Day Four: Masada and the Dead Sea

oh...my...gosh.
today has been amazing.
we journeyed from bethlehem through jerusalem to the dead sea and masada. we also visited qumran, where the dead sea scrolls were found.
to get out of bethlehem, we had to go through armed israeli checkpoints. a couple times, we had israeli soldiers board our bus and check our passports. for the most part, the process was easy, but it reminded me how sad it is that there are many people who cannot do so. yesterday, when we were visiting the Wi'Am center for peace and justice, the director, a palestinian christian by the name of zoughbi zoughbi shared with us that his sister lives in jerusalem while he lives in bethlehem. if you've looked at a map, you see that the two cities literally run together, you can't really tell when you leave one and enter the other - except for the wall of course, but that divides bethlehem. anyway, zoughbi is not able to go to his sister's home to visit, to even have a cup of tea, because he is palestinian. he has never seen where his sister lives.
we traveled through the old city/jerusalem to travel down to the dead sea. we took the road that the parable of the good samaritan takes place on. how profound.
it is interesting to descend 1280 feet below sea level, to a desolate dessert and recall the story of david running to this place to hide from saul. as we traveled, we saw several bedouin tribes camped, lots of camels loaded with wares, and even a shepherd herding his flock!
the view of the dead sea is amazing, and even though it was hazy, it was still beautiful. we had a gorgeous day, clear blue sky and sunshine, although a chilly wind.
as we arrived at masada, i was struck with how imposing this fortress is. it looms 1600 feet above the dead sea, and we were going to go up there! how, you may ask? cable car. yes, i said cable car.
anyone who knows me well knows that i can do maybe four steps up on a ladder before getting squeamish. can you picture me riding in a cable car to the top of masada, suspended over a gully of dessert and stone? me neither.
but....i did it! and i didn't even wet my pants, which was a real concern. :)
once we got up there - i can't even begin to describe the feeling. what happened in this place nearly 2000 years ago and seeing the evidence left behind - if you don't know the story, google it, it's powerful. the tenacity of this band of zealots to hold on to their land in the face of the most powerful army in the world, and to do it for three years, that, my friends, is commitment to a cause.
by the way, on the way down, i stood in front of the glass window (on the way up i was in the middle of the car). i filmed our descent, so that i have proof positive that i did it - up and down in a cable car with dry pants both ways!
we journeyed to qumran, where our guide, Naim, told us the story of the discovery of the ten caves holding the most ancient scrolls containing holy scripture that exist to this day. Naim knew the young shepherd boy who found the first scroll and worked on the team that did the excavating. to hear the story of the excavation from a first hand perspective was a rare gift that i will treasure forever.
our day ended with a float in the dead sea, although by this time it had clouded over and gotten kind of chilly. i opted to wade up to my hips, but not float, it was just too cold. i tasted some of the dead sea, it's 8 times saltier than the ocean. the mineral content is 26 percent. after all the hiking we did today, it felt good to soak my legs and i must admit they felt somewhat better after that.
i can't even begin to describe what it feels like to be among stones that speak of the history of this land and of God's abundant love and grace. living stones who share their stories with us, stones of the land that a young shepherd once hid among to escape an angry king, stones that our Savior walked upon, stones that held a people on a fortress as a last bastion of hope for a nation.....
stones that shout of a story that must continue to be told.....
shalom,
jan