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.

Aqaba and the Red Sea

Last night we left Wadi Rum and came down to the southern most point of Jordan. We have never strayed far from the River Jordan. Up in Tel Dan we saw the source of water, we saw how it came down into the Sea of Galilee and on into the Dead Sea (we will dip our toes in later) and now we see where it empties into the Red Sea. We are in Aqaba! Before Israel reformed, Jordan had Mediterranean ports (Jaffa and Haifa). I never imagined, and several others agreed, God would bring me to the Middle East. Some of us walked around the beautiful hotel. Others of us walked around the small down town area and along the shoreline. Some people even took a swim in the sea. It is beautiful here and we can see over into Israel where we will go later today via another border crossing. We have been told it will be more difficult to get back into Israel. Sadly life and relations between the two nations are limited as Israelies are allowed into Jordan, but Jordainians are not allowed into Israel. Last night was our worship service I told you about in another post - the missionaries we met shared that the persecution of Christians has begun!

In spite of all these things, God is still the Lord Most High who loves us and Israel and Jordan and He will watch over His people as well as bring more lost people to His side. There is hope.

Aqaba to the Dead Sea

Today was a travel day - back across "no-man's-land" from Jordan to Israel. We got to sleep in a little and enjoy last trips around town or quick swims in the Red Sea. This has been one of my favorite cities we have visited - very beautiful, worth a visit.

We pulled out at noon, crossed the boarder, and met up with our previous Israeli tour guides. Micky told us about the Rift Valley stretching from Turkey well into Southern Africa. We rode along for a couple hours looking out at a wildlife preserve (ostriches were everywhere) and then pulling up along side the Dead Sea. It was apparent that salt was caked onto the shoreline.

Wadi Rum and the Bedouins

For a few days we stayed at a hotel which is actually a former Bedouin village. Though we are in the desert, it is quite cool and windy. In May summer will come and the temperature will be much hotter; we have all marveled at how good the weather has been...we hear some of you have been driving around in snow, in the Spring!?

The word wadi means valley. Today we went off-roading on the sand in Wadi Rum. Looking up at the 7 pillars of wisdom rock formation, a handful of us took on the challenge of hiking up a red sand dune. We met the local Bedouins (nomads) who are represented in the Jordanian government but are permitted to travel from place-to-place wherever they choose - they have ancient roots and are known for sheep, goat, and camel herding. They produce goat cheese and many women are being trained in a jewellery trade using silver and beautiful wood or stones. Often there children do not attend the local schools, but the government has begun to provide housing (even though they continue to migrate based on seasonal weather and climate changes) for assistance.

A Call to Prayer

Hello to our friends and family back home "walking" along with us through the Holy Lands via this blog. A few people over the past couple days have been ill either from exaustion or the food and water. Usually these have been taken care of with rest, bottled water, and over the counter medications. We would greatly appreciate your prayers though.

Last night we had our very own church worship service - singing, a message from Pastor Tanner, a testimony from a traveler in our group who lost and then found his billfold, as well as a visit from some local missionaries who told us about life and ministry here in a Muslim country.

We are all in awe of how the Lord allowed us to come here. There is great beauty here, but also we see how blessed we are by God as there is far reaching poverty in Jordan. Please pray with us for the salvation of these people.

Someone in our group put it well: "Now I understand Paul's life here more. Sometimes he stayed in a 5 star hotel and sometimes he was a bedouin."

*Note: Please come back for pictures and further updates.

City in the Red Rocks

After our buses struggled up into the mountains I wondered if we would have to come back down those same curving roads. Soon I saw we were to stay up near the clouds as we passed through Madaba and continued along the ancient King's Highway. There are many villages scattered all over the mountain sides of Jordan - men and women and children are easy to see along the roadsides. Men and women wear head coverings. Mosques are everywhere; in the morning and evening we can hear the prayers of the Muslim people streaming in the open air over loud speakers. In the evenings men sit in small groups outside restaurants or on front stoops drinking tea and smoking. Women and children herd goats and sheep and camels are hitched to posts here and there.

Today we went down to Petra. Some of us walked down while others rode carriages. The guide showing my group around pointed out ancient statues for worship of the gods as well as ruins of rock-wall dams which helped control flash floods. He also pointed out sky bridges and petroglyphs among the soft and vibrantly colored sandstone walls. When it came time to walk around the corner to see the most famous sight of Petra, the treasury (and perhaps disspell our misconceptions), he lined us up single file telling us to cover our eyes. One by one we walked forward opening our eyes to see stunning, carved architecture. Several of us rode camels at Petra or hiked up to see more monuments.