The Desert

I have been through the desert on a camel with no name.
We started our day early to beat the intense desert heat. When we got to Masada, the temperature was about 21 degrees Celsius (70 F). Masada was a mountain palace built by Herod, which could also conveniently withstand a siege if necessary. After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, the remaining rebels fled to Masada. The Romans, commanded by Lucius Flavius Silva, a relative of the emperor Vespasian, prosecuted a siege against the stronghold, first circumvallating the mountain and then building a siege ramp to the top. As we ascended the mountain, the remains of Roman castrae were visible, together with the outline of the wall. Smaller camps were set up at intervals along the wall, probably holding about a cohort of soldiers. On the far side of the cable car, there was a much larger castra, likely the first one built where the legion stayed on the first few days and then later where the headquarters was. Masada as a complex had all the comforts. It was a beautiful palace once, and the remains could still be seen. It boasted a full Roman bath, along with numerous ritual baths and well-designed cisterns. When we left Masada, the temperature had nearly doubled, resting at a comfortable 37 degrees celsius (99 F). Our next stop was Qumran, where the dead sea scrolls were found. Outside there was a fascinating complex where a sectarian community once lived, called the Essenes. Aside from that, Qumran was literally nothing more than a cave atop a 300 foot drop in the blazing heat. By the time we left Qumran, it had reached 41 degrees celsius (106 F) and we headed to the dead sea. I elected not to go in the water as I was already feeling somewhat dehydrated. By the end the temperature had reached a pleasant 45 degrees (113 F) and we went home. It was wonderful coming back to Jerusalem where it was not higher than 27 degrees. At any rate, the heat was prostrating and I will now drink much water.

On the Road Again

On Friday we left Ashkelon and journeyed up North, to Jesus' old stomping grounds, the Galilee region. We stayed at a lovely hotel on the Plain of Gennesaret called Nof Ginnosar. The Hotel was absolutely beautiful, located on the sea of Galilee, which is more like a lake than a sea. The murky waters which Jesus once traversed on foot were soothing and cool on our "day around the lake", reaching temperatures in the 100 degree range with very high humidity. On our last night, our Israeli guide, Illan, grilled very non-kosher cheeseburgers for us, and had the time of his life celebrating the fourth of July with us. Illan is a very interesting man: combining hippie with nationalist, his jovial personality is often juxtaposed by war stories and deep theological musings. Yesterday, we visited many of the cities Jesus visited during his ministry, and we finished by going to the Museum of the Boat. The museum of the Boat had one attraction: a boat. The boat in question was actually a two thousand year old boat which was actually pretty cool. A short distance from the museum was a pier, at which was birthed a replica of the museum boat. Sarah Seibert asked me if I wanted to see it, and so we went to look at it. Within five minutes we were sailing the Sea of Galilee, aboard the hand-made boat, built by a former resident of Salem, MA whom Sarah and I (but mostly Sarah because she reigns supreme at schmoozing) befriended. David was a pretty cool guy, and he gave us certificates proving that we had been on the boat. Afterward, we went swimming.
Nof Ginnosar's one flaw was terrible wifi, which is why I am writing so long post factum. Today, we set out from Gennesaret and journeyed to Bet-She'an, a city with thoroughly impressive ruins. Standing atop the tell and looking down at the Roman ruins on the plain below was incredible, and brought to mind Percy Byssche Shelly's poem Ozymandias:

I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:And on the pedestal these words appear:'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."  

Another wiser man said it this way: 
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures on eath, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

At Bet-She'an, we bade farewell to Jonathan Kirkpatrick, who had come to visit us again, and when we were done, we headed to Armageddon...except not really. While many believe that Armageddon will take place at Megiddo (where we were), there is much better evidence that Jerusalem is the actual site. At any rate, Megiddo was a remarkable tel, and afterward we settled in for the two hour drive to Jerusalem. We visited the garden of Gethsemane, and a church dedicated to where Jesus wept over his impending death. Illan made an excellent point about how God wants obedience and that that was the point of Christ's ministry. He used the example of Jesus' answer to the people asking him about paying taxes to the Romans. Jesus answered them saying "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. Just before this, Jesus asks to see a denarius (a Roman coin of a moderate denomination) and then asks whose image is on it. As humans, we are all made in God's image, and therefore what Jesus actually said to his challengers was "give to Caesar the things that bear his image and give to God the things that bear his image". Next, we went to Church of all Nations, where we further contemplated Christ's obedience. Obedience is something that requires training, Illan told us, using an object lesson from his time in the army. As a medic, he was responsible for having to save lives under fire, and he was able to do so because of his training.
The Christian life is a lot like that, and without proper training, we will not be able to be obedient as Christ was able.
On a slightly more light note, I rode a camel, which the most excellent Sarah Seibert documented, and then returned to the old city to do some shopping.
I will be home soon, and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!