Our Crazy Life: Masada/ The Dead Sea

View from my parents apartment.

View walking down the stairs of the Jerusalem Center. Can I just say how blessed the church was to be able to secure this property. Honestly not a better location in all of Jerusalem.

View of Dead Sea

The day after Christmas we headed out to visit Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada was originally built by Herod the Great as a winter fortress. After Herod the Great died a group of Jews went out to Masada and overthrough the Romans and took occupancy of Masada. During this time Jerusalem was also overthrown, a group of Jewish zelots and their families came to reside at Masada. It is a large plateau near the Dead Sea. Three years later the Romans built a large rampart to breach the city on top of the plateau. It was quite a feat of thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth. They then pushed a battering ram up the rampart and attached the fortress. When it became apparent that the Romans would take seige of the 'city'. All of the Jews living at Masada committed a mass suicide and only a group of 10 women and children who hid survived.

When I visited 20 years ago, the only way up to Masada was walking the steep rampart. They now have a tram that takes you to the top or a long winding trail on the opposit side of the rampart. We choose to take the tram, for time as well as safety purposes.

We got in the tram and were waiting to assend the mountain. Benjamin turned to Josh and asked, "Are we in an airplane Josh?" Josh replied, "You never can tell Benjamin, you never can tell." We got a good laugh. I thought Joshua and Benjamin would have a good time, but Joshua was a little grumpy so my Mom and I followed Josh around and let him explore at his own rate. It is quite amazing that they were able to build this fortress and small city on top of this high plataeu. It is located in the Judean wilderness. It is very desolate and it can become very hot up there. It was a pleasant day, probably in the 60's and at times it felt hot with the sun beating down on us. They had a system, which I can' t remember now to bring water up to the top of the plateau.

The line separates original from that which has been rebuilt.

Original mosaics. So beautiful and detailed.

Remains of the Roman encampment.

Water system

After leaving Masada we went to a beach at the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the Earth, it is 1,401 feet below sea level. It also one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. Because of it's low sea level it stays warm there year round. The water was warm enough to get in, but the air felt cool. So when we got out we were cold.

Joshua and Benjamin opted not to get in and my dad was happy to stay out with them, but the rest of us got in for the tradition floating pictures. We got there late in the day so by the time we got out of the water the public showers at the beach were closed. We rinsed off in some outdoor showers but it felt very cold so the rinse was brief. We then headed back to the Jerusalem Center.

Bedouin villages right next to the freeway. The government no longer lets them be nomadic. They must register with the government and stay in one place. The government is trying to get them to return to cities, but they don't want to and have little marketable skills and education to get jobs and provide for themselves in a traditional setting.