From Jericho to the Dead Sea (7/23)

Another bright and sunny day beats down upon us as we walk to our tour bus at 9:00am. It is warm and beads of sweat begin to form along my brow. The knowledge that it is only going to get hotter offers no comfort. Fortunately, the air is cool inside our vehicle and I quickly take a window seat.

The journey to Jericho takes us through the wilderness we so often hear about in the Bible. We stop near the Wadi Qilt (a valley that lies between Jerusalem and the route to Nazareth. It is some of the remotest and desolate land I have ever seen. I shudder at the thought of crossing it and suddenly the accounts of "the good Samaritan" and the fear that grip Mary and Joseph when they realize that Jesus is missing (when He stayed behind at the temple), have a new deeper meaning to me.

After a few photos we resume our trip to Jericho, pausing momentarily outside the city (which lies on the opposite side of the mountains that create the Wadi Qilt) to view a tree similar to what Zacchaeus probably climbed in order to view Jesus coming along the street way. It had a beautifully gnarled tree trunk, squat and bulky. Its bark had a very light shade of grey and it was hardly taller than a one story building.

Jericho was hot! Open to the sun just below the mountain range in a fertile valley responsible for a diverse mixture of crops; bananas being one of Jericho's chief exports. The excavation of old Jericho was interesting; some remnants of old stone walls, areas where rain "melted" the clay stone wall like bars of chocolate, and old pottery, rooms, and stairways. We also took a few pictures of the Monastery of Temptation (where Christ was tempted for 40 days) located on the side of the mountain behind Jericho.




Next we headed south to Qumran (where a community of Jews lived and where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found - in the cave of the picture). We had an excellent tour of historical park and the excavations of their communal buildings and purification baths (Mikva Ot). This is likely a community that John the Baptist visited while wandering in the desert.





Finally, we ended our day at the Dead Sea. The water's high salt content made one more buoyant than normal, however it was a novelty that quickly wore off - especially since the water's salinity felt as though it was burning your skin (some areas more than others). The muddy clay (which is thought to have healing/cosmetic qualities) abundantly located on the bottom was dense and had a distinct smoothness to it. All in all, while in the water my skin felt almost slimy and as far as I know the mud did nothing more than merely coat my skin while making me feel dirty and desperate for a shower. But it was a new experience and a fun memory. It was also nice to have a relaxing afternoon and to reflect on the numerous experiences we have had of late.



Worn and weary from traveling and an afternoon in the sun and water we traveled home, drifting off into light sleep as we motored back along the winding road that had been our days journey.