After an early wake up call we boarded our bus and descended for an hour to 1300 feet below sea level. This is the lowest point on the face of the earth. As we drove along the route to the Dead Sea we could see the Mount of Olives and the Dome of the Rock off in the distance. I was surprised at the emotion that stirred in my heart in seeing an Islamic monument in the place where the Temple should be. We know that when the rapture takes place that it will be a different story. Later this week we will see how the Jews are preparing for the future Temple to be rebuilt. They are even close to engineering the breed to have the ability to produce the red heifer necessary to purify the priests.
The Dead Sea valley is a place of beauty and barrenness. There is evidence of the flash floods seen in the white washed crevices where water, sediment, and rock are forced down to the valley by the vehement flood waters. There is definitely a solitude and dependence upon God for survival in the wilderness. It is a dangerous place. The necessity of the oasis for life is very evident. The Israelis though have capitalized on the deadness and brought life through the mineral production from the Dead Sea.
Masada was a moving experience. Brought to glory by Herod the Great, it was a near impenetrable fortress that had the capability to sustain life for a thousand people for nearly forty years. This was a strong hold against possible invaders and was the place of a sad story of Roman cruelty and the Jewish love of freedom. Near 73AD the Romans sieged a group of almost one thousand Jews who fled Jerusalem after the destruction of the Temple by Titus. For nearly two years the Romans encamped around this strong hold and built a siege ramp up to the western gate. The night that the Romans broke through, Eleazar Ben Yair, the leader of the Jews, gave a speech that lead them to a very sad and unforgotten tragedy. The men all took their families back to their homes and killed their wives and children, knowing that if the Romans founds them alive that they would be raped and ravaged then thrown into slavery. The men then drew lots for ten who would kill all the others and then the ten drew lots for one who would kill the ten and then fall on his own sword. The Romans were shocked to find the dead and their weapons burned. The only thing left behind was a little food to show that they were not starving and a few old women and children who had hidden from death and were able to tell the story. Even those few were shown no compassion but were made slaves.
Next we drove a short distance to En Gedi where David met Saul and spared his life in a cave. Pastor Matthews read the passage where David entreated Saul for his life. We were able to look over into the park (which had been closed due to the danger of winter flash flooding) and see the three water falls from the springs which are there. This is a true place of beauty in such a barren land.
Qumran was our next stop. This is the location where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Qumran, before the Roman obliteration around 70AD, was inhabited by a group called the Essenes. This was a religious sect that started somewhere around 2BC. They were unhappy with the priesthood in Jerusalem and saw it as corrupt and unclean so they moved to the dessert. This is the first known monastic group in history. There is much more that can be said about them, but the importance of Qumran is the finding of the scrolls that had been there and copied there during the period the Essenes occupied the city. It is believed that during the Roman conquest they hid the scrolls in caves west of the city to be recovered after they came back. That never happened and the scrolls sat until discovered in the twentieth century. What a joy to see not only the promise of God to preserve His word, but also the confirmation that the Old Testament we have today is accurate in comparison to these scrolls that are a thousand years older than any previous manuscripts we had.
After lunch, we went down to the Dead Sea. The water with no life has some amazing properties. Not only is it so dense that the human body will float, but also its minerals and mud have unique healing and health properties. It was strange to see everyone lying on their backs and floating but even stranger to see everyone smearing mud on their arms, legs, and faces. Interestingly enough, you do feel different after being in the water. My skin felt very soft and my skin was very salty even after showering off. Israel makes a lot of money processing the salt, minerals, and chemicals that exist in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea skin products are definitely worth checking into!
Finally, on to Jericho. We dropped off Mark, our guide, and then our bus driver, Muhommed, became our “guide” into Jericho. Mark cannot accompany us because Jericho is under Palestinian control. Side note, one of the things we have noticed is that the countries outside of Israel are very depressed and dirty. Even Jericho has a dirty, oppressive feel. What a joy it will be when we will be able to see it under our Lord’s reign. Pastor Nason delivered a short message on the tel of old Jericho, reminding us of God giving us power and victory in our lives. As we sat, the Mount of Temptation was behind us. After leaving the tel, we passed by the traditional tree that Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus. We ended our day with a little shopping at the glass shop.
Tomorrow we will head to the Temple Mount, the Mount of Olives, and various spots surrounding Jerusalem. Until tomorrow, Shalom Shalom!
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