Up to Masada!
I did a cartwheel in one of the open spaces, saw a million-gallon cistern, and shouted from a lookout point and heard it echo at least four times afterwards! We took the cable car down to the bottom and the view was breathtaking.
From there we headed to the Dead Sea and went for a swim. Not only was it easy to float, but I had trouble getting my legs underneath me! We had fun floating around with no effort at all, though the salt stung some of the cuts on my arms and legs from hiking. I made the mistake of licking my lips and was shocked by how much salt was on them. When we got out and dried off a bit, I rubbed my arm and could feel the graininess of the salt. Thankfully, we got to rinse off in the public showers before heading back on the bus.
After that, we went to En-gedi. Wow! What a beautiful oasis in the middle of the wilderness! As we hiked in we laughed at the ibex scaling the rocky slopes and the little rat-like conies scurrying along in the dust. Soon we came to several gorgeous waterfalls, and I jumped in each one and was completely refreshed.
Naomi and I enjoying En-gedi falls:
We also read Psalm 42 and reflected on David’s use of water and wilderness imagery. He was in the wilderness around En-gedi as he was being pursued by Saul, and writes about how the desolate landscape mirrors the inner turmoil he is experiencing (verses 1-5). Suddenly, he changes to the imagery of the En-gedi springs: “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”
We ended the day at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Though we were tired, we made one final hike off the beaten path to reach a cave. As we sat inside, we reflected on different passages in Ezekiel, especially Ezekiel 47. It was a great way to end the weekend.
A cave at Qumran:
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