Negev Trip May 25-28 2009

We just returned from our three day trip to the Negev. On Tuesday we saw the Elah Valley, this is the place where David fought Goliath. We then went up to Tel Azekah and talked through the whole battle. Quite amazing to sit there in the shade of a tree and see it happening in the valley below you.
After Azekah we went to Beth Guvrin to this amphitheater. Circular ruins with lots of rocks and ups and downs. Guess who climbed it first? ME! I was all over that thing! It was awesome!
We went through three sets of caves. The first was the tomb of some influential family with funny pictures on the wall and this ridiculous Greek script that I couldn’t read (arg). The second was called ‘The Musicians Cave’ (also a tomb) because there was a mural of a pair of musicians on the wall. Large, really creepy. The last set was called Bell Caves. BEAUTIFUL. Huge, almost bell shaped caves, ups and downs and little hidden nooks and crannies. WAY cool.
We stopped by Lachish (Sennacherib kicked the crap outta the city) and then went to Azhkelon. Look it up on a map and tell me what we did there! Nope, too long. We swam in the Mediterranean! I have never enjoyed ridiculously salty water so much in my life. And it was this perfect teal color. Amazing.
That night we spent at a hostel in Mizpah-Ramon.
Wednesday we started at Makhtesh Ramon. This huge hole in the ground that is not as deep as the Grand Canyon but crazy wide. It literally looks like this gigantic swimming pool with little hills inside. Amazingly beautiful and bright in the early morning sun.
Our next stop was Avedat, or Oboda. This was a Nabatean and then a Byzantine city with MORE fun ruins to climb all over! Only the signs said ‘climbing prohibited’, so I obeyed even though the boys didn’t. I only broke the rules to climb up behind the sign that said ‘climbing prohibited’, couldn’t resist.
The next thing we did might be my favorite yet (except St. Anne’s). We did a ‘wadi walk’ through the Nahal (Hebrew for wadi – a dry riverbed) Zin. I can’t give you elevation or length. But we walked mostly straight up for a hour or more. It was crazy cool amazing. But what made it amazing wasn’t the views, which were beautiful and breath taking, or the ibex which are cute, or being with my new friends which was fun. What made it amazing was the climb. Hard and fast, zigzagging up, up, up, HOT, TANGIBLE. I got to do this, I wasn’t just looking at it, I was doing it. That’s why things like St. Anne’s, the amphitheater and the Mediterranean, and Nahal Zin stick with me, I did it. Mizpah Ramon was sweet, but all I got to do was look at it. I climbed Nahal Zin. And I had a blast.
We also stopped at Beer Sheba (think Abraham etc) and Arad. This night we stayed at a hostel in Arad. Had a little trouble with people coming in late, but all in all a good stay.
Thursday
Our first (and longest) stop today was Masada. We were up there for two full hours. It was this largest Tel we’ve seen and the most impressive. We walked up the rampart the Romans had built to get in and end the siege and then walked through the western palace and what was believed to be the temple room before seeing the triclinium turned synagogue. Then we climbed down to the third tier of the three tiered northern palace, great lookout spot. We climbed back up and walked through a roman bath.
Our next stop was the Dead (Salt Sea). We parked and changed and went down to the water. As soon as you go ‘under’ water the water just takes you and floats you. Jocelyn – I floated!!! Like normal people float I floated!!! All I needed was water that has a ridiculous percentage of minerals and salt in it!!! After lunch we went to Engedi, which is a wadi system that leads back to these prime hidden waterfalls into little pools that we swam in – fresh water. We splashed around a little bit and then walked up to the source and then back down.
Qumran came next, and we made it in with half an hour before closing time. We saw caves one and four from afar (you can’t actually go into them) and got some really sweet pictures.