In the Negev

We woke up in the still-dark desert, barely able to make out the shadow of the mountain above us. After a sleepy breakfast, we began to climb the winding Snake Path of Mount Masada. We reached the summit of Masada just in time to watch the sunrise over the Dead Sea, which was an absolutely unforgettable sight. 

After touring the ruins of King Herod's fortress and hearing the story of the Jews who defended it, we descended the mountain to the lowest place on Earth: the Dead Sea. We smeared mud on our faces, floated in the salty water, and tried our best not to get splashed, all while gazing up at the mountain we'd climbed just a few hours earlier.  

We showered the dried salt off our bodies and drove deeper into the Negev, stopping to visit the burial site of David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minster, who was so struck by the simple beauty of this landscape that he resigned his position as the most powerful man in the country to become a sheep farmer on a kibbutz down the road from where we stood.

The Negev takes up 60% of Israel's territory, and it was Ben Gurion's dream to see it populated and cultivated.  

Soon, we arrived at our campsite for the night, the Ha'an Hashayarut Tents, in the style of traditional Bedouin camps. We rode camels, taking plenty of selfies along the way, and learned about the Bedouin lifestyle before enjoying a delicious dinner. Once it got dark, some of us went on a walk into the desert to have a chance to meditate under the stars. We reflected on the holiness of the place where we sat and on the fact that the end of our journey in Israel was approaching far too quickly.

When we got back to camp, we made s'mores around a fire and celebrated Jared's birthday! Still exhausted from our 3:45 AM wake up, we quickly fell asleep on our mats in the Bedouin Tents in preparation for our last full day in Israel.

Back to Jerusalem!