Even the best laid plans go awry. Friday morning, I thought perhaps we would finish the southern tip of the Dead Sea by going to Masada. Ever since first reading the story of Masada, I have been more than a little eager to visit this place. Driving south along the Dead Sea, I thought we would stop for a moment at En Gedi for a brief rest. If you remember, the last time we stopped, the visit was cut short because of poor Jake and the salty water.

This time we looked inland to a place called David’s spring. The signs advertised a short hike of one hour and I thought it would be good for Jake and Isaac to get out of the car. (I’m not sure why – because Masada is only 15 minutes further.) Hiking anywhere in Israel takes more than an hour. The scenery and the trails are so spectacular, that you can’t help but wonder at the incredible beauty. It was very easy to imagine David and his men taking refuge in the crevice, with the fresh natural waterfalls cascading down the mountain side. It was simply spectacular and a definite must for anyone coming here. It only makes one echo again the words of Solomon. Anyone coming to the Dead Sea? Floating in the sea is fun, but it was more moving to me to visit this place that no doubt was a solace for so many in the old testament. Again, the pictures do not do it justice …

So leaving En Gedi shortly after 1:30, we arrive at Masada at 2:00. Guess what time the last cable car goes up the mountain? Just 2 minutes before we arrived. While I consider myself in good shape, I really didn’t think I could hike the 1300 vertical foot snake path in time to be up and down before dark. That’s not to mention that carrying Jake would make it even harder. That’s right. Thirteen hudred feet. That might put some of these pictures in perspective. It doesn’t look very big in the photos, but I imagine that even the Roman generals must have wondered about taking such a place.

Do you know the story? In the final stages of the Jewish rebellion (around 70 AD), about 1000 Jewish zealots were launching raids on the Romans from this mountain-top fortress. The Roman generals came down and laid seige, eventually building a ramp up the western side, with thousands of tons of stone and earth. The night before they broke through, the Jewish defenders chose to commit suicide, rather than capture at the hands of the Roman legions. According to two women survivors who hid in an underground cistern, the defenders drew lots and killed one another until only one person remained. This one person alone committed suicide. Committing suicide is not allowed under Judaism. Breaking through the gates the following day, the Romans were confronted with the evidence of the Jewish passion.

Saturday brought us back into Jerusalem. This time, we came in through the Damascas gate and toured extensively (aching feet anyone?) in the Muslim quarter, and a little in the Christian quarter. The Moslim quarter is most famous for the Via Dolorosa, but is a cacophany of sights, smells and noise. Friday is the holy day for the Muslims, so they were out in force – bartering, selling and causing general mayhem. The sights, smells, and sounds are overwhelmingly fascinating. I bought my first items from an Arab vendor, and I "think" I got a good deal.

More sobering than this however, was our visit to the Garden Tomb, sometimes called Gordon’s Calvary. The thought that this was where my Saviour might have been crucified, buried and risen is …

I felt almost wrong taking pictures, but I took a few. You can see from the hillside, why this was considered a good candidate for the "place of a skull". The tomb found nearby in the garden, is thought by many to be the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Of the two locations where bodies should have been laid within, one has been used and the other has not. The size of the tomb proves that this was created for a very wealthy man, and the stone that once rolled in front of the opening was probably 6 to 7 tonnes – a large stone. Everything matches. Still, there is much debate about Calvary as this location and tomb were not identified until the 1800’s, while the Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been identified from around 300 AD. Does it matter? Both are empty.

It was interesting to note that they had bread and wine available at the garden tomb for people who wished to remember the Lord in His death. It was not a church – simply made available for those who wished to remember Him. The silence and peace of the garden were wonderful.