The South Pt. 3: Masada, The Dead Sea, En Gedi, Qumran

Our final day in the south is an infamous one on the Holy Lands calendar. We had been warned since January. We were warned how it would be 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and how we would hike over 700 stairs at just one stop. And, how we would do it all before ten in the morning. We were instructed to buy electrolyte tablets and to drink water every five minutes. Thankfully, it wasn't as awful as I had prepared for it to be, but our day at Masada certainly proved to be a memorable one.

Masada (Hebrew for fortress), is situated atop an isolated rock plateau at the western end of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. In ancient Israel, Herod the Great chose the massive stretch of rock for another of his desert fortresses. Hated by his subjects, he furnished this fortress as (another) refuge for himself. It included a casemate wall around the plateau, storehouses, barracks, palaces and an armory. Most importantly, he constructed an absolutely massive cistern to catch the sparse rainfall to support the fortress (I think Dr. Wright said it was about an inch a year, but I may have that statistic wrong). Some 75 years after Herod's death, at the beginning of the Revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 66 CE, a group of Jewish rebels overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, they were joined by zealots and their families who had fled from Jerusalem. With Masada as their base, they raided and harassed the Romans for two years. Then, in 73 CE, the Roman general Silva marched against Masada with the Tenth Legion. The Romans established camps at the base of Masada, laid siege to it and built massive ramps to scale the heights. They then constructed a rampart of thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth, moved a battering ram up the ramp and breached the wall of the fortress. After they had finally rooted out the last of the Jews, Silva spat in response to the victory, "We have won a rock in the middle of the desert on the edge of a poison sea."

So, that's a lot of background, but I hope it helps communicate the scale of Masada's importance in the minds and hearts of modern Israelis. Today, modern Israelis view Masada as a symbol of Israeli endurance, fortitude, and ultimate independence. "Masada will never fall again," became a slogan of the Israeli War of Independence. When planes fly over, they dip their wings in salute. Commissioning ceremonies for elite military and bar mitzvahs of wealthy families are held within the ancient walls. It is a massive site in every sense of the word. When we got to Masada, we climbed steadily to the top. A few boys decided to race up, despite being warned that they would surely vomit if they managed to beat the record of 2:50. No one beat the record, or vomited, though JJ got close with a time of 3 minutes. Then, we spent about two hours exploring, steadily warmed by the desert sun. At the end, our team exited via their choice of either a cable car ride or the winding Snake Path down the other side. Not to be coddled, I chose the Snake Path, and all of its 700 plus stairs down the edge of the cliff. By the end, my fingers were swelling from dehydration, and my legs would tremble when I stopped, causing my camera lens to shake when I paused for a picture. Even so, it was strangely invigorating. Desert heat and emptiness evokes prayer, and dependence, and surrender. God feels especially near. After Masada, we drove to the Dead Sea for a 'swim.' By this point, it was about 105. I learned that it's true what they say about humidity/dry heat - despite the high temperatures, it was made bearable by the lack of moisture in the air. Even so, bare feet on the rocky shore of the Dead Sea is scorching. We bobbed in the slimy liquid, some of us yelping from the sting of salt on our scattered scrapes and cuts, laughing at our near inability to force our feet downwards. It was a good time, but the salt becomes uncomfortable after awhile, so we got out within a half hour and headed. We kept our bathing suits on, though, because up next was a hike to En Gedi. The spring used to flow into the Dead Sea, but has since receded. We climbed up the cliffs up to the waterfalls, where we submerged our exhausted bodies in the giggly mountain-cold water. A story maintains that this is one of the sites where David fled during his escape from Saul. Finally, we went to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. By this point, I was often too busy marveling at every forward motion of my feet to absorb much of the lecture going on about the place. At long last, we drove back to Jerusalem, to the now well-loved campus of Jerusalem University College. And now I sit, sorting through all of my notes and scrawled impressions, trying to string them into an understandable flow. We have a test tomorrow on everything we've learned over the past week and the south. Then after that, it's off to Galilee!