When I was a young boy my grandmother gave me a book by British broadcaster David Kossof called simply, as I remember, Bible Stories. In it he re-tells simply and powerfully bible stories from a unique first person perspective. It switched me on to the bible. I was given another book written by Kossof that re-told in a similar style the story of Masada, the remarkable fortress built by Herod in the Judean wilderness, taken over by Jewish zealots and eventually re-won after a brutal siege by the Romans. (Wikipedia it of you don't know the story. You should).
Today we visited Masada. On the shores of the Dead Sea, hundreds of metres above the surrounding plain, Masada is truly remarkable. We walked around Herod's elaborate palace, in to his extensive baths and through the 16 storerooms that meant hundreds could live there for years at a time without replenishment. It is am engineering marvel. It is also deep in the modern Israeli psyche. There is a saying here, 'Masada will never fall again.' Surrounded by enemies, or at least states that are ambivalent about their existence, Israel is determined to position itself never to suffer a 'noble' defeat. Such a complex place with even more complex politics.
We then visited Jericho for lunch, ascending the Mount of Temptation where it is said Jesus was tempted for 40 days by the devil before he began his public ministry. Like the rest of the Judean wilderness, it does seem to be forlorn, lonely place. Near the top of the mountain we visited a Greek Orthodox monastery, perilously perched up against the sheer cliffs. Only one monk lives here, overlooking the Jordan valle across the mountains of Moab (Jordan). After traveling back down the mountain by cable car, we visited the ruins of ancient Jericho. This is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world, and the lowest (below sea level). The ruins themselves were not remarkable to look at, but to think some of them pre-date the story of Joshua by hundreds of years is amazing.
Our day ended with a visit and swim in the Dead Sea. Ten times saltier than the ocean, the Dead Sea is famous for its supposed healing properties and tens of thousands of people visit it very year. Just on dusk we entered the water. It was bizarre. You lie back and you cannot help but float - in fact its is hard to right yourself to stand up again. It was an unforgettable experience.
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