Exodus Experience, Part 4

After a refreshing day of rest and relaxation, on day 8 we began the trek north through the Sinai with the Red Sea to the East.  We crossed into Israel at the northern most portion of the Red Sea leaving Egypt at Taba and entering Israel at Elat.  This was the first experience of a border crossing by our group and there are many formalities and needless waiting experienced on the Israeli side of the border.  However, the crossing went without incident and we were on our way north.  After a couple hours of travel the Dead Sea appeared to the north and then we followed the Dead Sea it's entire length from South to North, about 40 miles or so.  The Dead Sea is known as the Salt Sea in the Bible and consists of 33% organic and chemical substance- no fish or other animal life exists there and the sea is mined for its minerals.  We stopped long enough for a few people to try out the water.... I'm not sure the pictures of Dave Kemp and myself swimming in the Dead Sea is worthy of the blog, but who knows!

 

Following a swim and lunch, we stopped at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  These scrolls dating between 150BC to no later than 70 AD contain the oldest parchment fragments of the Old Testament.  In fact the whole book of Isaiah was found!  Some scholars refer to the dead sea scrolls as the greatest find in the history of Israel and the Jewish people.  Qumran was probably a community of Essenes which was a sect of mostly men who felt the people of Israel had become too liberal and they devoted themselves to a simple lifestyle, community life, study of scripture and they worked to preserve the Old Testament books of the Law and Prophets.

 

Not far north from Qumran we turned west and headed up toward Jerusalem which is about 10 miles as the crow flies, but 20 miles going around hills.  The incredible thing is that we climbed from 1350 feet below sea level to 2700 feet above sea level in a matter of 30 minutes and the whole geography changed dramatically.  More on the significance of that later.  We ended the day circling Jerusalem and heading the 5 miles to Bethlehem where we were to lay our heads for the next three nights.