Well, Friday I went down to the Jordan river
(for baptisms for many of our group - not me; already been baptised!) and then
we headed south to the Dead Sea (where a bunch went swimming) and to the Ein
Gedi Nature Preserve. Ein Gedi is where
David hid from Saul - a beautiful place way out in the wilderness, near an 80
foot waterfall that comes out of the mountains. It was wild and dry and HOT and beautiful.
We also went to the
Qumran area where the Essenes lived in the wilderness. The excavations around their living area give
you a good feel for their lives - total separation from the culture, living in
the desert, total devotion to God and the Scriptures, waiting for the
Messiah. The whole day was desert
experiences around the Dead Sea area.
I love the desert. In fact, Ein Gedi and Tel Dan are probably the favorites of all I have seen so far. They are wild and beautiful oases in otherwise inhabitable areas. And they were places of resistance to corrupt forces and total devotion to God (well, not at Dan where they had that golden calf!).
After swimming in the Dead Sea, we drove through Jericho and then up the mountains into Jerusalem. On the way up we read the Psalm of Ascent (120-135), traditionally sung by Jewish people on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The first sight of the city was stunning - so large, so full of people, and with a beauty that makes a quick mark.
After dinner we went
to the Western Wall for the start of Shabbat (Sabbath). The streets were full of people coming and
going, most of them observant Jewish families. In due time I got to the wall for 15 minutes of prayers. It was a wonderful moment. We walked back through the Jewish quarter and
the Armenian Quarter to the Christian Quarter and a cab home. Our hotel is very simple but adequate, and
right next to the place of the conference - but a 45 minute walk from the Old
City. I will have to find a way to get there
often.
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