When we first left Tel Aviv we did have the opportunity to see some Bedouin tents and learned a lot more about the people. They are Arab and a nomadic people. Their primary form of employment is keeping herds of sheep and goats. Historically they have lived in tents but many have started to build structures out of tin and other metals that are slightly more permanent. We saw many Bedouin women dressed from head to toe in black garb which was unbelievable considering the extreme heat. They are certainly a hearty people!
Our first stop was at Tel Beer Sheva. The Tel is thought to be a 3000 year old military installation. Many of the walls still stand and it was a great example of how the Israelites built structures out of stone and mud bricks. It was very neat to see. Below is a picture of some of the walls. We also had the opportunity to go down into the underground reservoir where the people would have gathered rain water. It was quite a hike down with low ceilings but very cool.
From Tel Beer Sheva, we went to En Avedat National Park. The views were absolutely incredible as we wound our way down into the canyons. The park lies in a ravine on the northern fringes of the Avedat Heights between the central and northern Negev Mountains. It was one of the driest areas I have ever seen. We wound our way back a path to a stream that runs through the mountains. It was amazing to see water and plant life in the middle of the dry desert wilderness. We had only seen rock and sand for miles. Pappy (my grandfather) explained that this is where we believe God brought water from the rock when Moses struck it. My Uncle John did a devotion for the tour group there and then we began the hike out.
On the way out we stumbled upon some Ibexes. An ibex is a wild goat that roams the cliffs and slopes of the Negev. They had very little trouble making their way up and down the steep cliffs. One of the goats walked fairly close to us so I was able to get a close up shot.
From En Avedat we journeyed to the Dead Sea. The drive took us through more of the Negev as we saw a continuation of the extremely dry conditions. Hard to believe that we are only a few weeks into the dry season . After a 2 hour drive we arrived at our hotel on the Dead Sea with a couple of hours before dinner to spend at the water. Our hotel is more like a spa than a hotel. They have a beautiful outdoor pool with normal water and an indoor pool with salt water from the Sea. They offer a ton of massage and mud bath services. We all received a detailed explanation of all they could do for us but I don't think anyone from the group actually took them up on any of the offers.
After getting settled in we headed down to the water to float. The water was such a deep brilliant turquoise color. The Dead Sea water is made up of 33% solid minerals. The result is that you float no matter how hard you try not to. I would jump up and try to submerge myself only to shoot right back up. When you get up on your back and front floating in the water, you have to really fight to get your feet back to the bottom. The water is supposed to be great for the skin and did feel a lot more smooth after spending some time in the water. Below are some pictures of the water but I fear I failed to capture the actual brilliance. It may take some Photoshop work or possibly an HDR image (high dynamic range) to get closer to the true colors. There's a challenge for me.
For those of you concerned for Pappy/Buck, he is doing well. He actually hiked the full 3/4 mile into En Avedat. The hike out was a challenge but he made it through. He is in good spirits although he did have a tear filled moment yesterday when he said he kept finding himself looking around for his Sally. It just isn't quite the same here for him without her. Makes me tear up to see how much he loves her.
Well, it is morning here in Israel and I have to go get around to start my day. Today we hit Mount Masada on our way to Jerusalem. Tonight we dine with Joe and Marsha Shulam which will be quite a treat for me. I have heard about the Shulams my whole life but have never had the opportunity to meet them. They are a really cool Israeli family (well Joe is Israeli, Marsha was actually one of my mom's best friends growing up) that lead a large Messianic ministry in Jerusalem. It will be neat to finally meet them. Hopefully I will have some more pictures and stories for you tonight or tomorrow morning!
1 comment:
Hey Josh! Tell my dad and everyone I said hello.
Thanks for the updates,
Mike Hinton
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