Blog #4 - Qumran and beyond

With the jet lag slowly wearing off " it was good to wake up feeling as though you had actually fallen asleep.  Today sadly, we leave behind Galilee. Just as Jesus turned south to Jerusalem, we are following his journey, save of course for his diversion into Samaria (now part of the West bank). A journey that took a week or so in the time of Jesus was achieved in a bus in under 2 hours.

Our path was to take us along the Jordan River, along the Israeli-Jordanian boarder. The regular sighting of boarder fences and guard posts was disconcerting at first, as was the amount of young off duty Israel soldiers (in their late teens or early twenties) with machine guns over their shoulder walking around rather nonchalantly at Qumran.

Apparently, since they are responsible for their weapon, they can't leave it unattended (in case it's stolen) with the result that they carry them everywhere, even when in civvies.  How the locals determine the soldiers from a terrorist is anyone's guess.

Our first pit stop was Beth Shean. With ruins dating back to 4000 BC " the Israeli government is pouring money into revealing the former glory of the site.

A former city-state on the west side of the Jordan, Beth Shean had a long and significant history. Its 10,000 seat theatre would have been an impressive site, as was the detailed infrastructure; massive colonnades; sewerage (pretty important when you think about it), and marble column lined main roads(see photo). All Roman city-states were built to the same standards and this gives us an idea for parts of the world Paul visited. Seeing so much history at one time is a lot to take in. But more was to come.

Next stop Qumran!

It is amazing how quickly the landscape can change. Galilee was fertile and lush, Qumran is desert. Near the Dead Sea, this site is was the source of the Dead Sea scrolls " discovered in 1947 in the many caves that litter the mountain side.  Looking up and seeing these caves was breathtaking.  We skipped lunch and ran up the hill side (don't tell my wife) in the hope of reaching some of these caves before we had to leave (you never know what you might find). Dave proved the winner braving the steep gravelly cliff face to reach a large cave. Antony had to settle for a smaller one. The empty lemonade can wasn't quite the discovery we had in mind.

The place, the extent of the caves, the remains of the Qumran community filled the imagination; though these thoughts would soon be replaced as we made our way up to Jerusalem.

While we will check out the city over the next couple of days, our 1st stop was the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. As we read from the Gospels regarding the last days before Jesus' death and resurrection, it is hard to comprehend the place where we were standing. It's no longer a place of the imagination " it's a place we will never forget. While some of the churches distract from rather than enhance your appreciation of the place, it is amazing to be here.

It's time for bed though sleep comes slowly with so much going through your mind. We are already in sensory over load and we have to be back on the bus in 10 hours. Tune in to see if we make it.

Cheers,  Dave & Antony (6th February)