Today We packed suits and a towel, sunscreen, hats and water and at 8:00 we headed for the hour or so drive to Masada, the ancient fortress where the Jewish Zealots chose death instead of slavery to the Romans. After destroying the second Temple in the year 70 CE, it took the Roman army three years to finally reach the top of Masada to crush their rebellion only to find that the Jews had committed suicide, rather then surrender. Before we left Jerusalem however, we stopped for a group picture and an amazing view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. See below:
A camel at Mount of Olives!
All but three of us took the cable car to the top of the mountain, the three brave souls climbed Masada in the blazing mid-morning heat. Their “we did it" picture is below:
In this picture, Gadi our guide, is showing us an ancient cistern. The zealots could store nearly 60,000 gallons of water atop the mountain. Incredible.
We stopped for a moment of silence and reflection when we sat together in the ancient synagogue. We noted that Rabbi Heschel teaches that Awe often comes before faith. Indeed, there is so much to be in AWE of here in our ancient homeland. We took a moment to connect with ourselves and our past and then we said together, the Shema--a statement of our faith.
After lunch and a shopping visit to the AHAVA store, we headed for a quick drive down to a beach at the Dead Sea. We floated in the dense salt water, a few opted to coat themselves with the rich mineral mud!
An hour and a half later we enjoyed ice cream and water and headed off for the hotel. Another beautiful, amazing day.
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