Day 3, or, Mountains Seas and Parks

We woke up at four a.m. today, and crept out of the massive Bedouin tent where we’d spent the night. Stumbling and freezing, we managed to make our way on to the bus. The drive to Masada was short, and once we arrived we started climbing. The path up was long, but not too challenging, and it wasn’t very long until all of us were standing on top of the mountain together. In the time we had left before the sunrise, our guide Morgy told us a story. She said that, two thousand years ago, King Herod had fortified Masada, building the walls whose remains, worn and crumbling, but still standing, traversed the space around us. Nearly one hundred years after that, the Jews living here were besieged by Roman legions, and it became apparent that they would be defeated. Rather than surrender to the Romans and be forced to swear allegiance to Roman gods, each of the Jews chose to take their own life. Their sacrifice, and the consequent Roman victory, marked the end of Jewish rule in Israel. As Morgy finished her story, the sun rose from behind the horizon, over a group of forty some Jewish kids, standing on a mountain in the Jewish State of Israel. Two thousand years later – two thousand years of Jews declaring that they would take Masada back and two thousand years of Jews wondering if it would ever really happen – We were here again. 

The climb (definitely not walk, climb) down Masada was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever had to endure. The path (not even, or paved, just two feet of horizontal ground) wound its way back and forth along the edge of a cliff, and only sometimes was accompanied by a railing to hold on to. Having weird specific issues with heights (namely that I’m only afraid when there’s nothing to support me) these railing-less cliff edges were horrifying. Thank you again, Chloe and Alla, for holding my hands.

After a late breakfast we went to the Dead Sea, but unfortunately couldn’t swim because it was too windy. I still got to take off my shoes and splash around a little though, and I did taste the water to see what it was like (every bit as salty as everyone says). I also grabbed a rock from it, so I could take it home and show Brian what it tasted like too. 

Since we couldn’t go swimming, we headed across the street to Ein Gedi, a national park. We hiked around for awhile, and saw ibex (goat things) and hyrax (prairie dog things). There were some pretty wonderful waterfalls and flowers and rocks too. 

Eventually we got back on the bus and headed to Kibbutz Nachsholim for Shabbat Dinner, and some very much needed sleep.