Hoefling Exodus Tour 11/11/07
http://picasaweb.google.com/rambopreacher/Exodus1111
Sunday, November 11
Judean Desert, Qumran, Masada, Dead Sea and Jericho
6:30 wake up 7:00 breakfast, 8:00 start
Today was Brent’s favorite day – visited Masada and Qumran, and ended the day with a soak in the Dead Sea.
Masada = strength, heroism
1st Century – fell to Romans – committed suicide rather than become slaves/captives
My notes:
On the way to the Qumran site, we drove by the dead sea and there were many beautiful sites and views of the dead sea area.
When we arrived at Qumran, I was expecting to see more activity of the archaeological nature. the site was much as I expected from my studies and reading articles etc. As expected, they directly correlated the Essenes and Qumran and the scrolls found in the various caves surrounding the area.
At least, unlike the visit to Kansas City. there was mention that this is theory and that other theories are prevalent as well. it was great to actually be able to see the dig and what was excavated. we were told that the earlier layers at this site was that this would have been a "port" on the dead sea, but it has lowered so much that the site is on top of a mesa-type area now.
The "scriptorium" and other places that were marked were expected as a "tourist" site and location. I still found the archaeological aspects very interesting for the various layers that were shown in some places. this was exactly the kinds of stuff I was wanting to see when we were deciding to come on this trip. the holy places are great and their sacredness means much. but for me, these real life-ways of "touching" the peoples of the past are most impressive to me.
to be at the same place and touch the same places and stones that they has touched and used. my mind was whirling as I imagined myself in a community that lived here. Essenes, maybe, maybe not, but a community that at least was in an area that was wilderness (and still is). perhaps a pottery factory. perhaps a "monk-like" existence. perhaps a secluded community that just preferred to be private.
Masada. visions of war, and conquest come to mind for me. when we visited the site, we took the cable car up to the site.
The Zealots that fled and headed to Masada after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70ad, found themselves at a standoff with the Romans. the short story is that after 3 years or so of the Romans building a siege ramp to enter the stronghold, the troops entered the location and discovered that the 900 or so people that were there had pact-ed with themselves to kill each other and commit suicide rather than be held under Roman rule.
there was apparently a woman or two and a few children that survived. An interesting point here is that the location of the lots that were used to select the killing of themselves, was discovered. the ostracon (potsherds with writing, and in this case, names) that was found there brought home to me what the internal struggles that they must have felt as the siege ramp was beginning to see to be something that would be breaching their community.
this site and the representation here for the Jewish people began to be extremely important in their nationality, to never give up. this paradigm can be seen and understood even in modern Israel and the IDF and national understandings.
A partial description of my comments in the account given by Josephus of the tragedy of Masada: To escape capture by the Romans, ten men were chosen by lot from among the occupants of the fortress, 960 in number, including combatants and non-combatants, men, women and children, to slay the rest. From these ten one was similarly chosen to slay the survivors, and he, having accomplished his awful task, ran his sword into his own body (Josephus, BJ, VII, ix, 1).
We had time for a "dip" in the dead sea this afternoon. the thing that struck me the most was that the water was so salty that it wouldn't dissolve any more salt. walking up to the beach, and it looks like white sand. it was salt.
we were so buoyant, that it was weird as center of gravity was seemingly affected as we were in the water.
Sunday, November 11
Judean Desert, Qumran, Masada, Dead Sea and Jericho
6:30 wake up 7:00 breakfast, 8:00 start
Today was Brent’s favorite day – visited Masada and Qumran, and ended the day with a soak in the Dead Sea.
Masada = strength, heroism
1st Century – fell to Romans – committed suicide rather than become slaves/captives
My notes:
On the way to the Qumran site, we drove by the dead sea and there were many beautiful sites and views of the dead sea area.
When we arrived at Qumran, I was expecting to see more activity of the archaeological nature. the site was much as I expected from my studies and reading articles etc. As expected, they directly correlated the Essenes and Qumran and the scrolls found in the various caves surrounding the area.
At least, unlike the visit to Kansas City. there was mention that this is theory and that other theories are prevalent as well. it was great to actually be able to see the dig and what was excavated. we were told that the earlier layers at this site was that this would have been a "port" on the dead sea, but it has lowered so much that the site is on top of a mesa-type area now.
The "scriptorium" and other places that were marked were expected as a "tourist" site and location. I still found the archaeological aspects very interesting for the various layers that were shown in some places. this was exactly the kinds of stuff I was wanting to see when we were deciding to come on this trip. the holy places are great and their sacredness means much. but for me, these real life-ways of "touching" the peoples of the past are most impressive to me.
to be at the same place and touch the same places and stones that they has touched and used. my mind was whirling as I imagined myself in a community that lived here. Essenes, maybe, maybe not, but a community that at least was in an area that was wilderness (and still is). perhaps a pottery factory. perhaps a "monk-like" existence. perhaps a secluded community that just preferred to be private.
Masada. visions of war, and conquest come to mind for me. when we visited the site, we took the cable car up to the site.
The Zealots that fled and headed to Masada after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70ad, found themselves at a standoff with the Romans. the short story is that after 3 years or so of the Romans building a siege ramp to enter the stronghold, the troops entered the location and discovered that the 900 or so people that were there had pact-ed with themselves to kill each other and commit suicide rather than be held under Roman rule.
there was apparently a woman or two and a few children that survived. An interesting point here is that the location of the lots that were used to select the killing of themselves, was discovered. the ostracon (potsherds with writing, and in this case, names) that was found there brought home to me what the internal struggles that they must have felt as the siege ramp was beginning to see to be something that would be breaching their community.
this site and the representation here for the Jewish people began to be extremely important in their nationality, to never give up. this paradigm can be seen and understood even in modern Israel and the IDF and national understandings.
A partial description of my comments in the account given by Josephus of the tragedy of Masada: To escape capture by the Romans, ten men were chosen by lot from among the occupants of the fortress, 960 in number, including combatants and non-combatants, men, women and children, to slay the rest. From these ten one was similarly chosen to slay the survivors, and he, having accomplished his awful task, ran his sword into his own body (Josephus, BJ, VII, ix, 1).
We had time for a "dip" in the dead sea this afternoon. the thing that struck me the most was that the water was so salty that it wouldn't dissolve any more salt. walking up to the beach, and it looks like white sand. it was salt.
we were so buoyant, that it was weird as center of gravity was seemingly affected as we were in the water.
posted by RamboPreacher | 8:07 AM
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