On our third day, we slept a little later, and met Sam at 9 after breakfast. We headed straight out then for Masada, in the south along the Dead Sea. This was an ancient fortress built by Herod as a refuge should he need to escape Jerusalem due to revolt by the Jews. I had heard the site is one that should not be missed, but never really understood why it was so popular, since its tale is somewhat gruesome.
To start, if you don’t know the story, then you have to understand why Masada was built where it was. The territory along the Dead Sea is extremely barren and stark. There is almost no life there at all, even grass or bushes. We did see one small family of mountain goats, the type of which I cannot remember the name! They looked like a cross between goats and antelope, and manage somehow to survive in that climate. We also saw a mouse with no tail, very small, on top of the fortress. I cannot imagine how he survives, but maybe the tourist hoards leave some food, and that keeps him happy up in the high dessert atop the fortress. The temperature is usually 20 degrees hotter (Fahrenheit) in the Dead Sea valley than in Jerusalem, just an hour away. The elevation is the lowest point on Earth, about 1400 feet below sea level.
Local tribesman long before the fortress of Masada was built discovered the natural advantage of its location. The land is a huge mountain with a flat top, maybe 1000 feet above the valley floor, and with sheer cliffs completely surrounding it. There was a narrow “snake path” hugging the western face, which could be used to gain access to the top. Once on top, there was a wide plateau, about 100 acres or more in size, which could easily be defended since any attackers would have to climb the steep cliff face, nearly impossible, or else walk up the snake path, and could be seen coming for a long distance, and easily killed before they reached the top.
There were also many natural caves in the cliff sides, which made perfect cisterns for water storage. Trenches were dug along the cliff sides and the caves were hollowed out deeper, so water from rain would run in and fill them. Despite being in a very dry dessert, the cisterns could be filled in the rare rains, and last all year.
Herod built a huge complex atop the hill. Originally, there was a palace built on the northern side, facing up the long valley and the Dead Sea. It contained reception areas with built in air conditioning even! The areas had water pools built recessed around between the outer walls and inner wall of the floor, so water would naturally flow there, and cool the air, and humidify it. Above the reception area, which is built on a rocky outcropping from the main plateau, a little below the top level, there is a guest room, and then on the top, about at the plateau’s highest point, were Herod’s quarters (or rather, his first wives, since he never actually went there himself). Herod’s second wife didn’t like having to climb up to the high end of the plateau, and demanded he build another palace on the lower end, really not that much lower, and a somewhat silly demand, but he did as she wished, so there was a second palace area built on the southern end of the plateau. Between the two palace areas are huge storage warehouses, with cellars for wine, which could store a year or more of food and supplies, and was kept fully stocked. There were pasture areas as well for cattle or goats, or irrigated gardens.
The site is really well preserved, one of the best preserved ruins from that time period, with many mosaics and frescoes still intact. The bath area is also still intact, showing the typical Roman bath with a heated area, with a furnace feeding steam under a raised floor, and through the walls, to keep the room and water hot, then another room called the tepid bath, which was warm, but not heated as much, and finally, a recessed room in the rock, where water was cool. In the ruins, one can see the structure very well, including the raised floor system and steam channels inside the walls, behind terra cotta piping.
In the 1st century, the Jews did in fact revolt, but Herod never actually visited Masada even one time as far as historians can tell. His wives did spend winters there though, and it was always kept fully stocked. During the revolt of the Jews, a very strict sect who followed a particular rabbi took the fortress from the Romans, and occupied the fortress for over a year. They were besieged by the Romans during that time, but were able to easily defend their position, and had vast stocks of water and food. They also cultivated the bird population by feeding them, and were able to eat these as well.
Despite a long and successful defense, the Romans were brutally persistent, and never gave up as the Jews had hoped they might. The Jews dropped large round stones down the cliff face whenever the Romans attempted direct assault, so they soon gave up that approach. But the Romans never gave up their fight. They built 5 foot high walls around the entire base of the fortress, so no Jews might escape by night. Then they began an audacious assault, having slaves construct a massive ramp on the western side of the cliff face, bridging the valley between the next mountain, so they could roll battering rams directly up to the gate of the fortress. In the end, the Jews did not prevail. Although they attempted to destroy the battering rams by fire, the gate itself ended up catching fire, and their defenses were breached.
In the last horrible hours before the Romans entered the fortress, the Jews made a heartbreaking decision. They knew their women and children would be raped and enslaved to the brutal Romans, and the men either killed or enslaved as well. They decided they would rather die as free men than be subjugated with their families. The men cast lots, to select the last 10 to remain. The others killed their families and then the remaining 10 killed them, and the last man fell on his own sword. They burned all of the remaining perishable goods, leaving as little as possible for the Romans to plunder. When the Romans entered the fortress, rather than finding a cache of slaves and booty, they were met with total silence – a ghostly emptiness. In the end, one mother and her two children had fled from the men after the fateful decision was made. The Romans found them hiding in a cistern in the northern cliff face. The mother resisted and was killed, and the children enslaved. Otherwise, the Romans found nothing to capture, and the fortress was abandoned then.
In modern times, Jews in Israel have come to see the fortress as symbolic of the struggle for freedom from oppression, and so it has become a patriotic monument, as well as historical site. Since it is so well preserved, and remarkable in its story and its construction, it remains one of the most popular sites for visitors, and there is now a cable car that mercifully spares the wary traveler from making the several mile ascent up the snake path!
We took the cable car, and explored the fortress entirely. In May, it was a very nice time to visit, despite some heat, the shade was always pleasant, and a persistent breeze kept us cool and comfortable. The sun can be very bright, but we kept our hats and sunscreen on, and had no troubles. I can see why this site is so popular now, and I do highly recommend it for any visitor to Israel.
After the Masada visit, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at their cafeteria, with some authentic Arab food, a local beer, made in Tabyeh, one of only 10 or so remaining Christian towns in the Palestinian Territory. Then we headed north again along the road that runs beside the Dead Sea, to Kaliah Beach, a great spot to enjoy one of the most famous activities in this legendary spot – swimming in the hyper-salty waters, which are so dense with minerals and salts that your body easily floats half out of the water. The Jordan river empties into the Dead Sea, or formerly did, rather. The Jordan was never a very large river, and since its water is tapped for farming and use by the cities, it is now entirely utilized, so there is nothing left of it to empty into the sea. The sea has no outlet, so water evaporates from it in the heat very quickly, leaving behind any mineral content. Over the millennia, the mineral content becomes higher and higher. Eventually, the sea will dry and turn into a salt bed, like those found many other places throughout the world.
When we got there, we were all getting pretty hot and sweaty after a long morning of walking through the blistering heat, about 90 degrees or more. We made our way down to the beach, and found a good spot to leave our stuff, and waded into the water. It felt so nice and cool! But it is extremely high in salt, and can sting your eyes a lot, I had heard. Also, one thing I didn’t realize, it can also sting very much in even a tiny cut. I had a blister on my foot that was already pretty much healed, and did not hurt at all. But when I hit the water, it stung very sharply for a minute or so! At first I thought I might have cut my foot on a stone, but in fact, it is just the salty water. It is very good for healing cuts actually, and is completely free of any bacteria, since it is so strong. After the initial sting, the burning sensation subsided quickly though, and it didn’t bother me at all.
When we got deep enough that we could lie down in the water, it was such a fun feeling! You expect normally to be nearly submerged when you lie down in water, but when you lie down on the Dead Sea, you stick way out of the water, and can even roll completely over without even getting your head wet. You can even read a newspaper completely lying in the water, without getting it wet! We just swam around like that for 30 minutes or so, enjoying the fun. The mud on the bottom of the lake is also extremely rich in mineral content, and famous for its beneficial effects on skin. Actually, many famous skincare products are made from Dead Sea salts, too.
When at the beach, the thing to do, which everybody else was doing already when we got there, is to cool off, and then cover your body in the soft mud. It also makes a nice sunscreen on the face, but you just have to be careful to avoid the eyes. I also got a tiny taste of the salt water in my mouth, and wow, it is really salty! They even have a sign posted saying if you do swallow any of the water, to contact the lifeguard immediately! So we spread the mud on like everybody else. When we were done, we rinsed off in the fresh water showers they have on the beach, and got all cleaned up. It did feel so refreshing. The salty water makes your skin feel almost slimy, and it takes a while to rinse off completely, almost like soap. We also got a picture at the “Lowest Bar on Earth”, which is right by the water. Everybody at the beach was laughing a lot and in very good moods, since it is a lot of fun. If I lived near this place, I would come as often as I could to enjoy it. It is not like any beach I went to before.
After this, we were really refreshed, and walked up to the proper showers where we cleaned up with soap then and got dressed in dry clothes. We got some water at the stand before heading back to the car. By this time, it was already 5pm or so, so we headed back to our hotel in Jerusalem then. We had a good time talking with Sam, and by the time we got home, all of us were well ready to relax a bit. We said goodbye to Sam, and he recommended a good restaurant we could try in Jerusalem.
After getting cleaned up properly back at the hotel, we got dressed in clean clothes, and headed out for a walkabout. The air was cool and fresh, with a nice breeze, and it was so comfortable after the heat of the Dead Sea valley. We walked through the hotel gardens and enjoyed all the beautiful flowers, and even a goldfish pond, and also looked at the very good antiquities shop, which is well known as a good spot to buy, even from the early days of the hotel. I was very pleased to confirm what Sam had told me, that the cost of comparable items to the ones I purchased (from his old family friend by Hezekiah’s tunnel) were, just as he had informed me, 2-3 times greater. The oil lamps and jars that were so commonly placed in the tombs are a common artifact, since there were so many left in the tombs. Ones in the same condition at the hotel shop were more than twice what I paid for mine, which were certified identically. So I was glad to see I got a good deal after all. I couldn’t find the same coin I bought, but looked at several others that I had seen in Sam’s friend’s shop, and they were also 2-3 times more expensive! Woo hoo!
After walking around the hotel grounds, we decided to head out to the Jaffa gate, near the hotel, to find the seafood place Sam had suggested. This was a very nice walk, and fun to see the streets and people around Jerusalem by ourselves, and just explore a bit. We found our way to the gate, just as we thought we might have taken the wrong route, and were directed in the same way we were already walking when we asked one of the friendly passersby. I enjoyed identifying the older stones from the earlier wall prior to Roman destruction, and then the ones built on top, as I had been shown by Sam, when we reached the wall. We meandered along the wall then, all the way to the Western Wall, and then through a beautiful shopping mall that has been built, submerged beneath the hillside, called the Mamilla Mall. Its central avenue is open to the air above, and strung with many small lights. Just as we were making our way out the north end of the complex, the lights came on, and it was so pretty so see, a very picturesque setting, again. We saw several places, but decided to keep walking, to find the suggested spot, the Sea Dolphin restaurant.
We found a spot with Wi-Fi, so checked the map, and got a decent read on the direction from the mall. The restaurant is quite close, but the streets wind and twist quite a bit. We enjoyed finding our way through them, but just as we thought we might actually be lost, in fact, we finally ended up right by the restaurant. We enjoyed watching the people, and it was strange to see the youth with guards carrying machine guns attendant.
Sam had explained, the Israeli youth are often accompanied by a guard like this if they go out in a group. It is sad this must be, but I would do the same for my kids if I lived in a place where it has been commonplace for bombs to be detonated in civilian areas like shopping malls. In fact, we saw a memorial nearby the mall to commemorate some who were killed just there, previously. Since the wall has been constructed to separate the Palestinian Territory physically, and force all people entering Israel from there to pass through checkpoints, the bombings have become a thing of the past. But the Palestinian Authority still refuses to recognize or acknowledge that the state of Israel has a right to exist, so there can be little doubt that if the wall were torn down, the bombings would resume. Militant groups have offered rewards for families whose sons or daughters “martyr” themselves by these homicide bombings. I have also seen a children’s show, aired on Palestinian television, which shows the glory and blessing of a small child blowing himself up in a simulated sketch, complete with Mickey Mouse imitation character. As long as such attitudes and beliefs persist, the Israelis are in my view completely justified in defending themselves with the wall, machine gun toting guards in public spaces, checkpoints, and other measures. The chief duty of the state after all is to defend its people from attack.
I realize that in 1948 there were some incidents in which Israeli Jews were aggressors against Palestinian Arabs, but I could find no evidence that these were widespread even at the time, or persisted as a state policy. It seems there were some isolated incidents wherein some Jewish extremists did kill innocent Arabs, but I could not find anyone who accused the Jews of making this a state policy, or that it was a widespread practice, however regrettable and indefensible the acts were. I had some fairly extensive conversations with several Arabs while I was in Israel, in which I did not hold back to aggressively probe their answers. I found a lot of resentment for Jewish racism and perceived unfairness, and strong resentment for the wall, and the aggressive settlement movements by Jews. I also detected a strong thread of racism against the Jews though, so I think there must be some racism on both sides, which is an unfortunate reality, but does not constitute a violation of the rights of others. In a free society, we are also free to be jerks, so long as we do not violate other people’s freedom, and that includes being racist. Much as it is abhorrent, racism alone does not constitute a violation of another’s rights. But in my conversations, even the most ardent anti-Israeli person with whom I spoke did not ever claim that the Jews are currently violating the freedoms of Palestinians, beyond restricting their movement with the wall. In fact, citizenship was offered to Palestinians, even since the 1967 war, but most rejected it, not wanting to be part of the Jewish state. And as I mentioned before, one million Arabs are fully equal citizens in Israel with their Jewish neighbors. Jewish settlements which are so reviled are nevertheless established on empty or purchased land. Jews buy homes in Arab neighborhoods, but they do not confiscate the property at the force of a gun. I could find no good reason to change my previous view, that Israel is justified in its measures to protect itself against a hostile aggressor who refuses to acknowledge that the state even has a right to exist. I was saddened though, to see the suffering, which is very real, among the poor Palestinians, most of whom are entirely innocent, and held victim by their own community.
Several times throughout the trip, I felt a sense of despair about the situation, thinking, there can be no resolution. In once sense, I can clearly see that the Jews do have a just claim to the Temple Mount. It was destroyed and taken from them, and 1000 years later, a new religion, very antagonistic to Jews from its very founding, claimed it to be a spot of reverence, and built their own place of worship directly above it. However, for Muslim Arabs, I can also see why they will never accept the Jewish claim, since for them, this site is 1000 year old sacred place, central to their religion, and long since not owned by Jews, who now want to take it after so many generations. I had to admit, were I a Muslim, I would find the claim completely outrageous. No deed anywhere in the world holds true after 1000 years if some ancient claim is made on the property. And so, I cannot see how that issue could ever be resolved. The Jews will not ever give up their claim, and the Muslims should not rightly be expected to give up their long established place of worship. So at several points along the way, I had a sense of relief, that although I can see this land and appreciate it with my own eyes, I am not bound here. Where I live in Texas, there is land as far as the eye can see, and none of it disputed. I feel no threat from my neighbors, and we happily live in peace, even when our views may differ very greatly. I am thankful I live in Texas, in the good old USA. I will keep praying for Israel and Palestine, that someday, maybe God will help make a peace where it seems there is no hope for humans, then.
So, as I was saying before I digressed again to discuss my thinking about the politics… We did find our way to the Sea Dolphin. It was a lovely meal. We ate outside, and had three kinds of fish, from the Red Sea, the Sea of Galilee, and the Mediterranean. As we found common in Israel, the meal was started immediately when we sat down with a lavish spread of small dishes, like Tapas, with bread. By the time our fish arrived, we were already feeling full. But somehow, we found room for that, and even dessert! Our waitress was a very sweet girl, and treated us very well. I had an espresso with my dessert, guess I am getting pretty worldly after all these travels! Hahaha David wasn’t crazy about it though, and opted for normal American style coffee.
One funny thing in the meal was the cats! We saw lots of cats on this trip, and they thrive in the urban environment. There were 2 or 3 hovering near our table, since we ate outside on the street.
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| Driving down to Masada, very stark landscape. At the valley floor it is about 1400 feet below sea level, the lowest point on the planet! |
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| Waiting for the gondola to ride up to the fortress - the easy modern way! |
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| Looking down the valley from the ride up to the fortress |
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| Looking back toward the visitor center at the base below Masada - note the > 2 mile "snake path" up the wall, formerly, the only way to access the plateau and fortress at the top. Despite our most earnest wish to be authentic, we are simply too short on time to try it this time around. Too bad, so sad! hahaha |
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| One of many cisterns, formed from natural caves, along the side of the cliff walls |
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| From inside the cistern, the hole where drain channels terminate to funnel precious water into the cave below |
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| The drain channels are built along the natural walls of the cliff, to carry water into the cisterns. |
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| From outside, the termination of the drain channel in the center - entrance to the cistern on the right is the larger hole |
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| Watching a gondola on the journey up |
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| Ibex, one of the native wildlife of the Dead Sea valley, a sort of mountain goat crossed with an antelope |
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| Sam giving us the details about every site |
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| Original frescoes survive in some rooms of the ancient Roman palace - everything below the black line is original, but above has been rebuilt to restore original structures. |
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| Stunning view from a general's quarters in the original palace at the north end of the fortress, facing east toward the Dead Sea |
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| Much needed break from the heat, breeze was nice |
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| Model showing original palace as it would have appeared. Note the round "guest quarters" on the second lowest level, also in the next picture... The model is only a fraction of the height of the mountain also, and even at the lowest point, is far above the valley floor below, and very secure from invasion in ancient times. |
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| The original palace's guest room, complete with "air conditioning", the double layered wall was filled with water to cool and humidify the air in the room. Stunning view! |
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| Model of the baths, a standardized feature of Roman palaces. The top left is dressing room, then rightmost room is the hot room, with raised floor above pillars, and terra cotta piping along walls, wherein steam would circulate from a fired furnace outside the far right wall. In the lower center is the "tepidarium", a warm, but not hot, room. Finally on the bottom left is the cool room, which is lower, almost cellar, to keep water cool - note the steps down into the water. In this bath, it was converted into a ceremonial bath for Jewish cleansing rituals, which is known because there were 7 steps carved, typical of those. |
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| Original pillars in the hot room, upon which a raised floor stood, so that steam could circulate beneath. Note the impressions of piping on the walls, which was terra cotta, and allowed steam to circulate up to the ceiling as well. Very advanced, and not reproduced until over a thousand years after the fall of the Roman empire. |
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| Partially restored floor and piping along walls to show the original state. |
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| This was originally a very long and high storage warehouse. The large wine jug was raised from the cellar, below, accessed through the round hole in the floor. The jug is not flat at its base because these were transported in ships, and were placed in sand, used as ballast for the ship, and also preventing tumbles which would break the jars. |
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| One of the fateful lots from which the names were selected, choosing those who would be the last to finish the horrible task to which the the Jews committed themselves rather than to allow their children and wives to suffer a fate even worse than death at the hands of the Roman brutes. This one bears my own name, Jonathan. |
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| The plain between the northern and southern palaces on the fortress, which was used for meager gardens such as the climate might support, and for herd animals. Note the pile of round stones. These were gathered and used to roll down onto the Romans in an attempt to defeat the siege. |
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| Panoramic view of the central plateau |
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| These stones would not a happy site make for the Roman soldiers and slaves when they came rolling down from far above... |
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| The siege ramp, a monumental task and awful tribute to what forced labor can accomplish, rising from the highest neighboring valley wall adjacent the fortress, hundreds of feet, to allow the Romans to breach the defenses of Masada, after three years' siege. |
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| The well preserved cool room from the baths in the later southern palace, built for Herod's second wife, who complained bitterly about the walk up a hundred feet higher or so to the first palace - an awful inconvenience. Note the black line denoting original structure from restoration work again. |
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| The proud Israeli flag flies at Masada. The site has become a patriotic rallying point for Israelis because of its poignant history and the fierce will of the Jews who died there rather than bow to the will of a tyrannical enemy. |
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| View from the gondola on the way down. |
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| View back toward the Israeli flag from the gondola on the way down. Notice the precarious walkway to the gondola, built out over the cliff face. Cool! |
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| When it was slightly delayed, some sad sacks thought they would be faster walking down than waiting for the gondola, but they were badly mistaken! I suppose they also got the joy of saying they actually walked the snake path too... |
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| A brave avian friend living happily in this harsh place, reminding me even here that "his eye is on the sparrow" |
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| Looking down onto the Dead Sea on the drive back from Masada |
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| Beautiful cliffs. and the Qumran Caves. Note the second cave toward the right, from the center. This is where the shepherd boy discovered the now famous Dead Sea Scrolls in a jar in 1947. The boy used the scrolls for sandal material initially, and a trader bought them from him for a pittance, realizing they were significant. That traders' family is now one of the wealthiest families in Bethlehem, for their wise purchase paid off very richly in subsequent years when the true importance of the find was realized in full. |
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| Date palm groves along the Dead Sea, a primary crop, able to withstand the harsh environment |
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| Panoramic view of Kaliah Beach from above |
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| I am sooo ready to jump in the water! |
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| Beautiful flowers at the beach |
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| David at the bar by the beach, the "lowest bar in the world", but we were not interested in a drink nearly as much as a dip in the water to cool off! |
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| Not the MOST flattering picture, but hey... Have to post. It looks like we might be sitting on a shallow bottom, but in fact, we are free floating in the water. You float so high in the water that it is easy to roll completely over without getting your face or hair wet, or even hold a newspaper. Here Sam gave me a map to hold up to demonstrate I can read it easily without getting it wet. The mud on the face may not look so great, but it is extremely good for the skin, and also made a great sunscreen in the witheringly bright sun! If I lived near here, I would go as often as I could. But beware - the water is so saline that it will burn your eyes badly if you get any in them. Also, signs warn if you swallow any water, report to the lifegaurd immediately! I got a small taste in my mouth, and it is EXTREMELY salty. A tiny blister on my foot had almost healed, and I forgot about it, but when I stepped in the water, it burned HARSHLY for about 30s before it finally went away completely. The salt does burn, but it is very healing for cuts, and leaves skin silky soft. |
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| Simulated argument over finding directions on the map. hahaha |
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| Cool panorama on Kaliah beach |
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| Refreshed back at the hotel before cool evening stroll through Jerusalem - beautiful cantilevered steps leading to the room at American Colony |
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| Brave little mouse at Masada. Although this picture appeared to just hide it, in fact, he has no tail, an unusual feature for a rodent species. |
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| Looking down behind me toward Western Wall from the hill along Jaffa Gate |
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| Mamila Mall, just beside the famous Western Wall, set below ground level, open air, thousands of blue LED lights strung along the walkway, very beautiful as the sun set. This was the site of previous homicide bombings, and there was a memorial just above it at one spot to remember the innocents who were killed in brutal attacks aimed intentionally and directly at civilians there, not long ago. |
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| The now obligatory Postal Picture for David whenever we find a foreign post office, fun little tradition |
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| Group of young Israeli girls in military service. Although Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel enjoy all the same rights, there is one difference. All Jewish youth are required by law to spend 2 years in military service at age 18, a requirement from which Arab citizens are exempted. Contrary to claims, this is not analogous to Apartheid in South Africa, since Arabs have been welcomed into the state, and many have become citizens, although they face persecution then among their Palestinian neighbors and families if they do, and many opt not to even now for that reason alone. We chatted with several of the recruits, who were all excited mainly to be out on the town on a beautiful night. |
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| At the Sea Dolphin, a really wonderful seafood place near Mamila Mall in Jerusalem |
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| Enjoying the warmup before the meal even starts - extremely generous portions, in Arabic style, similar to Spanish Tapas, are laid out within minutes of sitting down, before menus even come out, sauces, little appetizers and lots of warm delicious bread. One could easily fill up and not even order I think! |
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| Enjoying some of the pickled cabbage, similar to Korean Kimchi I thought. My favorites were the pickled beets and hummus though. |
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| We had a surprise guest join us for dinner! hahaha This little guy kept getting more and more aggressive in his "courtship"! He was such a cute kitty though, it was hard to shoo him away meanly enough that he would stay. After he grew so bold as to leap on the table though, I got mean with him, and he kept his distance then. |
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| Panorama of the street alongside the Sea Dolphin, a wonderful spot to enjoy a great meal! |
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| After the meal, we walked along the wall back toward the Jaffa gate. It was so great! I love seeing the bedrock, and upon it, the most ancient wall, then at the top, the "recent" wall, "only" 1000 years old or so, practically new construction I guess for Jerusalem... |
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| Standing by the wall at Jaffa Gate. The large stones beside me are from 1st century. The archer's gap in the wall above is also a cool feature, where they would be able to be protected and yet fire arrows out at a wide angle on any attackers below. |
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| Night view of Jerusalem from American Colony |
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| The beautiful courtyard of American Colony at night - note the double doors in the room on the upper floor to the right, Winston Churchill's former room, the room where I got to stay the first night! Behind it are secured rooms for meetings of The Quartet, a delegation made up of 4 key European countries as I understand it, which meet here regularly. |
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