Woke up early, went down to lobby for devo, nobody down there. My new friend Tami comes a little later and we go get breakfast. We check-out of hotel and head north to the caves of En Gedi where David hid while fleeing Saul. Had Bible study there. It is an oasis in the middle of the desert. Until 1967, it was the only settlement on the Dead Sea. In 70 AD the Ascenes ceased to exist so scrolls of papyrus found here had to be written before that date. The caves at En Gedi are directly east of Jerusalem. Ezk 47 - water below the temple will flow east through En Gedi and bring life to the Dead Sea. Here is where David spares Saul’s life when he stumbles into the same cave he was hiding in (1 Sam 24).
Had light lunch plus magnum bar from gift shop, then we head north to Qumran, the location of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Along way pass Mt. Nebo to the east, from where Moses looks onto the promised land. At Qumran, visit site where the Jewish sect of people called the Ascenes lived. The Romans always desecrated the Word of God so the Jews took manuscripts and hid them in one of these caves. For 1900 yrs they were stored in clay pitchers here. If these manuscripts had been buried in the Mediterranean, they would have been destroyed by the humidity and salt. This location was the ideal climate to preserve these scrolls. It’s very dry and because it’s at the lowest point on earth, has very high oxygen content. It’s thought that John the Baptist was a member of the Ascenes.
Following Qumran, we continue north to the place where it’s believed Jesus was baptized. To reach the site you pass through a military zone with bunkers, guards, gates and abandoned army buildings. The river marks the border with Jordan and the river itself is maybe only 20 feet wide at this location. Had a Bible study here, stood in river. It is very muddy and opaque. I tried to find a rock but couldn’t find even one. It’s amazing to imagine this tiny river is the tributary for the enormous Dead Sea.
Head West from here, past Jericho and begin climb up toward Jerusalem. The altitude change is from -1300 ft below sea level to +2650 ft above. Stop along the way for dinner at Abraham’s tent, where we eat reclined along the table on mats overlooking the valley toward Jericho. We have the opportunity to ride a camel (her name was "Layla") here with my new friend Sian. I wouldn’t say it was enjoyable, but certainly memorable. After receiving my camel’s license, we continue our trek up toward Jerusalem. We enter the city just before sundown, what a perfect introduction to seeing this city. As we round a corner the view of the temple mount and the dome of the rock is prominent along the landscape. My first impression of the city is it’s natural beauty replete with hills and modern architecturally rich structures.
We check into the David Citadel Hotel and I decide to go exploring in Old Jerusalem. Our hotel is only a 10 min walk to the Jaffe gate of the old city, whose walls where lighted and brilliant against the evening sky. I entered through the Jaffa gate and was amazed at the buildings and marketplaces and number of people out. I grab a slice of pizza, they say “God Bless you” as I leave, what a blessing to hear. I walk all around the old city which is divided into 4 quarters – Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Moslem. A very zealous store owner follows me after I leave his shop and for 15 min pleads with me to buy from him. I’ve never experienced anything like this. Every line you could think of he tells me. I’m very thankful I didn’t purchase anything because I learn later on from our guide that these guys are the best and very skilled at douping tourists. Walking through these ancient streets is really unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Get back to hotel around 11p.
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