So it was into the West Bank this weekend. Fasten your seat belts and don’t leave the main roads was the motto of the day …

I have to say that the scenery driving down towards the Dead Sea was my favorite so far. I was really disappointed in the photos I took, because they didn’t come close to doing justice to the magnitude of the mountains. Consider that the Dead Sea is more than 400m below sea level, and the towering peaks only hundreds of meters to the west are anywhere from 100 to 400 m above sea level. That’s a difference of 800m …Unfortunately, the pictures made it seem so normal. These are the times when I really wish I had a better camera.

The highlight of the day (for me) was going to Qumram, where the dead sea scrolls were found. While the ruins were impressive, the towering hills and the caves in the background where even more so. You can see the caves in the background of the pictures, but they’re really small. In fact, the pictures make the cliffs and crags seem a few feet high, when they were hundreds and hundreds of feet high.

The only challenge with having two small boys is that the hiking trail into the Qumram canyon looked impossibly inviting, but off-limits given the sling and danger. When a sign says that ropes, gear and special climbing equipment is recommended, I’m thinking that a little boy in a baby carrier doesn’t count.

Driving south out of the West Bank brought us to En Gedi – an oasis and the only source of fresh water on the dead sea. Solomon had it right. This place is truly beautiful. "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi." Song of Solomon 1:14 This was one of the places of refuge that David hid with his men when chased by Saul. "Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David … and David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi." 1 Sam 23:29

It was also a place of learning for me – don’t take your young son into the Dead Sea. While the water was warm and inviting, it’s not for everyone … Jake was wanting very badly to get into the "otter odder" and so into his bathing suit and into the water. I guess my skin is a little tougher than his. About a minute after getting into the water calamity ensued. I wasn’t thinking about the sensitivity of his little skin – especially given his problems with eczema. Much crying and many outdoor fresh water showers later, things calmed down a little bit, but that kept us from spending more time relaxing. This is definitely a repeat visit for us.

Swimming was everything I expected. As other pictures suggest, it was fully possible to lie in the water and read a newspaper without getting it wet. Next time I’ll bring one to show you … Lying on your stomach, you could cross your legs up behind you in the air. In fact, it was pretty hard to swim because your legs didn’t want to stay under the water and you couldn’t generate any thrust. In the picture of Jake and I where he is standing on my hands, I’m actually in over my head … but you would think I was standing.

Driving back towards Herzliya, I decided to drive west through Jerusalem. I have two words for the Bedouin in the hills of Judea coming into Jerusalem – abject poverty. Asking about them at work, it sounds like they choose to live this way. The nomadic nature of their life dictates that they prefer to live in tents and work in the hills, than settling into a home. It was an eye-opener.

Saturday we decided to head north again up to the Sea of Galilee specifically to see Capernaum and Tabgha. "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast." Matt 4:13 I have to say that my expectations were pretty low. Usually these types of places are built up into churches ruined with religious sacrilege. I was more than a little surprised that the town of Capernaum was very well excavated and didn’t have the massive and ostentious churches that one associates with other places like this in Israel. There was a Catholic church over what is supposed to be the home of Peter, but it was small and tastefully done. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. It had a glass floor I was completely up on stilts with a glass floor to look down into the home – I guess to represent the time that the invalid was lowered down through the roof?

Only a short walk away is Tabgha – the place of seven springs. These springs produce warmer waters in the Sea of Galilee and attract all the fish. As in the day of Peter and Andrew, this attracts the fishermen too. It wasn’t hard to picture Simon Peter and Andrew casting their nets into the water here and the Lord walking along the shoreline. Imagining that this was the place of so much of the ministry of our Lord is incredible … 🙂