Shalom everyone! Ma nishma? That is how are you in Hebrew. And since I asked you that, I hope you are all doing well, and that you have been waiting for the next installment of my Israel adventures.
First, some information about Israel. Although small in size, Israel encompasses varied topographical features and climates of a continent.
In the north, the forested highlands of Galilee merge with fertile green valleys; sand dunes and farmland mark the coastal plain bordering the Mediterranean shoreline; the rocky peaks of the Samarian and Judean mountain ranges in the center of the country descend sharply to the semi-tropical Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Mountainous deserts, stretching southward to the Negev and Arava, end at the Gulf of Eilat, the northernmost tip of the Red Sea, which is the southernmost part of Israel.
Now, to the topic at hand. This post will tackle the Dead Sea and Jericho, and this happened on our third day of touring.
Welcome to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. This picture was taken from the top of Masada. Also known as the Salt Sea, the Dead Sea is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the East and Israel to the west.
This is another picture taken from Masada as well. Masada will be tackled in another article though. The surface and shores of the Dead Sea 423 meters or 1,388 feet below sea level, making it the lowest place on earth indeed. As we were nearing the Dead Sea, on the road were markers saying how many feet below sea level we were at. Amazing, eh?
This is the world's lowest road, Highway 90. It runs along the Israeli shores of the Dead Sea at 393 meters or 1,289 feet below sea level.
The Dead Sea is 377 meters deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline water surpassing that of ocean waters.
On our way to the Dead Sea, we passed by several types of animals, and we tried taking pictures of them even as the bus was moving. These are camels we see, and the man on horse must own them.
We also saw a flock of sheep and goats grazing, although in the environment that they were in, I am not sure what kind of food they were getting. Everything is brown, so most probably the grass is all dried up. I guess they are given something else in addition the the grass that they find in the wilderness.
When we finally arrived at the Dead Sea, we changed into clothes we can swim in, and walked to the beach. On the way we see this display of flags from different countries.
And since the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, this bar follows the record as being the lowest bar on earth! The number says -418, meaning it is 418 meters below sea level. How cool is that?
This is the view from a distance. Aside from the changing rooms near the parking lot, there are also shower areas near the beach itself, just in case the salt water get into someone's eyes or something.
Since it is a hypersaline lake, the water cannot get in the eyes, and while we were still in the bus, we were constantly reminded to not splash whilst in the water, to not even attempt to touch our eyes with our hands after putting them in the water.
The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment for animals to flourish, hence its name. The high salinity prevents aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, although miniscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.
It is 67 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide, although the size is shrinking because of the continued use of its water by both Jordan and Israel. Both governments are working together to rehabilitate it though.
Evaporation and the use of the Jordan River's water for irrigation has resulted in the shrinking of its size, roughly a meter per year.
As we can see, the Dead Sea is a very busy place. Not only tourists go, but also locals, and there are snack bars and various restaurants to choose from in case anyone gets hungry. The lake is located in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main source of water is the Jordan River. Another reason why its size has shrunk is because the Jordan River's flow has been diverted as well, greatly decreasing the amount of water that flows into it.
The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. It has very rich amounts of potash and other minerals, and it is harvested by both Israel and Jordan.
So far we've been seeing pictures of strangers, now we see ourselves in the picture. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects.
I am sure you have heard about the famous Dead Sea cosmetics already. So the mud here is very good for the skin, and so when we got there, the first thing we did was cover ourselves with mud and let it stay for around fifteen minutes for maximum effect. After we rinsed, our skin was so smooth! I kid you not!
Because of its high mineral concentrations, many believe its water and mud have medicinal qualities. And apparently, even King Herod the Great, who had a palace at nearby Masada had a health spa of some sorts along its shores! So we also took home some mud with us, to share to friends and for future use for us. It could keep long if its refrigerated, just like most cosmetics.
The Dead Sea's unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily float there due to the natural bouyancy. I know two people in the group who don't swim and they were able to float. In fact, I 'rescued' one of them as he was going into the deeper parts and he was floating away!
In fact, the first time he asked for help, I thought he was kidding, because he was saying it in such a calm voice. When he repeated it though, I knew it was for real, so I backstroked and got his hand and guided him to shallower waters while his wife took a video of it and we were all laughing about it afterwards. :-)
Look at me floating! I look so funny in the picture, the one making the V sign and my legs spread wide, ha ha. The one beside me is the other friend who does not swim and she floated alright. That was why she was so happy in the Dead Sea, because there, she can swim! I was floating with my sunglasses on because I had to protect my eyes from the salty water.
One of the elderly who was traveling with us, who was perhaps sleeping in the bus while we were being instructed to not put water in our eyes, the first thing he did when he got in the water was scoop water out and rinse his face with them! That was quite disastrous, so one of the men guided him while he had his eyes closed to one of the nearest showers for him to rinse his eyes repeatedly until they no longer stung.
The Dead Sea is also mentioned in the bible. A little further south from where we were is the site believed to have been the site of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot's wife became a pillar of salt when she looked back as they were fleeing the place.
Another instance is a prophecy made by the prophet Ezekiel found in chapter 47 of the same book, wherein he prophesied that the sea will come to life. Earlier on, I wrote that the sea is shrinking in size every year.Due to the receding shoreline, sink holes are showing up, and the strange thing is, some are filled with freshwater and are so big they even have fish in them! So perhaps one of these days we will truly see the prophecy being fulfilled!
After all the fun floating and having a mud session, we all had to leave that behind and travel on to visit Jericho.
Along the way we passed several plantations of dates, one of my favorite fruits. I wish I could be there when the trees have fruits just so I can see how they look like with ripe fruits. I have only eaten the dried fruit so far, not the fresh ones.
First, some information about Israel. Although small in size, Israel encompasses varied topographical features and climates of a continent.
In the north, the forested highlands of Galilee merge with fertile green valleys; sand dunes and farmland mark the coastal plain bordering the Mediterranean shoreline; the rocky peaks of the Samarian and Judean mountain ranges in the center of the country descend sharply to the semi-tropical Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Mountainous deserts, stretching southward to the Negev and Arava, end at the Gulf of Eilat, the northernmost tip of the Red Sea, which is the southernmost part of Israel.
Now, to the topic at hand. This post will tackle the Dead Sea and Jericho, and this happened on our third day of touring.
Welcome to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. This picture was taken from the top of Masada. Also known as the Salt Sea, the Dead Sea is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the East and Israel to the west.
This is another picture taken from Masada as well. Masada will be tackled in another article though. The surface and shores of the Dead Sea 423 meters or 1,388 feet below sea level, making it the lowest place on earth indeed. As we were nearing the Dead Sea, on the road were markers saying how many feet below sea level we were at. Amazing, eh?
This is the world's lowest road, Highway 90. It runs along the Israeli shores of the Dead Sea at 393 meters or 1,289 feet below sea level.
The Dead Sea is 377 meters deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline water surpassing that of ocean waters.
On our way to the Dead Sea, we passed by several types of animals, and we tried taking pictures of them even as the bus was moving. These are camels we see, and the man on horse must own them.
We also saw a flock of sheep and goats grazing, although in the environment that they were in, I am not sure what kind of food they were getting. Everything is brown, so most probably the grass is all dried up. I guess they are given something else in addition the the grass that they find in the wilderness.
When we finally arrived at the Dead Sea, we changed into clothes we can swim in, and walked to the beach. On the way we see this display of flags from different countries.
And since the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, this bar follows the record as being the lowest bar on earth! The number says -418, meaning it is 418 meters below sea level. How cool is that?
This is the view from a distance. Aside from the changing rooms near the parking lot, there are also shower areas near the beach itself, just in case the salt water get into someone's eyes or something.
Since it is a hypersaline lake, the water cannot get in the eyes, and while we were still in the bus, we were constantly reminded to not splash whilst in the water, to not even attempt to touch our eyes with our hands after putting them in the water.
The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment for animals to flourish, hence its name. The high salinity prevents aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, although miniscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.
It is 67 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide, although the size is shrinking because of the continued use of its water by both Jordan and Israel. Both governments are working together to rehabilitate it though.
Evaporation and the use of the Jordan River's water for irrigation has resulted in the shrinking of its size, roughly a meter per year.
As we can see, the Dead Sea is a very busy place. Not only tourists go, but also locals, and there are snack bars and various restaurants to choose from in case anyone gets hungry. The lake is located in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main source of water is the Jordan River. Another reason why its size has shrunk is because the Jordan River's flow has been diverted as well, greatly decreasing the amount of water that flows into it.
The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. It has very rich amounts of potash and other minerals, and it is harvested by both Israel and Jordan.
So far we've been seeing pictures of strangers, now we see ourselves in the picture. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects.
I am sure you have heard about the famous Dead Sea cosmetics already. So the mud here is very good for the skin, and so when we got there, the first thing we did was cover ourselves with mud and let it stay for around fifteen minutes for maximum effect. After we rinsed, our skin was so smooth! I kid you not!
Because of its high mineral concentrations, many believe its water and mud have medicinal qualities. And apparently, even King Herod the Great, who had a palace at nearby Masada had a health spa of some sorts along its shores! So we also took home some mud with us, to share to friends and for future use for us. It could keep long if its refrigerated, just like most cosmetics.
The Dead Sea's unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily float there due to the natural bouyancy. I know two people in the group who don't swim and they were able to float. In fact, I 'rescued' one of them as he was going into the deeper parts and he was floating away!
In fact, the first time he asked for help, I thought he was kidding, because he was saying it in such a calm voice. When he repeated it though, I knew it was for real, so I backstroked and got his hand and guided him to shallower waters while his wife took a video of it and we were all laughing about it afterwards. :-)
Look at me floating! I look so funny in the picture, the one making the V sign and my legs spread wide, ha ha. The one beside me is the other friend who does not swim and she floated alright. That was why she was so happy in the Dead Sea, because there, she can swim! I was floating with my sunglasses on because I had to protect my eyes from the salty water.
One of the elderly who was traveling with us, who was perhaps sleeping in the bus while we were being instructed to not put water in our eyes, the first thing he did when he got in the water was scoop water out and rinse his face with them! That was quite disastrous, so one of the men guided him while he had his eyes closed to one of the nearest showers for him to rinse his eyes repeatedly until they no longer stung.
The Dead Sea is also mentioned in the bible. A little further south from where we were is the site believed to have been the site of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot's wife became a pillar of salt when she looked back as they were fleeing the place.
Another instance is a prophecy made by the prophet Ezekiel found in chapter 47 of the same book, wherein he prophesied that the sea will come to life. Earlier on, I wrote that the sea is shrinking in size every year.Due to the receding shoreline, sink holes are showing up, and the strange thing is, some are filled with freshwater and are so big they even have fish in them! So perhaps one of these days we will truly see the prophecy being fulfilled!
After all the fun floating and having a mud session, we all had to leave that behind and travel on to visit Jericho.
Along the way we passed several plantations of dates, one of my favorite fruits. I wish I could be there when the trees have fruits just so I can see how they look like with ripe fruits. I have only eaten the dried fruit so far, not the fresh ones.
Not sure what kind of plants these are but we passed orange groves, almonds, numerous banana plantations, and so much more. We saw how fertile the land is, in the areas where they cultivate the land.
See the contrast in this picture. The fields are green and luscious, while the hills behind are brown and barren. Such is the topography in the country. It is so hot in the summer months temperatures could go as high as 45 degrees Celsius! I am glad we went there in November.
And here we see the signage that shows the direction of Jericho. Jericho was first mentioned in the bible in the book of Joshua, just as the people of Israel was preparing to go into the promised land. The land of Jericho was the first place they had to conquer.
The story of the conquest begins at the end of chapter 5, and then finishes at the end of chapter 6. Here we read how the walls of the city miraculously collapsed after the people of Israel went around seven times on the seventh day as the angel of the Lord commanded.
In the New Testament, meanwhile, the city of Jericho was mentioned in the book of Luke chapter 19. Jesus was passing by Jericho and a certain tax collector, by the name of Zacchaeus, who was of short stature, wanted to see Jesus. But, due to his height, was unable to. He then saw a sycamore fig tree and climbed it in order to see Jesus, and when Jesus passed by, He called Zacchaeus down and informed him that He would have lunch at his house.
The tree we see in the picture is a sycamore fig tree, the same species of the tree that Zacchaeus climbed. The tree is quite old, but no one is sure if it was the same tree that Zacchaeus climbed. Perhaps not, but at least we got to see how a sycamore fig tree looks, right?
I had to take a picture of the tree with me on it so even if it is gated, I just posed so that someone could take a picture. :-)
The bible account in the book of Joshua about Jericho makes it the oldest town on earth. It really is amazing that the places in the bible are still there to this day, even if the inhabitants have changed.
A closer picture, camera inserted in between the metal bars, show us that the trunk of the tree is indeed old, but still, since no one is certain that it was the same tree, then we should not make any assumptions regarding the authenticity of the tree.
Back in the bible times the city of Jericho was also named the City of Palms, as evidenced by the groves of dates/palm trees that we passed by on the way.
Present day Jericho is under the control or jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
See the contrast in this picture. The fields are green and luscious, while the hills behind are brown and barren. Such is the topography in the country. It is so hot in the summer months temperatures could go as high as 45 degrees Celsius! I am glad we went there in November.
And here we see the signage that shows the direction of Jericho. Jericho was first mentioned in the bible in the book of Joshua, just as the people of Israel was preparing to go into the promised land. The land of Jericho was the first place they had to conquer.
The story of the conquest begins at the end of chapter 5, and then finishes at the end of chapter 6. Here we read how the walls of the city miraculously collapsed after the people of Israel went around seven times on the seventh day as the angel of the Lord commanded.
In the New Testament, meanwhile, the city of Jericho was mentioned in the book of Luke chapter 19. Jesus was passing by Jericho and a certain tax collector, by the name of Zacchaeus, who was of short stature, wanted to see Jesus. But, due to his height, was unable to. He then saw a sycamore fig tree and climbed it in order to see Jesus, and when Jesus passed by, He called Zacchaeus down and informed him that He would have lunch at his house.
The tree we see in the picture is a sycamore fig tree, the same species of the tree that Zacchaeus climbed. The tree is quite old, but no one is sure if it was the same tree that Zacchaeus climbed. Perhaps not, but at least we got to see how a sycamore fig tree looks, right?
I had to take a picture of the tree with me on it so even if it is gated, I just posed so that someone could take a picture. :-)
The bible account in the book of Joshua about Jericho makes it the oldest town on earth. It really is amazing that the places in the bible are still there to this day, even if the inhabitants have changed.
A closer picture, camera inserted in between the metal bars, show us that the trunk of the tree is indeed old, but still, since no one is certain that it was the same tree, then we should not make any assumptions regarding the authenticity of the tree.
Back in the bible times the city of Jericho was also named the City of Palms, as evidenced by the groves of dates/palm trees that we passed by on the way.
Present day Jericho is under the control or jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
We arrived in Jericho in the late afternoon, just in time to see a herd of goats being led by a young boy, perhaps back home as it was soon to be dark.
We were to go up that drive, and we had to wait until the goats have all gone up before our bus could move, so we took pictures of them and joked around while watching.
We were to go up that drive, and we had to wait until the goats have all gone up before our bus could move, so we took pictures of them and joked around while watching.
We got to the top of the hill, and we see on the cliff of the mountain, the Monastery of the Temptation. The monastery got its name from a passage in the bible, when, before His ministry and right after He got baptized, Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days fasting, and the devil appeared to him and tempted Him with false promises. So that mountain is traditionally believed to have been the place where Jesus was tempted, although of course, no one is entirely certain.
This is a picture which shows more of the topography. It really is barren on the mountain, much like the rest of the Judean wilderness we saw so far.
Here is a closer look at the monastery. How they were able to build the monastery on the cliff is pretty unbelievable to me. The monastery is owned and managed by the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.
The story of the temptation of Jesus is told in all four books of the gospels.
The monastery can be reached by cable cars, but we did not go since it was not included in our itinerary. We just took pictures of it and left.
This is the surrounding area of the monastery. We can see that it is rocky, so I imagine life in the monastery is hard as well, especially since it is not very accessible. How hard it must be to bring in supplies up there! The cable cars must have a weight limit, don't you think?
We also stopped in a shop where they sell these beautiful Armenian vases. They were quite expensive, though, so I don't remember anyone buying. We did buy some food stuff like dates and other snacks.
These flasks/vases are also very intricately made. So I took pictures of them.
Bananas also abound in Jericho. The city is well known for the production of bananas because of its high temperatures and humidity, which makes the soil fertile for banana cultivation.
After some time, we said goodbye to Jericho and traveled on to Jerusalem. Now, I can't wait to share about that city!
Toda rabah for reading all these articles, that's thank you in Hebrew, and please stay tuned for more!
To read more about our travel articles, you can go to this page.
This is a picture which shows more of the topography. It really is barren on the mountain, much like the rest of the Judean wilderness we saw so far.
Here is a closer look at the monastery. How they were able to build the monastery on the cliff is pretty unbelievable to me. The monastery is owned and managed by the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.
The story of the temptation of Jesus is told in all four books of the gospels.
The monastery can be reached by cable cars, but we did not go since it was not included in our itinerary. We just took pictures of it and left.
This is the surrounding area of the monastery. We can see that it is rocky, so I imagine life in the monastery is hard as well, especially since it is not very accessible. How hard it must be to bring in supplies up there! The cable cars must have a weight limit, don't you think?
We also stopped in a shop where they sell these beautiful Armenian vases. They were quite expensive, though, so I don't remember anyone buying. We did buy some food stuff like dates and other snacks.
These flasks/vases are also very intricately made. So I took pictures of them.
Bananas also abound in Jericho. The city is well known for the production of bananas because of its high temperatures and humidity, which makes the soil fertile for banana cultivation.
After some time, we said goodbye to Jericho and traveled on to Jerusalem. Now, I can't wait to share about that city!
Toda rabah for reading all these articles, that's thank you in Hebrew, and please stay tuned for more!
To read more about our travel articles, you can go to this page.
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