Report from Israel #5 - Herod's Fortress & Nahum's Chariots

By Janice Beurling

Shalom!

We felt it was time we took things a little easier! On Independence Day, we just stayed at home and rested. The biggest activity was to run out onto the balcony every time we heard jets and helicopters fly overhead. Through the morning this happened quite often. We saw five huge helicopters fly in formation right above us -- they make a lot of noise. There were also groups of jets and bombers or jets alone. We think this was a special activity for Independence Day. It was great fun to watch.

Early Wednesday morning, we packed a lunch and headed down toward the Dead Sea. Our ears popped often as we left Jerusalem behind and drove through the dry, dusty hills of the Judean Wilderness. Finally, we reached the Jordan Valley and headed south along the western edge of the Dead Sea. Passing date palm groves, we rolled up and down the hills that run toward the Sea. Hardly a blade of grass is visible. At one small intersection, we saw a mother Ibex with two young kids crossing the road. They don’t seem very nervous around people and vehicles.

Finally, Masada came into view. This stupendous mountain of rock, dust and ruins is quite overwhelming as you drive up the road. We had come early in the day hoping we’d avoid the worst of the heat and crowds. We took the first available cable car to the top and began to wander about. I was the only one to have visited the top of Masada before, so I had fun showing the others around. My previous visits, however, had been confined to the northern end and main level of Masada. Today, I walked down to the lower levels of Herod’s palace with Dad and Krista -- 180 steps down and 180 steps up -- all fastened precariously to the face of the cliff! But it was excellent to see where banquets would have been held and to gain a new perspective of the amazing construction of the palace.

Mom did have trouble getting around on her gimpy knee so, after viewing the essentials of Herod’s palace, she and Dad waited in a shaded area while Krista and I wandered down to the southern end of the mountain. One interesting spot we saw was the ruined Byzantine church located near the middle of the plateau. Bits of the mosaics are still visible on the floor. Just as we stepped away from the church, we were startled by the sudden sound of a horn -- a saxophone! A member of a small Asian tour group had brought his sax up the mountain and began to play “How Great Thou Art.” The sounds of praise just floated out over the ruins and rocks.

Soon it was time for us to head down the mountain again. At the bottom we purchased huge glasses of cold, freshly squeezed orange juice. How good it tasted!

After our picnic lunch, we headed back up the road to Ein Gedi. Dad, Krista and I hiked up the wadi to the lower waterfall. It’s no Niagara, but how welcome it must have been to those who needed water in the wilderness. This is the area where David and his men hid out from Saul for some time.

Our last stop was Qumran. Again, Mom and Dad waited in the shade and strong breezes while Krista and I strolled around the small ruined village. After watching the film in the visitor centre, it was easier to identify the various buildings they’ve excavated here. Qumran, of course, is believed to be the village of the Essenes and the Essenes probably wrote and hid the scrolls known today as the Dead Sea Scrolls. A couple of the caves that held the scrolls safely for 2000 years were clearly visible from the village.

Finally, we turned toward Jerusalem and home. Instead of driving toward the northwest entrance of the city (from which we had descended that morning), we tried a road that entered more from the northeast -- saving us a bit of time, we hoped. Soon, though, we lost our way and ended up using Dad’s favourite method of navigating -- drive until you see something you recognize. It worked!

Everyone warned us about driving in Israel. The general consensus was that we shouldn’t do it. Well, we are doing it. We’re not having too much trouble, but have realized there are different rules for the road here. Based on our experiences with cab drivers and on the roads ourselves, these are the rules we believe are in effect in Israel:

1. You can’t drive the wrong way into a one-way street but, if you back up the wrong way into a one-way street, it’s ok.
2. You must drive very fast along narrow roads with only inches to spare between the parked cars on one side and the stone wall on the other.
3. The traffic lights here in Jerusalem are different. There is a yellow light that precedes the green light. We’ve concluded that this is to allow the driver behind you advance notice for when he should start honking his horn at you -- a split second before the light actually turns green.
4. If the car in front of you hesitates because they’re looking at the map, honk.
5. If the car in front of you is signalling a left turn into a driveway, but hesitates because of an oncoming bus, honk.
6. If the car in front of you hesitates because they’re looking in vain for a street sign, honk.
7. Keeping to your own lane is optional.
8. If you’re sitting in traffic and are bored, honk.
9. If you are driving a motorbike, you must weave your way among the cars, down the white line or along the shoulder. The other day, we mentioned to Shimon that this was very illegal in Canada. He laughed and said it was here, too.
10. If the car in front of you is the police, but you think they’re not moving fast enough, honk!

This verse is slightly out of context, but will illustrate the city streets for you:

“The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes” (Nahum 2:4).

As the family navigator, I find the signage in Israel the biggest challenge. Although there are good major signs showing you the route to take to places like Tel Aviv or the Dead Sea, the local street signs are so small, they’re illegible. Or they’re missing altogether. My frequent cries are, “Can anyone read that sign?!” or “Can anyone SEE a street sign?!”

Nevertheless, we are motoring along quite well!

Shalom, shalom.


Here are some of recent pictures Krista and I have taken (click for bigger):


Our street on Independence Day.

Independence Day air show over our apartment.


Groves of date palms on the shores of the Dead Sea.


The Judean Wilderness.


A mother ibex and twin kids crossing the road in front of our car.


Approaching Masada.

Near the top of Masada, Mom heads for the summit. She made it!


The Dead Sea from Masada.


Krista holds up a pillar at Masada.


Imagine these rooms filled with dried fruit, oil, wine, and many other kinds of supplies.


This bird with its orange wings is very bold and quite common. It's called a Tamsin Starling.


Some of Masada's ruins.


Part of Herod's banqueting room.


Decorative capital.


The view from Masada.


Mom and Dad -- guests of Herod!



Cliffs of Masada.


Mom & Dad.


A mosaic in one of the smaller palaces.


Hikers coming up and going down Masada by the Snake Path.


Along the path to the waterfall of Ein Gedi, there are many caves -- perhaps similar to the ones used by David and his men.


The Lower Waterfall at Ein Gedi.


A baby Rock Hyrax at Ein Gedi -- something like a hare or a ground hog.


One of the caves that held the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.