Masada and the Dead Sea

July 10, 2008

Yaakov was kind to us this morning. Since it would be hot at whatever time we reach Masada, setting off earlier would be of no benefit. So, at 8:00am the bus took off for the Dead Sea and Masada. We enjoyed the desert scenery with Bedouins, camels, date palm groves and rock formations, painting yet a new picture on our journey.
At Masada we entered the recently opened visitor center. Yet again, the center featured the ever present short film to set the scene and put Masada into historical context. The backdrop included the 1981 Hollywood movie about Masada starring Peter Strauss as Eliezer ben Yair and Peter O’Toole as Flavius Severus, neither of whom we saw on our visit. We passed over the great rock while in the cable car and had our first look at the magnificent desert panoramas. To say the least, it was hot on top, but with a nice breeze and dry – tolerable. Yaakov explained the story of the Zealots and their continuation of the rebellion against Rome as well as Herod’s construction of his summer palace on Masada. Next to the synagogue Yaakov asked Ben to read Eliezer’s final speech as recorded by Josephus. I posed the question of the ethical dilemma Masada poses for us: Jews who commit suicide defy the fundamental Jewish principle of preserving life. We also read a passage from Avot d’Rabi Natan which speaks of the transformation from Temple ritual (after the Destruction) to acts of loving kindness (hesed) to bring about atonement. The powerful image of this isolated palace/fortress in the desert on a flat rock looking out over the Dead Sea and back to the mountains of the Judean Desert won’t easily be forgotten.
We descended on the cable car and headed to the area of Qumram, the caves discovered by an Arab shepherd in 1952, in which were hidden scrolls (The Dead Sea Scrolls) for almost 2,000 years. It is also the location of one of the communities of Essenes, a sect in the time of the Temple’s last days. These communities isolated themselves from the corrupt society of the city and concentrated on issues of purity and holiness. We ate at the cafeteria in the visitor center and shopped in ubiquitous souvenir store, containing Ahava skin care products, special to the Dead Sea area. Next we viewed yet another film, this one connecting the Essenes with a possible encounter with John the Baptist. Because of this connection, Qumran is visited by many non Jewish tourist groups. We walked around the excavations of the Essene living quarters and also saw the actual cave of the scrolls.
Our next stop was a beach at the north end of the Dead Sea, to offer that unique experience of being in the Dead Sea (a sea of salt) and applying the healing mud to their bodies. Although I truly recommend this as an experience not to be missed, I personally have immersed four times in the past and chose to sit this one in the shade. Jan went down to the sea, camera in hand to testify the immersion of most of the rest of the group. This beach was truly a “catch” – offering on the beach an outdoor snack bar, fresh showers, lots of chairs, chaises, and umbrellas. The mud was free for the taking once one enters the water. It certainly looked like every one who went in, sat down , laid out, floated, and/or caked him/herself with mud had a grand time. Only the photos will tell for sure. A surprise – a filming was taking place – a documentary about falafel. The subject lay on the water with a large falafel sandwich in hand, right next to our group. Marcia chatted animatedly with the star and cameramen and time will tell if she will show up in the saga of the falafel. An hour and a half later, all were ready for the reverse process of showering off the mud and salt, with bodies feeling soft, supple, and refreshed (yes, refreshed).
Before returning to Jerusalem, we made a quick stop to a gas station at which was parked the “tourist’s camel” and owner. At least a half dozen of the team jumped off the bus and took a ride around the station, for the thrill of the bumps and the camera. A short while later, we arrived back at the Dan Panorama, tired and sated.

Dinner was “on our own.” Jan and Alan and Ben joined the Mehlenbacher’s and Sussman’s, our wonderful friends from Florida on the trip, for a stroll down Emek Refaim Street looking for the perfect restaurant. We ended up at Olive’s. In the restaurant, Alan ran into David Ellenson, President of Hebrew Union College, who, in turn, was dining with an old colleague of Jan’s. Jerusalem is truly the meeting place for the world Jewish community. Laila Tov (good night)!