More fun with our family!

Karisa snapped this photo of sheep grazing on the hillside near the Jerusalem Center as we were driving out of town.  As the weather heats up, the grass will dry up but right now everything is green and we see animals grazing on the hills.

Anyone who comes to the Holy Land needs to visit Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.  This national park is located south of the Dead Sea and whether you are religious or not, the scrolls are significant to Middle-Eastern history.  Since I have already posted two previous entries of Qumran, I will spare you  too many details  and if you are interested, you can go back and read more.  

The scrolls, written on papyrus and parchment, recorded information about the daily lives of the Essenes, a deeply religious Jewish group who segregated themselves for the purpose of spiritual study.  They lived a communal life and sustained themselves agriculturally so they could dedicate themselves to voluntary poverty, mass prayers, celibacy and daily immersion in ritual cleansing baths.  They believed the end of the world was coming and they were chosen people.

This map helps give a better perspective of the settlement of the Essenes.   

The Dead Sea Scrolls contain parts of the Hebrew Bible untouched as far back as 300 BC to the first century AD until their discovery in 1946 by a sheep herder. Bronze coins found at the site date back to 125-104 BC and continue until 66-73 AD to the First Jewish-Roman War.  

Pottery remnants indicate this was once a kitchen at Qumran. 

We left Qumran and headed to Ein Gedi, another national park not far from the Dead Sea.  Ein Gedi is mentioned a number of times in the Bible.  The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah and was famous in the time of Solomon (Josh 15:62) and where David fled and hid when King Saul wanted him killed.   

Because there is an abundance of wild life, it is easy to see how David could survive here.

The ibex  is one of 9 species of wild goats that live in Ein Gev.  We saw them roaming and grazing all around us and they didn't seem the least bit disturbed by hikers.  Ibex have four chambers in their stomach and chew their curd.  

Hyraxes can be seen everywhere in Ein Gedi and typically live and forage in groups. I sat and watched as they came very close to me. They look like large guinea pigs and have short ears and tail but are actually related to the elephant. Yes, that is what I said! They live in rock crevices and make loud grunting sounds as they chew their curd.

The hyrax came right up to me and it was fun to watch it nibble on the new grass.

The family hiked to David's waterfall at Ein Gedi. There are 5 hiking trails and a year-round waterfall.   The springs have allowed nearly continuous inhabitation of the site since 6500 BC.  

The Dead Sea is a  lake of salt bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Because it is so high in salt and minerals, it is a hypersaline lake and truly one of Earth’s unique places.  Notice how much larger the Dead Sea is than the Sea of Galilee.

The surface and shores of the Dead Sea are 1,388 feet below sea level 
and the lowest elevation of land on Earth. 

The Dead Sea is 1,237 feet deep which makes it the deepest salt water lake in the world!

This place was like a resort where our family could float in the Dead Sea, have access to showers and play in the mud.  There are a number of places along the Dead Sea but this had easy access to the water and LOTS of mud!

The Dead Sea has 33% salinity  and is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water.

Because of the unusually high salt concentration, people can easily float in the Dead Sea. This is something you have to experience to fully understand. The Dead Sea is similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah as it also has a high salinity but not as much as the Dead Sea. 

Getting the feel of natural buoyancy.

Daughter Karisa and Papa Garth in the Dead Sea.

Wouldn't you know my camera ran out of battery! Therefore, I only have a couple of  photos from our first dip in the Dead Sea.  (Yes, we went another day also.)

The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. The high salinity  makes it an environment and prevents fish and aquatic organisms to live in.  

Rehearsal for the American Aquatic Team.

The Dead Sea is 42 mi long and 11 miles wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

Karisa and McKay were dying to find some mud!!  

Ever heard the saying, "Mud on your face?"

"They teach anything in universities today. 

You can major in mud pies." Orson Welles

Getting down and dirty!

When you give your kids a little mud (regardless of their age) this is what happens!

I laugh out loud every time I look at these photos, not to mention Keri's continual giggles! 

The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment.  Because the mineral content of the water, the mud supposedly has specific health effects for the skin. 

                                                             Our 6'5" son-in-law getting in shape?  

Go Keith!  Look at those biceps.  

Biblically, the Dead Sea was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world’s first health resorts for Herod the Great and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of skin-care products (from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers).



An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is its discharge of asphalt as it spits up  small pebbles and blocks of the black substance. Egyptians used asphalt imported from the Dead Sea for mummification.

Having the time of their lives!

Mud implants for Karisa, a dark tan for Keri, muscles for Keith and a pot on McKay.

"Congratulations, you have a sense of humor!  And . . . to those who didn't, go stick your head in the mud." Jesse Ventura

What a great way to end the last day in Israel with two of our daughters with their husbands. 

The world’s lowest road, Highway 90, runs along the shores of the Dead Sea at 1,289 ft below sea level.

We had a great time at the Dead Sea and actually went to two different locations just so the kids could play in the mud!  I doubt they'll ever forget the fun we had here.  We returned to Jerusalem just when the sun was going down.  

To be continued . . .