Masada, Camels and the Dead Sea
Finally, the day everyone was waiting for arrived! This was the true reason why we all came to Israel - riding and taking selfies with camels! Before riding camels, we had another important activity.
Waking up from our Bedouin dinner, hospitality, and night rest at around 5 A.M. we set out for a sunrise on Masada, a desert fortress built by King Herod as a vacation spot, a means of staying away from enemies, and as a symbol of his qualities which we explored. We also discussed what we would want in a house and relating it to the aspects that Masada has. While exploring Masada we heard about King Herod and his times there, the Jews of 73 C.E. and their time there and their subsequent suicide, and then we learned about Masada in the modern day. This led to a very interesting conversation discussing whether the actions taken on top of Masada were those inspired by bravery or those inspired by fear. Many of us brought up interesting points about what happened there and though we as individuals agreed to disagree, we also learned that Masada could be a beacon of hope in the young stages of the state of Israel, but now its legacy is more up to one’s interpretation of what happened there. While climbing down Masada, I thought about the fact that perhaps Moses, when looking at the promised land from Mt. Nebo, may have even seen us – the future of the Jewish people.
Following our experience of watching the sunrise on Masada, we returned to the Bedouin village for our camel ride and breakfast. Much fun was had while riding on the camels including naming some of them, taking selfies, and simply bonding over the connections that we have made throughout this trip. After the best 15 minutes of our lives, we returned to the Bedouin tents to have a quick breakfast before venturing to the Dead Sea.
We went to the Dead Sea and we put on some mud, laid on the beach, and floated in the salty waters. We took many fun pictures and had a great time just floating around. Luckily, no one sank and we are able to continue on this amazing trip together!
