Sunday-April 26, 2015
We
started our day with Pastor Drew reading Matt. 4:1-11. Then he had prayer.
**Secret
Stuff** - when Pastor Drew stepped off the bus, Mrs. Judy shared a joke with
us! “Da Boat (both) for sale” Funny stuff (shh…)
Information
learned during our drive to Masada:
*We
passed through the Kidron Valley which separates Mt. of Olives from Jerusalem.
*The
wolf is the sign of the tribe of Benjamin.
*An
Ibex is a wild goat that you can see here.
*En
Gedi means-Spring of the Goat. It is the
largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea. When reading 1 Samuel 24 in the Bible-En Gedi
is where this took place.
1st stop-Masada
(comes from the Hebrew meaning Stronghold or Fortress)
It
is an isolated rock plateau in the Eastern Judean desert, overlooking the Dead
Sea. You may reach the top by either a
45 minute hike up the Snake Path (which 5 of our group did-awesome) or a 3
minute cable car ride. King Herod
realized its importance, safety and he built his fortress atop it. He enjoyed the good life but was always
paranoid. His brother and a friend were
the only 2 people he trusted. He killed
his first wife and their entire family including their children, his mother in
law and brother in law who was found floating face down in a pool.
He
had 3 main issues on Masada-security, food and water. Food was mostly grains that were brought in
from other places and stored in dark dry places. They would last for several years. Water; there wasn’t enough, so he built
aqueducts and cisterns that would collect all rainwater and water from the
mountains. Each cistern could hold 250
gallons of water. Joseph, our guide,
gave us a demonstration of how this was done with a model that was there.
We
visited the ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 AD the Jewish defenders made
the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome. When the hope of the rebels dwindled, the
commander Eleazer Ben Yair gave two speeches in which he convinced the leaders
of the community of 960 that it would be better to take their own lives and the
lives of their families than to live in shame and humiliation as Roman
slaves. And so they did. Some of those who killed themselves left
their names inscribed on pieces of pottery.
The
Columbarium Towers (Dovecote) were for raising doves as a source of food. They were self-sufficient in finding their
own food so they didn’t need attending.
They were also used for fertilization.
**While
we were there, we saw a bird called Tristram’s Grackle, named after its
founder. The wings have a bright yellow
color on the edges/tips.
The
Synagogue-built by Herod, was used as a stable, but the Zealots converted it to
a synagogue.
The
Byzantine Church-this building doesn’t fit story, goes back to 6th
century. Its 1500 years old. The Byzantine thought the desert brought you
closer to God. (There’s a book called “The Desert City” about the monk’s
life). The monks were killed in the 7th
century by the Muslims when they invaded.
We
stopped here, standing among the ruins of the church and had our Worship
service.
Pastor
Drew read scripture: John 15 (The Vine & the Branches). We then sang worship songs: 10,000 Reasons
& I Love You Lord. Pastor Drew had
prayer and then mentioned a book titled “Secrets of the Vine” by Dr. Bruce
Wilkinson and said it’s a good book to read.
Pastor Drew’s message: if we are in Him, we have to lift up to bear
fruit. What happens when He lifts us up? He disciplines us. When we get into sin He will do whatever He
has to do to lift us back up from it or out of it. Our Redeemer is never satisfied with us. We are lifted out of our sin and redeemed to
bear fruit.
We
sang Jesus Paid it All, Pastor Drew closed us in prayer.
*What
a truly blessed mountain top experience!
Next stop-Qumran (comes from Arabic meaning
Two Moons-the real moon & the reflection of the moon on the Dead Sea). We saw a movie first. Qumran’s fame comes from a break-away sect
known as the Essenes, who chose to leave the corruption of Jerusalem. They spent 100-150 years here. One job they had was to transcribe the
Bible. They hid the scrolls to protect
them and hide them from the Roman army, peddlers, or anyone who would misuse in
a way that was not Holy. During the
Jewish revolt, the Romans conquered Qumran and dispersed the sect.
In
1947 the Bedouin shepherds found 7 ancient scrolls in a cave by throwing a rock
inside and hearing a jar break. After
that, Father R. de Vaux excavated the area for 15 years and found additional
scrolls in 11 caves. The scrolls were
preserved in the caves in the jars with help of the hot, dry climate for nearly
2000 years.
Next stop-The Dead Sea
It
is the lowest point on earth at 1300+ feet below sea level. The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than any
other ocean or water source. It loses up
to ½ inch of water everyday through evaporation.
Well,
here we are ready to put the salt to a weight test! They say you cannot sink when floating in the
Dead Sea because of all the salt, and it is a true statement! Those of us who braved the water, walked out
and just sat down & back like getting in a recliner and it held us up. The Dead Sea also has beneficial mud that you
can rub on that helps your skin because of all the minerals in it. Some tried it and covered themselves! Joseph our guide advised us not to stay in
the water more than 20 minutes because it might start burning our skin, so we
took his advice and exited the water after our 20 minutes was up. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed ourselves!
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