Here is an update for days 2 & 3...
Yesterday we started out at Beth Shemesh, where we read Judges 13-16 and saw the story of Samson play out right in front of us! We also went down into an ancient cistern- it was incredible.
Then we went to Azekah and read the story of David
& Goliath. We even walked through the "brook" (now dried up) where David would have found the stones he used to kill Goliath with. We even brought one home that was a similar shape & size. :)
Then, Laura and I went grocery shopping, which was quite the experience! She said it once took her 6 times to finally buy sour cream. Boy, do I believe her.
We went out to a delicious dinner for Danny's birthday. I had pumpkin & marscapone tortellini and Danny had seafood pesto fettuccine. It was a non-kosher restaurant, which is pretty hard to come by here. Our friend Keith got a cheeseburger, which is pretty rare here. (Mixing milk & meat = non-kosher) Then we walked around the "New City" of Jerusalem, which is more like your typical downtown city. We ended the night with some card games and, of course, brownies.
Today was our busiest, most strenuous day yet! We woke early, packed lunches, and drove an hour and a half down to the dead sea. First, we went to Masada. It was one of King Herod's palaces, and boy was it intricate! We took a cable care to get the top of the mountain, where the palace was set upon a plateau. Overlooking the Dead Sea, it was a beautiful site. To see how the palace was created was just amazing- huge stones, cisterns dug out of bedrock, beautiful mosaic work, and the complexities of steam rooms and bath houses! This was Danny's favorite site.
Then, we went to En Gedi. Mind you, we were in the middle of the desert and it is hot, hot, hot. But we hiked about an hour up and found these beautiful natural springs and waterfalls, in the middle of the DESERT! We read verses like "come to me, all who are thirsty" and "as the deer pants for water, so my soul pants for you". It was a great picture of the never ending, everlasting Water of Life that is available to us, no matter what circumstances surround us.
Then we took a dip in the dead sea. Or should I say, we took a FLOAT in the dead sea. Did you know its 30% salt?! Even if you try to put your legs down in the water, they float right up! It was pretty fun, except for the fact that you felt it immediately if you had the tiniest cut anywhere on your body. Ouch! Anyway, the water was crazy. It felt like baby oil covered our skin when we got out. Afterward, my skin was dry and itchy- I was happy for the experience, but equally happy to get out. They say some people with skin diseases come stay by the dead sea for a few months and are often healed.
Then we went to Qumran, which is where the dead sea scrolls were found by the Beduin shepherds! I was particularly excited to see Cave 4, where the majority of scrolls were found and where APU's 6 fragments once lived!
Then we drove home and showered away all the salt. We had to get cheese for our lunches for the next few days, so Danny and I walked to the store alone! It was good for us to get a little alone time.
All in all, we feel very safe here. We have been lucky to have beautiful weather so far. The desert is typically 125 degrees!!! It maybe topped at 90 today, but there was a nice breeze. We're praising God for looking out for us. :) Also, we're getting more adjusted to the time change. Today, I even woke up at 5 am! Ha...we are so exhausted from our strenuous hiking/desert/heat day that we can't wait for a good night of rest.
Well, tomorrow we're headed up north to Galilee! We have many stops on the way, which I will tell you all about. We'll be back "home" Thursday night, so it will be a few days before you hear from me again. Love you all!
Love,
us
Locations visited:
Beth Shemesh
Azekah
Text: 1 Samuel 17
Masada
En Gedi
Text: John 4:13-14, Psalm 63
Dead Sea
Qumran
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