Masada is the Stronghold

We had a 2 Hour Dr. through the countryside of Israel today. When you leave the city limits where the homes cost millions of dollars for a 2000 square-foot flat to find tarp covered 250sq ft slums. You realize what a blessing space is. I am a teacher. I have working in several types of schools and I must say that with the exception of abuse, even our poorest kids are living a good life in comparison to what I witnessed today.

We passed by the City of Jericho also known as the City of Palms, on our way to Masada and the Dead Sea. Jericho is the oldest known developed city in the world.

Much of today was spent at En Geti and Masada. This is a a time in the Bible when King Saul was chasing David and there was quite an exchange between the two. We read all of chapter 24, but this

1samual 24:22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

After reading we walked in the spot where it is believed that David wrote or could have written Psalm 18. There were two paths to get to the waterfalls. Some of us followed ‘ol Smokey through a tougher path to get to a larger waterfall. Before the climb, it was brown. Brown everywhere...and then all of a sudden there is a waterfall system in the middle of the desert. A true oasis.

Masada = stronghold
Herod built a palace on the plateau of a mountain in the middle of nowhere nester to the Dead Sea. It was a stopping point on the road from Egypt. Two palaces were built and weapons for 10,000 The water in the Dead Sea is completely unusable, so initially he has to have water shipped in. There was no Amazon Prime, and this place was a two day journey from Jerusalem.
Water cisterns that can hold water for 7 yrs with one flood. Flash Floods happen 5-10 per year. Property of King Herod king of Judaea. The extravagant lifestyle was obvious, but the most mind blowing part was the filter action systems built for their cisterns. I’m no hydro engineer so I would sound like a dumb dumb trying to explain it. There was a heavy rain here yesterday that caused a smaller flash flood, so we were able to see the system in work. Roni said he’s never seen water in the spot we were looking. It was crystal clear water.

this place was in operation from around 4BC to 70AD

This morning Tatum told me she had no desire to get into the Dead Sea. As a mama it kind of stung my heart a little hearing her say that, because we came all this way and, well, when in Israel...you swim. I asked my husband if I should make her or not and he said no, she’s 13 and she’ll probably be back here again someday. So when we got on location I didn’t say a word I just got into my swimsuit and went out into the water with the others. After about 3 to 5 minutes she was ready to join us. It was a blast. You aren’t supposed to just float like that...but you do.

The wandering Jew...doing what people tell them to do or allow them to do. Now I make my own history