From the Holy City to the Lowest Place on Earth

Tuesday at Masada and the Dead Sea

We left our hotel and headed back toward the West Bank. Jerusalem is very high, about 800 meters above sea level, but we were going to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea, which should be called the Sea of Salt because while it cannot sustain life within its waters, the minerals there can improve life for many visitors.

As we drove past the camps of the nomadic Bedouins we were reminded of the way Abraham lived in the deserts of the Middle East. Passing Jericho as we entered the desert of Judea and drove past Bethany, where Mary, Martha and Lazareth lived, it seemed like we were in a time machine. So much of Israel is the same as it was in the days of the Bible.

The mountains of Judea led us to the place where we would descend to En Gedi, the Dead Sea and Masada. This was the only day we were warned about wildlife in the area. Some species of extremely poisonous snakes, hyena and leopards call this desert home. Secretly I hoped we would see a leopard or hyena from a distance. But we didn’t. We did see some cool En Gedi Crows from the top of Masada.

Our visit to Masada (Hebrew for fortress), was poignant and a bit disturbing to me. To imagine the shear strength and fortitude it took for this fortress to be constructed, and the passionate acts of desperation that occurred in what was supposed to be a safe place, was more than I could imagine.

Masada is situated atop an isolated rock cliff at the western end of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. On the east the rock falls in a sheer drop of about 450 meters to the Dead Sea and in the west it stands about 100 meters above the surrounding terrain. The natural approaches to the cliff top are very steep.
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 (70 CE) 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 governor Flavius Silva marched against Masada with the Tenth Legion, auxiliary units and thousands of Jewish prisoners-of-war. The Romans established camps at the base of Masada, laid siege to it and built a circumvallation wall. They then constructed a rampart of thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth against the western approaches of the fortress and, in the spring of the year 74 CE, moved a battering ram up the ramp and breached the wall of the fortress.
Josephus Flavius dramatically recounts the story told him by two surviving women. The defenders – almost one thousand men, women and children – led by Eleazar ben Ya’ir, decided to burn the fortress and end their own lives, rather than be taken alive. “And so met (the Romans) with the multitude of the slain, but could take no pleasure in the fact, though it were done to their enemies. Nor could they do other than wonder at the courage of their resolution, and at the immovable contempt of death which so great a number of them had shown, when they went through with such an action as that was.”
The Zealots cast lots to choose 10 men to kill the remainder. They then chose among themselves the one man who would kill the survivors. That last Jew then killed himself.
After we understood the story of Masada we took a cable car to the top. The excavation there is amazing; they have done a wonderful job. I enjoyed sitting in the Snake Gate watching families bringing their children, some for the first time, to share the story of their heritage with them.
I always thought that Patrick Henry was original when he said, “Give me liberty, or give me death,” but perhaps he knew the story of Masada.
On our way down from this amazing fortress, we visited the museum from the excavation. The lots of the last 10 men, names written on shards of pottery, are there. Although they are written in Hebrew, looking at each piece, knowing it was that small chunk of earthenware that would determine which of the Jews at Masada would take the life of his friends and then his own, so that the Roman’s could not take them again into slavery made me stop and reflect on how easily we allow the world to make us it’s slave, rather than enjoying the freedom we have to worship and serve the God of the Universe. These men, right or wrong, would be slave to nothing. They would not watch as their wives and children were defiled by captors, yet we so often defile our own bodies.  Their only desire was to worship their God…a God so holy they could not speak His name…even if it cost them everything. My mind is full from this experience, so I will have to ponder it more before I can write about it more clearly. Please understand that this posting is my immediate gut reaction to the things I’ve seen today.
When we left Masada, we went to lunch in En Gedi and saw a very interesting tree. The Apple of Sodom. Our guide told us it was so called because of its poison. It seems the people of Sodom were so evil; they would serve this fruit to guests. I don’t think that is the gift of hospitality.
It is also a useful plant, the fruit, when dry, offers a pod that has a cotton-like substance, perfect for making wicks for oil lamps. We found one pod on the ground so we could see what Tsion described.

After lunch we visited the Ahava cosmetics factory. This factory takes the minerals and resources from the Dead Sea and the surrounding area to make creams and other products for skin care. It was a nice tour and some of our group were excited to purchase their products at factory prices.

From there, we went to Mineral Beach at the Dead Sea. It was incredible to coat ourselves in the thick mineral mud, and float without effort on the waters of the Dead Sea. It is an experience of a lifetime. The great thing was, after we rinsed the mud and salt from our bodies, our skin was so smooth and radiant…we all felt great the rest of the day.

We got back to our hotel in Jerusalem just in time to change into warmer clothes and head to the Jaffa Gate of the old city. Inside, we were seated in the citadel of King David and watched the history of Jerusalem unfold in lights on the Dolomite walls around us. It was the most amazing light show I have ever seen. Nothing at Disney or any other studio I’ve experienced has even compared to the complete experience of this show.

We enjoyed dinner at the hotel, laughing and visiting with our friends old and new. It’s bittersweet that tomorrow is our last day in Israel. The people we are traveling with will never leave our hearts. And Israel is forever etched on my soul. Please pray with me for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the Jewish people…God’s Chosen People.
Love and Joy to each of you!
Shalom!