The document provides information about locations near the Dead Sea in Israel, including the Moriah Classic hotel, Ein Gedi oasis, and Qumran caves. It notes that the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth and its high salt content does not support life in its waters. It has been drying up due to evaporation and mineral extraction. The Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 are also described.

1. DEAD SEA REGION
Israel
November 2008

2. We stayed at Moriah Classic that overlooks the southern end of the
Dead Sea

3. We loved the Hebrew signs at the hotel

4. The Dead Sea lies 400 m below
sea level & is the lowest point of
the earth
Its high mineral content allows
nothing to live in its waters
The Dead Sea is drying up for
various reasons: evaporation,
mining, etc
Already the sea has been
separated into 2 lakes
One can see many dykes that
are built for the extraction of
minerals contained in the waters
The potash contained in its bitter
waters is an invaluable fertilizer

5. Its salt concentration is 8 to 10 times higher than ocean water, making it
easy for one to float in its waters

6. Surprisingly, its waters are
crystal clear

7. But once you step out of the waters, tiny crystals of salt are formed on
your bodies

8. The landscape opposite the Dead Sea

9. Located west of the Dead Sea,
close to Masada & the caves of
Qumran is an oasis—Ein Gedi
(“the spring of the kid/goat”)
It is known for its caves, springs,
& its rich diversity of flora &
fauna

10. No wonder Solomon compared
his lover to “a cluster of henna
blossoms in the vineyards of En-
gedi” (Song of Solomon 1:14)
Ein Gedi was a prosperous
settlement since the 8th century
BCE because of a costly
perfume produced from a plant
grown in its orchards
This perfume was reportedly
used by Cleopatra herself
The secret of its production was
so heavily guarded by the
townspeople that it is now a lost
secret

11. A plant found here is the The dried branches could have
Ziziphus Spina-Christi been used to make the crown of
thorns that was placed on Jesus’
head

12. Young ibex or wild goats could be seen

13. “The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the
coneys” (Ps 104:18); these are the conveys or hyraxes or rock badgers
& their closest relative is the elephant

14. The walk to the first waterfall was
not an easy one

15. There are many caves here; they must had been a great place for David
to play hide & seek with Saul (1 Sam 23:29; 24:1-7)

16. We finally reached the first
waterfall
There are many springs around
the Dead Sea but most of them
have a high salt content
En Gedi is one of only two fresh
water springs located on the
western shore of the Dead Sea

17. Our next destination was Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls
were found

18. The Dead Sea Scrolls were first
found here in 1947 by a Bedouin
shepherd boy
Scrolls were hidden in jars like
these since the time of the First
Jewish Revolt against Rome in
70 CE
All the Old Testament books
except Esther are found from
the 11 caves
These discoveries are important
as they contain the oldest
existing copies of Old Testament
manuscripts

19. Qumran was the home of the Essences, an ascetic Jewish sect of the Second
Temple period; this community was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE

20. The Refectory or dining room

21. The famous Cave 4 which was discovered in 1952

22. The 15.000 fragments found
here were pieced together to
form 530 different scrolls
The publication of these scrolls
was completed only in 2001

23. The Dead Sea Scrolls are now kept in the Shrine of the Book
(Jerusalem); the roof resembles the lids of the jars in which the scrolls
were stored; when inside, you feel like you are inside a jar

24. The pockets of green grassland among the dry parched land of Qumran is the
work of the kibbutzim or collective communities who have cultivated the land,
turning the desert into fertile land (Isa 35:1-2)