All Roads Lead to Jerusalem

Driving on a new four-lane highway, we moved on toward our final destination city - Jerusalem.
As we went on our way we could see Jericho much closer than in Jordan earlier in the trip. We wished we had time to stop.

Our driver, Josie, qued up a special song about Jerusalem as we ascended and curved our way up along greener hills. I was moved again by the natural beauty of Israel. Slowly we began to see small towns and Bedouin villages pop up more frequently. Soon we were seeing more modern apartment-like buildings. I felt like I had no idea what to expect of Jerusalem and yet I was excited and nervous to be there.

Just before pulling into the city our guide Mikey prepared us for our first view of the classic "Old City". We were all filled with anticipation and even cried tears of joy or prayed. Before long we passed through a short tunnel and once on the other side Mikey prompted us to look to our left out the bus windows where we immediately saw the Temple Mount (aka Mt. Moriah) and the surrounding newer city. I was amazed and glad to see the rolling grassy and tree covered hills mixed with human dwellings - we have been greatly blessed with the pleasant weather and spring decor.

Masada and Qumran

Most, if not all, of the women and some of the men in our group visited the spa at our hotel by the Dead Sea. From messages to mud raps and floating in the Sea, we pampered our travel-tired bodies.

After packing up and bidding our resort hotel goodbye, we made a short trip north on the road to Masada which is situated in a striking mountain range. Many of us commented on how familiar this topography seems - it is comparable to Central Oregon or Arizona and New Mexico, only the desert of Israel and Jordan is endless with scattered Bedouin communities and a few small cities and villages.

Our tour guide pointed out how Masada is a natural military fortress because it is physically disconnected from all sides of the surrounding mountains. King Herod, who was also responsible for building Caesarea, spent 3-7 years constructing a small city on top of Masada in case he needed to run back home to Edom (he was not well-liked and was a descendant from Esau). We rode a three minute cable car up to the imposing mountain; three minutes from those heights was about all some of us could handle while others were stunned by the breath-taking views.

Once up high we were told how Herod had used gravity and flash floods to channel water down nearby hills up through rock "pipes"to cisterns on Masada. It is said 1,000 people could live there with the stores of olive oil, grain, water, and pigeons for 7 years. Although Herod never used Masada for his intended purpose, a group of Zealots who were rebelling against Rome in Caesarea retreated. Until Rome built a siege ramp, the Israelites lived comfortably...then they were faced with a choice live and become slaves or die free. Most of the community chose suicide, without destroying any earthly goods (food, water, animals etc.), to show Rome they did not die due to a lack of provision but because they were protecting their freedom.

A little while later we rolled Northward to Qumran where we saw the ruins of a small community who referred to themselves as the Sons of Light. This is the site near where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. I was amazed at how close the caves were to the Dead Sea - literally within sight of each other.

Dead or Alive?

When we were in Jordan we had our first look at the Dead Sea. Before our trip many of us had been told the Dead Sea is the most salty body of water in the world - nothing can live in the Dead Sea. Yet from all angles in Jordan and Israel the Sea (actually a lage lake) is undeniably beautiful.

We expected the water to be dirty and barren but, in fact, the water was very blue and green and rimed with white and brown swirls from the salt and mud-minerals. The Dead Sea sparkled as it caught the light of the sun-lit sky. Admitedly I was unsure about putting more than a toe into the water. We had also been told that everything floats more than usual, even people. Eventually I did put my feet in and the water felt almost softer than normal. Other swimmers likened the experience to being in bath water with bath salts or oils as well as a weightless feeling with little control over one's movement.

It was mentioned by a few people how even though the Dead Sea is breath-taking against the desert background and blue sky with clouds, it is still dead! In the same way, we all are God's beautiful creation, however when born into this world we are dead in our sin. Only Jesus can clean us from the inside so life can come about.