite the amalgamation of civilizations.

Supposed location where John baptized Jesus

Our next stop was a ride to the supposed place in the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. We started out naively optimistically enough. But soon we were told, we couldn't take photos, even from the shuttle, as this was a military zone. We passed a check-point, a church and another checkpoint. Finally, we had arrived. There were some bleachers and an awning set-up on our side of the Jordan. We watched as the more pious walked into the green river to be baptized. Some of our co-tourists couldn't resist getting a photo with the two young guards and their Uzis. From across the narrow Jordan, we could see the faithful visiting while heavily armed guards lounged under shaded awnings. There's no crossing between Israel and Jordan at this location.

Dead Sea

In the late afternoon, we arrived at the healing waters of the Dead Sea. Unlike the Salt Lake in Utah, it has no overwhelming salt smell. In its placid waters stretched salt dunes. Even walking down the beach, the sand gave way to all salt! After all the warnings we had received about the Dead Sea, it was actually quite innocuous. It felt a bit slimy. But, the buoyancy prevented me from dunking my head if I had wanted to. After a few minutes in the oily liquid, we hoped we had absorbed all it's healing properties.

Mount Arbel, Mount of Beautitudes, Capernaum (Israel)

Trail marker on Mount Arbel
Orange dot means this is where Jesus walked.

We started today with a hike up Mount Arbel. This was the first place where we saw the stones marked where Jesus had walked. In Israel, trails are marked with painted colored stripes. The trail where Jesus walked is noted with either an orange stripe or an orange dot. Once we reached the top, we had beautiful panoramic views of the Sea of Galilee. Our view encompassed Migdal, home of Mary Magdalene (Magdalene means from Migdal) and the Sea of Galilee.

2000 year old boat excavated from Sea of Galilee

Our next stop was at the Ginosar Kibbutz. A kibbutz is a collective community. When someone joins, all their possessions become part of the community; and, they all share everything. The draw of the Ginosar Kibbutz is a 2000 year old boat found in the Sea of Galilee. It was exhumed in 1986 and carefully preserved. The museum shows a video (in English) and displays the boat. To top it all off, we took a boat ride in the Sea of Galilee, although in a modern boat.

The disciple Peter's house in Capernaum

We continued around the Sea of Galilee to our next stop, Capernaum, home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John. Even today, one can view the ruins of the apostle Peter's home! Although, it is a bit shadowy under the modernistic steel frame church built above it. Capernaum also has the ruins of an old synagogue. The upper ruins are more recent. Yet, the lower ruins of the synagogue were around when Jesus and his disciples were in Capernaum.

Looking down the Mount of the Beautitudes 

At our final stop, our tour guide gave us time for reflection. We were atop the Mount of the Beatitudes. It was so beautiful and lush -- we could have been on a tropical island! Interestingly, although we often think of Jesus standing atop of this mount and preaching down at people, in fact, it's the opposite. Jesus stood at the bottom of the Mount; and, the people sat above him. The Mount is a natural amphitheater.

Another part of trail Jesus walked