Day 6 - Masada
What? You thought I was done? This was a long trip! Sunday morning began for many at 3a.m. (okay, techincally? Most didn't go to sleep so Saturday just continued for them). The busses departed and took them to the base of Masada where they began climbing. The rest of us, I like to think the sane of us, left at the more normal time of 8 a.m. for the drive to the base where we took a cable car to the top. 
Masada was the site of another of King Herod's fortresses. It was also the site where a group of about a 1000 Jewish zealots took refuge when the Romans captured Jerusalem around 70 BCE. Roman soldiers laid siege to the fortress and the zealots were forced to make a choice. If they were captured they would become slaves. Needless to say, we've been touchy about the slavery thing since Egypt.
What's amazing to me is the decision they finally made. Historians say that 9 men decided the fate of the rest, killing themselves and their families to avoid slavery. Only three people survived, a woman and her children who hid. When the Romans finally captured the fortress they discovered what had occurred and what they lost.
In the cable car on the way down I had the following conversation: Woman: Oh, I see you're from Seattle. We're from Bellevue!
Me: I teach in Bellevue.
The conversation went from there. Needless to say, the world got just a little bit smaller that morning.
After Masada we took the bus to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the planet. The salt content is so high there, nothing can live and everything floats. The water was amazingly warm, and felt wonderful for the first few minutes. Then it began to tingle. Then it found several cuts in some unfortunate places and it began to burn like the fires of Hell.
That's when I ran for the showers.
Labels: Jewish musings, travel
posted by Erin @ 10:23 AM
5 Comments:
OMG, your trip looks awesome!!!
Thank you for sharing the pictures. And the memories!
ah yes, the ultimate reason why Israel needs better quality toilet paper ;) Missed you tonight, we should catch up soon!
What did we tell you about the bikini line? LOL. I always wanted to be weightless. Wasn't it worth it? K
Let's clear something up right now. The bikini line? Was fine. They even warn you not to shave for 24 hours before. That was fine. Other parts? Not as fine.
I've read about the amazing curative powers of the Dead Sea (gosh, that sounds like an oxymoron). I'd love the opportunity to try swimming, er, floating, in it. Not too sure I'd appreciate the stinging, though.
You sure had some amazing experiences on your trip. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Kelli
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