Day 11, Masada, Ein Gedi, Dead Sea Scrolls, Abraham's Tent

Mt. Masada

Masada was built by Herod the Great, to hide behind. He was ruthless, He built 5 fortesses in all, Masada is one of them. We know about Masada by Jacephes- 10 names were found on shards of clay, those are believed to be the 10 Jewish men picked to kill the Jewish families that lived on Masada. They believed it was better to die free than to be a slave to the Romans. This is desert all around and Masada is on the very top of a mountain, it rains less than 3 inches a year.  Masada is at Sea level

We are heading up to Mt. Masada via cable car it was very very steep!

some wallked it! It was 90+ degrees, I had had enough heat and sweat at this point even though the cable car was kinda scary and very packed, I was thankful for it!

We are on the top that is the Dead Sea in the back ground.

These are the ruins of the fortress.

We are up very high on Mt. Masada

This was built later when they rebuilt Masada

The black line is where the rebuilt

It was a massive fortress

This picture doesn't do Justice to what the eye saw! In the distance is the Dead Sea and farther out is the ? and the land you can see past that is Jordan, were we went to Petra

ruins at Masada

This is the camp at the bottom of the hill, I zoomed in on it.

Bath

These are very old ruins and we are touching them

Leaving the bath house

Ruins

Water jug

The water came down the valley the few inches it did rain and they caught it using a pretty neat system

This is a reenactment of the water ways carved out of the rock it would catch the water from the valley and go into big cisterns

I always enjoy hearing the birds sing

I walked where Jews took their own life, so they would not be a slave to the Romans

This was a work in itself this massive cable car

They packed us in, a quick time of prayer for me lol

I was asleep this morning lol the scrolls were not found at Masada! thank you susan for your input!

At Qumran, they found 11 caves that  had scrolls in them. Cave #4  had the most fragments 1400 in total. Esther was the only one not found there. In cave #1 they found the whole book of Isaiah, we saw a copy of it at the Israel Museum, we also saw some original fragments it was pretty neat to have been here at Qumran and see the caves, and then see the scrolls at the museum.

Michelle and her husband walt were on the whole trip with us, I really enjoyed getting to know them! Married 41 years and still loving!

Okay, Vana we see Cave #4 lol

Close up of cave #4

other caves, If you look really close you can see a green tree to the upper left of the small black hole, (a cave)

bath, ruins

close up of caves

Abraham's Tent

We rode a camel to dinner at Abraham's tent

We are heading to these tents

Abraham welcomes us!

It was a treat to have such fun role playing and to have a chance to gather back in bible times. I'm so thankful for chairs, praise God for who ever invented them

Meat balls and rice

This is the view out the tent wow

Day 10 Jordan River, Beth Shean & the Dead Sea

A relaxing cruise on the Sea of Galilee. That is really not a sea, It is fresh water. It is 600 ft below sea level.

Leaving the city behind us, everything is build on hillsides, not much flat land, in the desert.

It always amazes me when I see a patch of green in the mist of a desert

We had beautiful music and singing. He sang us a song in Hebrew it was so sweet, we even got to, learn a wonderful dance, this was a precious moment on the Sea of Galilee

Very relaxing and calming on the Sea!

This is an ancient fisherman boat.

Well??

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? not sure where I am walking lol

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I love this picture, cat nap to help digest all we heard and saw!

Next stop Jordan river where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. This is really the Jordan River but... the site is not actually where Jesus got baptized, I'm not sure they know the exact place? It is still the Jordan river. I have already been baptized and didn't need to do it agian but... I wanted to and I am so glad I did! It was an honoring experience for me.

This is such a cute picture of our friends, Budi & Cerion

Me getting baptised by Dan one of the 3 pastors we had on board, they were all a blessing in sharing with us.

Susan got baptized by David another one of the pastors.

What a wonderful experience to share with a friend I treasure and adore! Thank you Lord for My Brainy lol friend! One of our guides called Susan Brainy I agree, so that is her new nick name me brainy friend! love ya

 Beit-shean / Scythopolis

 The most magnificent archaeologist site in Israel, located at the strategic juncture of the Jezreel and Jordan Valleys

This is what was carved in the pillars amazing detail!

ruins

more ruins

This looked to me to be an amphitheater

I was so blessed to have been in ear shot of this sweet mother and two sons in our group, singing at the bottom of the amphitheater what an amazing voice carrying up as praise!

I love the archways!

Pillars where a big thing back in the day!

see what I mean lol

another check point on our way to our hotel at the Dea Sea!

Dea Sea 1200 feet below sea level

The white you see is salt

Again the white you see is salt, nothing lives in the Dead Sea but.. according to the bible it will be alive one day!

more salt

I looks like snow but... it's not it's salt!

You really do float! I love this picture we had so much fun!

Me it was like bath water and just so refreshing in a different kind of way. After a long hot sweating day you would not think that warm salty water would be refreshing! We did! Susan and I took the salt from the bottom and scrubed our arms and legs, to think people pay big bucks for a salt scrub! The next day we went back and filled up our water bottles and brought some Dead Sea salt home with us!

The people that missed this, was sticky and gross!

This is from our hotel room!

Our swimming clothes, I rigged to hang out the window using my staightner, they were nice and dry in the morning!