Monday, June 11

Day 8: Monday, June 11, 2007
By Spencer Hansen
To learn the history of Masada, Qumran, and Ein Gedi was great! There is a strong tradition in the area that makes the word “dead” come alive. After touring through these areas we felt the liveliness of the word when we sat down on the Dead Sea buoyant like hot air balloons. “Dead” came alive again as we closed the day in Bethany by visiting the tomb of Lazarus. The tomb was deep, cut right down into the bedrock about twenty to twenty-five feet.
We started out on the bus going down to the Dead Sea. With ears popping, we learned about the Sea and its ever-present haze as the evaporating water shrinks the coastline constantly. Despite the fact the entire area seems dead; the receding waters revealed fresh water emanations that support oases in various spots. Ein Gedi was one such spot, a place supporting life and large communities. We learned that such places have a limit though as we pulled in for lunch at Ein Gedi with over ten tour buses already flooding the parking lot. We skipped lunch there and headed over to Qumran where we walked through a tour of the Essenes’ society. They seemed to be like the Amish, deeply religious with a living belief that, to keep yourself unspotted from the world, you remove yourself from other people. It has been interesting these past few days to see how faith causes people to act in different ways.
Of all the historical places, we spent the longest time at Masada. Half the group went up the two mile snake path and the other half rode up the cable car. (Spencer is too modest at this point to mention that he was the first one up the path in a little over 16 minutes, perhaps a record for the trail, and certainly a record for this group. Adam was second. RB) Up in the sun, we toured around Masada, an ancient fortress used by Romans and Jews alike as a stronghold or resort. David also used the fort, as mentioned in the Bible, but as a means of hiding. You definitely feel like “king of the hill,” up on Masada believing no Trojan horse could ever penetrate your borders.
The experience at the tomb of Lazarus was enhanced by Michelle’s beautiful voice. She signed and sang a song of the account, bringing deeper meaning to the life-saving power of Christ.
Many of us cooled down this evening on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. Some bought jewelry, others bought nativity sets, and of course, others bought ice cream. Each day has been fulfilling, physically and spiritually.
Imagine growing up in Holladay, Utah. You live in four seasons and have the green beauty of God’s creations all around you. After growing up there, imagine being told you’re going to live in a desert as dry as baby powder, like Arizona? The smartest thing to do would be to spend a day in Masada, Qumran, and Ein Gedi so that a place like Tucson would seem like the Amazon!