Blogs from Masada, South District, Israel, Middle East

I must first mention this evening that I am sitting in my top floor hotel room in Old Town Jerusalem, beverage in hand. The Sabbath is in full effect here, as it is every Friday night at sundown, which means that the town almost falls silent. Earlier a large group of us congregated up on the roof as fireworks echoed around us, but the lack of crowd noise and the background noise of cars once per week is such a contrast to the norm. But something must be open a few floors beneath me on the street, as I can still hear the din of a crowd socializing. Saxophone, of all things, wafts up through my open window. Jerusalem never seems to disappoint or fail to surprise. The final day of our trip down south was ... read more

MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA Regent offered all of the world cruisers an extensive tour of Israel with an overnight in Jerusalem. We had a choice of a tour with a Christian focus or a Jewish focus. We opted for the Jewish tour because of the places that we would see and especially because we would be able to swim in the Dead Sea. We started our two day exploration of Israel early on a sunny morning. Our guide, an Israeli woman named Nurit which means ”Buttercup" in Hebrew, would be sharing her knowledge and love of her homeland. As we drove across Israel we were astonished by the agriculture. This country is the world’s leader in developing irrigation and water conservation techniques thereby turning desert wasteland into a bountiful breadbasket. Fruit trees, tomatoes, melons, vineyards, ... read more

Yesterday, we went to Masada. It was built in the 1st century B.C.E by the Judean Herod the Great. He was the second son of the Antipater. The Antipater was the chief minister of Judea, which he was appointed as when aiding Julies Caesar in Alexandra. Herod built the second temple in Jerusalem. His son, Herod Archelaus, took over after him. 75 years after Herod’s death the revolt started. There is only one written source about Masada which is Joseph Flavius’s book The Jewish War. In the revolt, the men and woman…of all ages…who could pick up a weapon fought equally. The Romans laid siege on Masada, surrounding it with a great wall. Thanks to Herod’s amazing store rooms, they were able to last a very long time. The Romans began to become impatient, but they ... read more

Today was an interesting day as it was more relaxing than the other days we have spent here. Following breakfast we boarded the bus for the Dead Sea area and Masada. Today is the first day we have seen much traffic in the city, though we have been here since Friday. This city is full of Muslims, Jews, and Christians (I am sure there are some others thrown in for good measure). Muslims celebrate their Sabbath on Friday, Jews on Saturday, and Christians on Sunday. Therefore shops are closed all three days, so today is the first day that we have seen all the major religious groups out on the road going to work. Very Interesting. Our guide said he would like to celebrate with all three so he could always have a 3-day weekend. One ... read more

I was really starting to question my faith? After all these Muslim sights I’ve seen, Israel gave me a chance to answer the call. But would I take this opportunity to connect with my religion? I chose Mt Nemo instead of Bethany-Beyond the Jordan where Jesus was baptised. Now I had a chance to go to either Bethlehem or Masada. The night before my Aussie mate Chris bought a backgammon set and a bottle of vodka. Sitting on the roof of our hostel. The sun was setting over Jerusalem and we got carried away. Drinking ourselves to a separate stumble back to the hostel in the early hours of the morning. Maybe it was just the hangover talking but I chose Masada. 3 days earlier my Israeli friend Shy Lee opened up a map in Hebrew. ... read more