Lloyd & Margaret's Sabbatical: Dead Sea Visit

Along with another volunteer with SERVENazareth, we rented a car, and visited two famous sites at the Dead Sea, September 29th. Namely, Masada, and En Gedi. I was especially gratified to walk in the En Gedi Nature Reserve. Twenty eight years ago, my previous visit to Palestine, the tour was too quick to stop at this stop. The Judean Desert, meets the Dead Sea in a barren landscape called 'the lowest place on earth', 420 meters (1200 feet) below sea level. It was 36 degrees, while we were there! The miracle of En Gedi, is that in this hot arid place where it hardly ever rains, there is an oasis! The oasis exists because out of the cliffs, hidden away, there are a a number of fresh water springs. A wide variety of flora and fauna, exist at this site. Ibex and rock hyrax are common. King David, according to Chronicles, hid from an angry and jealous King Saul in this area three thousand years ago. All this is a picture of how our relationship with Jesus can be an oasis, or refreshing rest in the time of dryness. We took the cable car to the top of Herod the Great's winter fortress and palace called Masada. Our hearts were stirred by the resolution of the Jewish rebels who held out against vastly superior Roman forces. When the Romans realized they couldn't starve the Jewish rebels out and that they were unable to defeat the rebels because of their superior position in the fortress, they used Jewish slaves to build a ramp and battering ram to the fortress. Rather than kill their fellow slaves or become slaves themselves, or worse yet, endure abuse and humiliation by their enemy, they chose to commit suicide, and died as heroes. It challenges me as I think about my own determination to not succumb to giving up freedom, even if it means sacrifice of my physical life for the cause of Christ. Needless to say, we had a dip in the salty Dead Sea, amazed by our buoyancy, and chagrined when we accidentally got water in our eyes!