Qumran and Masada

Last Monday we set out early for a longish journey. And it was a spectacular one too! We headed off down the highway toward Jericho, turning south alongside the Dead Sea. Our first stop was Qumran - the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a young Bedouin shepherd. These ancient documents were hidden in caves in the region. They are older, by a millennium, than the oldest source documents of the Jewish Torah. They date from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE.

Qumran

Qumran - the Dead Sea in the background

Overlooking the Dead Sea from the ruins of the Qumran Community

The setting is spectacular - a dusty arid plain stretching from precipitous mountains to the shining shores of the Dead Sea. The eleven caves that held the earthenware jars are scattered among the cliffs of these mountains.

One of the caves

The original discovery was in a cave in the rocky outcrop in the distance

Near the caves are the ruins of a perhaps related community dating from the same period. There is no evidence the community had anything to do with the scrolls, even if one of the caves is a stone's throw from where the community was built.

The ruins of the dining room of the male only community at Qumran

The Pottery Storeroom - it was a community of potters

A cistern - the community relied on occasional water from the mountains

One of the mikvahs - ritual bath

 It was very hot at Qumran - easily 30 degrees and we spent a lot of time out in the sun. So it was a relief to get on the air-conditioned bus and head for our next stop: Masada

Masada from the bus

Masada is situated on a tabletop mountain rising out of the Dead Sea plain. It was built as a refuge fortress for the king in Jerusalem. We went up by cable car. Not so good for people with vertigo - like me! However it was fast - about three minutes up (and down). Great views from the top. And interesting history.

Cable car arriving

The view from the top

Masada is a long day's unladen tramp from Jerusalem so a king could flee there if Jerusalem was threatened - and return when the coast was clear. It was conquered various times over the centuries. Herod the Great rebuilt it extensively. Perhaps the most famous story is the sacrifice of the Jewish defenders. This story has been romanticised. How a group of Jews fought off the Roman empire until they were on the verge of being defeated and chose to kill themselves instead. The Jews were members of the Sicarii - not exactly great role models - they killed thousands (hence sicario), even fellow Jews.

Looking down on one of the Roman siege camps (the brown rectangle) and the ruins of one of Herod's Palaces from the top

What Herod's palace looked like

Masada even served as an example for young Jews in the early part of the establishment of the State of Israel. Swearing in of troops, Bar Mitzvahs and other Jewish ceremonies were held here. It seems that Israelis no longer like this model. That the warriors ended up killing their families and then choosing lots with the "winner" got to kill the rest before falling on his sword seems not to be a good model!

Another siege camp

The remains of the earthen ramp the Romans built

The final siege was a masterly piece of Roman warfare and Sicarii bravery and determination. They were finally defeated after the Romans built a ramp and siege tower that breached the defences only to find the inhabitants dead.

The Tantur Team being briefed by the guide Jared Goldfarb (arm outstretched)

A selfie at Masada

Ruins of a Byzantine Church built on top of Masada

The view over the tabletop toward the Dead Sea

Our final stop for the day was Ein Gedi Spa for the obligatory dip in the Dead Sea. Great fun - except for one of team who had a fall and scratched his back on the rock salt that forms on the shore. He looked like he had been scourged! I'll spare you the photo of his back! Instead here's one of me:

I'll spare you the close up!

That's not white sand!

You'll see in the photo above there is quite a stretch of 'beach'. The level of the Dead Sea has fallen a metre a year since 1980. So much that the beach of the spa is about a kilometre from where they built the spa. The Jordanians, Palestinians and Israelis are actually talking about some solutions. They haven't moved beyond talk yet...

We got down to minus 400 metres...

That night we stayed at Ein Gedi Kibbutz. A bit like a country hostel/hotel. The kibbutzim have moved into tourism - the spa at the Dead Sea belongs to the kibbutz. This kibbutz has loads of rooms. There is also a hotel part that looks quite luxurious. Our rooms were only three stars!