Today our pilgrimage took us to two very different looking locations, both immensely beautiful. The first site in which we visited was Masada. This place is the location of a great fortress constructed for Herod the Great, but was eventually abandoned. The fortress is situated atop a large mesa in the eastern Judean desert. The geography to the west of the plateau was reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, while to the east lies a vast flat desert that stretches to the Dead Sea. The view was incredible, and the infrastructure that was left from the Roman siege on a group of Jewish Rebels that took refuge in Masada was compelling.
Our next stop was to a vastly different site where between two cliff faces a freshwater spring emerges and created several waterfalls. We made our way up trails that follow the streams and reveled in the greenery that starkly contrasts the dusty faces of the cliffs behind. This site is known and Ein Gedi, and is the location of the events that take place in 1 Samuel 24. In this passage we hear about David taking mercy on his opponent Saul, deciding to spare Saul’s life. Being able to walk around this location allowed us to picture the scene played out and to have a better understanding of the geography of the stories which we read in the Scriptures. These two sites present to us two contrasting sentiments even though they both display incredible natural beauty. Thank you for joining us on our pilgrimage and we will continue to keep you all in your prayers. God be with you!
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