Israel - Day 4

Mount Masada.

There we were, 31 South Africans travelling up Mount Masada by cable car. The same Mount Masada where Herod the Great built two palaces between 37 and 31 BCE. Masada, the place that Herod fortified by building a large fortress on the plateau as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. It was a surreal moment for me.

Approximately 100 years later, this Herodian fortress, became a place of refuge for a remnant of Jewish rebels who fled Jerusalem after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Here, they ascended the mountain and took over the Herodian fortress. The Roman army surrounded them and set up 8 camps all around the mountain. These brave Jewish families withstood a 3-year Roman siege.

After 3 years, Roman commander Flavius Silva ordered the construction of an access ramp on the west side of the mountain to enable his army to reach the fortress.

Daily they watched as the ramp rose higher and higher.

Fearful of the trauma that their families would endure, torture and death for the men, their women being raped and then together with their children being forced into slavery, the inhabitants of Masada, men, women and children, refused to be taken alive by the enemy.

967 Jews committed mass suicide rather than submitting to Roman rule - surely one of the most moving tragedies in the history of humankind.

Fathers committed to killing their families, and one another. When it came down to the last 10, they drew lots to see who would kill the rest of the men and then finally commit suicide by falling on their own sword.

In order to make their choice clear, they burnt all of their belongings but left the storage rooms filled with produce to prove that God had provided for them and they had more than enough, even in the midst of a siege.

Now, here we were, standing on this same mountain, walking where they had walked, being able to see with our own eyes where they had lived and eventually died. Masada...

The cliffs on the east edge of Masada are about 400m high and the cliffs on the west are about 90m high. The natural approaches to the cliff top are very difficult to navigate. The top of the plateau is flat and about 550m by 270m. We travelled up by cable car. Herod’s palace is seen clearly perched on the edge here and I have to ask myself...How in the world did they manage to build a city here?

There were 29 large storerooms, each one 27 meters long and a couple of meters wide. Each storeroom was used to hold a different commodity. This included jars of olive oil, grains, nuts and seeds. Some of the food jars, which were uncovered in archaeological explorations, had labels carved onto them. The labels included beans, figs, dates, wines, fish and dried foods.

The squares that one can see below are the army camps of the Romans during the siege. There were eight in total with thousands of soldiers.

Years later, during the Byzantine period, Christians came to live up on Mount Masada in their quest for solitude and built this little Chapel. They decorated it with the shards of pottery that they found after the destruction caused by an earthquake in 749 AD as prophesied by Jesus.

This was truly a fascinating experience. However, the time had come to move onwards. Not too far from here is Ein Gedi, the place where David hid from Saul and his armies.

Ein Gedi.

This nature reserve is an oasis near Masada. Known for its caves, springs and its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Ein Gedi is mentioned several times in the bible:

It was occupied by the Amorites (Genesis 14:7; 2 Chronicles 20:2).

It was assigned to Judah (Joshua 15:20, 62).

David’s hiding place (1 Samuel 23:29).

Noted for its vineyards (Song of Solomon 1:14).

Ezekiel prophesied that one day, after the water of the Dead Sea has been made sweet, Ein Gedi would become a fishing village. (Ezekiel 14:7)

Bethlehem.

As Christians, this town is important to us because it is the birthplace of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7; John 7:42). It was here that the infants in the town were killed by Herod (Matthew 2:16-18).

It was originally called Ephrath (Genesis 35:16). Rachel was buried there (Genesis 35:11). The home of Naomi and Boaz (Ruth 1:1; 19; 4:9-11).

Predicted place of Messiah’s birth (Micah 5:2).

The Shepherds Fields.

Bethlehem is where the sacrificial lambs would be born and raised so that families could purchase lambs when they came to Jerusalem for the Passover. The shepherds would wrap up the sacrificial lambs and keep them safe in a manger. This is a cave where shepherds would keep the sacrificial lambs. Likewise, our sacrificial Lamb was born in Bethlehem. Imagine the amazement of the shepherds who came looking for the King who had been born when they found him wrapped and placed in a manger.

The Shepherds Field chapel.

The Basilica of the Nativity.

Our next stop was The Basilica of the Nativity, which is undergoing renovations. We stood there, herded like sheep to one side for an hour whilst they awaited the arrival of the Japanese Prime Minister. Once he left, a long line of tourists slowly moved forward inch by inch to see the ’Grotto’ that Jesus was born.

The grotto is the oldest site continuously worshiped in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land. It is shared by the Greek Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, the Roman Catholic Church with minor Coptic Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox rights. (Truthfully, I felt absolutely no connection…).

Back to the bus we go, it's time to leave...

We're on our way from Bethlehem (a Palestinian town) to Jerusalem (Capital of Israel).