Sunday – October 15, 2017
Today was our last touring day in Israel, so we checked out of the Spa Club Hotel. Most of the group participants had homebound flights scheduled for tomorrow from Tel Aviv. However, five of us had arranged to continue this journey into Palestine.
This morning, we left the hotel and drove north to “Ein Gedi”, which means “spring of the goat.” The bus drove quickly through the lush botanical gardens of Kibbutz Ein Gedi then continued to the archeological site of the Old Synagogue complex.
There had been a Jewish community at this location since the 7th century BC. The mosaic floor of the “Old Synagogue” which was built during the 2nd century AD, was well preserved. It included an inscription warning residents to keep the method of preparing balsam a secret. Balsam was the most expensive fragrance in the ancient world and its preparation generated great wealth for the community.
Afterwards we went to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and National Park. The reserve is a sanctuary for many types of plant, bird, and animal species, including the Nubian Ibex.
We walked along the path through the desert to a lovely waterfall. The landscape was incredibly striking and beautiful.
Or bus drove along the shore of the Dead Sea providing us with incredible views:
Our next stop was the Qumran Caves, the archaeological site in the West Bank where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.
The scrolls were found in eleven caves around an ancient settlement and were probably hidden sometime between 66-73 AD. It had been exciting to see the Dead Sea Scrolls in the museum in Jerusalem and now, here I was at the place where they were discovered. Unbelievable! I had read about the scrolls over past decades but never dreamed I would see the place where they were found. Amazing!!
About a dozen scrolls as well as fragments of scrolls were found in earthenware jars hidden in the caves in Qumran. The scrolls included copies of all the books of the bible, except the Book of Esther. Scribes wrote on parchment sheets that were sewn together into scrolls and placed into large jars.
On our way back to the Cinema Hotel in Tel Aviv for our last night, we stopped in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. It was named for olive groves that once covered its slopes. The Mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years.
And so, we ended our Israeli trip the same way it began, with a panoramic view across a valley of the Old City of Jerusalem. What an incredible view it was! The gold Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount shone in the brilliant sun shine. Towers of old and new Jerusalem stood out against the clear Israeli sky.
At night we enjoyed a delicious farewell dinner at a restaurant in Tel Aviv. Our group sat outdoors and we had a lovely evening talking and remembering highlights of our shared experiences in Jordan and Israel. This had been an extraordinary adventure filled with amazing sights and experiences. A special thank you to Rafi Rozanes, our tour guide, for a wonderful and unforgettable adventure!!!