Herodium,

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Our wake up call at 5:00 AM this morning (at least in our room) was an overly persistent rooster and the Muslim Call to Prayer over the loudspeaker in town. A buffet breakfast was available at 7:00 am so we had plenty of time to get ready. Following breakfast we boarded the bus for our daily first full day of touring. On our way to our first stop, Herodium, we drove from Bethlehem through Bethany and on to just outside Jerusalem. We learned that Bethany was a place Jesus visited often to get away and relax. According to our guide Bethany stood for the house of the poor.

Herodium is that mountain fortress that was created by Herod so he could tower above the rest of Israel, specifically Jerusalem. It was quite a climb to the top with very uneven steps as the path curved around the mountain. From the top we had a great view of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Shepherd's Field, and the mountains of Jordan. This trip we got to climb down very steep stairs into the cisterns and the underground tunnel network. We exited near the hillside theater and near Herod's tomb. While many people of the day loved and respected Herod, even more feared and hated him. The funeral procession spanned from Herodium to Jericho, almost twenty miles away.

On our way to the Dead Sea we stopped at the site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. We were even able to see some of the caves in which John lived. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him…” (Matthew 3:16-17) It was interesting there because it is at the border of Jordan so while we were on the Israeli side if we were to cross the water we would have been in Jordan. There were many signs warning of land mines and miles of barbed wire fence. We could also see police off in the distance. I did fill up a bottle of water from the Jordan to bring home with me, as did several others.

Our next stop was Jericho, the oldest city and the one at the lowest level below Sea Level. We went from being at 2700 feet above sea level to being 1400 below sea level....boy did our ears pop! The weather was beautiful so we were able to have our lunch outside. After a brief time of shopping, we went to the archaeological park of Jericho. We read the Scripture in Joshua 6 where God instructed Joshua and his men to march around the walls of Jericho once a day for 6 days and on the 7th day march 7 times..."and the walls came tumbling down." They have excavated what they believe to be some of that wall.Our guide, Avi, explained that a Tel was the layers of destruction and reconstruction of cities. For instance Jericho has 35 layers and Jerusalem had 29. Across from Jericho is the Mount of Temptation where Jesus was tempted by the devil.

We left Jericho to visit Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The scrolls were place in jars so when they were removed they cut holes in the cave just the size and shape of the jars. Prior to that time the entrance to the cave was from the top. If a shepherd hadn't lost a goat in the hole in the top, the scrolls might not have been found!

Once we left Qumran it was a very short bus ride to the Dead Sea. Many people donned their bathing suits so they could float in the dead sea and take advantage of its mineral laden mud. We even picked up some of the salt rocks along the shore.

You would think that we would all be worn out,, eat dinner, and head to bed. Not some of us. Bill Dawson had a friend who lives in Bethlehem, which is under Palestinian control, come to visit at the hotel so he took us out for a walk around the city. We went to have dessert at one o his favorite shops, ate fresh hot pita bread, fresh falafel and walked and walked. We had the privilege of seeing the Church of the Nativity at night and walking through Manger Square. We also got to walk the narrow streets of Old Bethlehem. Believe me we were worn out once we returned to the hotel. So now its off to bed for a brief sleep and tomorrow we see the sites around Bethlehem. We also get to have a meal in the home of a Christian Palestinian family!

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