Masada and En Gedi

On the way to our first site!

           After spending a few days getting to know our new home in the Holy Land, we finally ventured further out. After being on the bus for an hour we made it to our first site: Masada. While Masada doesn't have any significance in the Bible, it does have a very interesting story as part of overall Jewish history. Josephus Flavius, who commanded the Jewish forces at Galilee during the "Great Revolt", recorded the history of Masada.

The ruins of Masada

Reflecting at En Gedi

            The story of Masada is a story of great pride for the Jewish people.  It is where they  took their last stand against the Romans, being their last hold out during the "Great Revolt".  It was here that the Jewish fighters, along with their families, decided to give up their own lives instead of allowing themselves to fall into the hands of Roman slavery. Even to this day, officers of the Israeli army take their oaths at Masada to signify their pride and resolve to fight until the last moment.

            After lunch we traveled to En Gedi - the sight were David had the chance to kill King Saul (cf. 1 Sam 24), but choose mercy instead. Many of the brothers were amazed, and a feeling of reverence fell over the group as we were in a place which had played a role in salvation history. Before leaving for the Holy Land many of our professors and older brethren in the seminary had commented that after visiting sights we would read the Word of God in a new way. After being in En Gedi, 1 Samuel 24 will never be read the same again. To see the place were David and his men were, makes the scripture come alive and breathes new life into the text.

            The scriptures are coming alive for us here. They are taking on new meaning and we will never read the scriptures the same way.