By the Sea

We drove through the Judean Wilderness (desert) til we got to Masada.

To get to Masada we had to ride the cable car up! It is at the top of a mountain. Herod built a huge palace and fortress up there that would hold 1000 people. The sad part is the story of the Jewish Zealots - call them terrorists of long ago. They wanted the Romans out of Israel so these men would attack soldiers... and kill them. This started the Jewish War of 66 AD culminating with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The leaders ran off to Masada with their families hoping no one would find them, but the Romans did.

They stayed up there quite a while, until the storehouse was empty and the Romans had breached the wall. Faced with sure slavery the next day when the Romans would advance in, the leaders decided that death was better than slavery and killed first their children, then their wives then each other with the last falling on his sword. The Romans came in to find all dead.

View from Masada

Then we were off to the Dead Sea, which you see above from Masada. Here we floated on our backs in the water and then put the black mud on ourselves. What soft skin we got!

Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for my name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou annointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

On the way home we stopped to see some Bedouins - but also to see the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Unbelievable. This is the valley people walked between Jericho and Jerusalem.