Susan's Blog: Pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine. Masada, Qumran, and the Dead Sea (And it was very, very good, and hot).

Today was a 'free' day--and many of us chose to take the optional trip to Masada, Qumran, and the Dead Sea--tourist sites popular in Israel but not a part of our pilgrimage's formal exploration of the Gospel narratives in their geographical context.

In contrast to the emotional overwhelm of yesterday, today was (as tourist visits often are) interesting, informative, fun, and by the end of the incredibly hot day, well worth the return home for a shower and dinner.

I will post some photos below of what we saw, all of which was fascinating--but perhaps the most engaging feature of today was the drive itself. Going down Highway 90, we drove south from Jerusalem into the West Bank and along the Dead Sea. The geography itself is amazing, and fascinating in how quickly it changes from soft-stone desert hills to the low plain of the Dead Sea and then to the cliffs and caves and desert again. Barren, waterless, and imposing landscape leads into fields of abundant date palms.

The land itself, here, is considered by many to be the Fifth Gospel.

Masada : We took the cable car up to the top and toured the remains and reconstructed portions of the fortress. This is a view from the top. The day was hazy in the morning, but you can see, I hope the desert wilderness extending off into the distance. 

Qumran: This is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. In that cave at the bottom of the photo. The hills above are dotted with caves, where Jewish 'Essenes' were living around the time of Jesus.

The Dead Sea : Whereas the Essenes at Qumran were a bit obsessive about ritual bathing, people today take it in a slightly different direction in the Dead Sea. You can't help but float in the water, since it has some ridiculous proportion of salt in it, and the clay-like mud at the bottom is thought to have salutary properties. So many of us got in and slathered ourselves in the dark mud. Good times. Don't get that stuff in your eye, though.

Those are the Moab Mountains across the Dead Sea, in Jordan. (Next time the Moabites show up in the Old Testament readings, envision them across the sea on those huge peaks).

Tomorrow we go to Galilee for a few days, a region north of Bethlehem known for its lush and peaceful landscape.

Finally, a belated thank-you to Charles Robideau, who tried to prepare me for this trip with great kindness and lent me a copy of Mark Braverman's 2010 book Fatal Embrace: Jews, Christians, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land. I am finally reading the book in my jet-lag-induced awake hours, and it will certainly feature in future posts.