Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Added to my list of "I nevers" is Qumran. I never thought I would one day walk on the same ground as John the Baptist! Again, there I was! I also never thought I would think the desert was beautiful, and it was.

Qumran is by the Dead Sea, about 25 miles southeast of Jerusalem. It is thought to be the place where John the Baptist grew up, and it is the place where in 1947 a Bedouin boy found the Dead Sea Scrolls. I took a picture of the cave reputed to be the place where the scrolls were found. It looks very much like hundreds of other caves that are seen in the rock formations in the area. I say "rock formations" because that is what they are---not mountains but cliffs and plateaus, jutting up here and there throughout the desert. Everything is sand and sand-colored, and it looks beautiful when the sun hits it a certain way. And then of course, there is the Dead Sea, a magnificent blue.

We visited there in the late afternoon after going up to Masada. The guide took us around, showing us an Essene monastery, perhaps the very one where John the Baptist lived. He cautiously told us that scholars are not sure whether this is indeed the one or not, but being there and seeing it was enough for me. How easy I am!

The recounting of the story of Dead Sea Scrolls sparked a renewed interest in me. As a Christian, I have always taken the New Testament for granted. It seemed enough for me to just believe, but again, here I was, looking at the very place where the scrolls were found. I cannot explain the feeling---it was something much better than awe.

The Dead Sea

I was not prepared for the Dead Sea. I didn't think it would be so beautiful, but there it was. The waters looked to me to be almost the same hue as those of the Caribbean. I had thought (though I should have known better) that it would be a dull brackish color. Imagine a sea so salty that nothing can live in it. That is what I thought, but no, no and no. The sea is alive with millions of microorganisms that thrive in its unique ecosystem. It is indeed very salty, with a salt content of over 30%, according to one source 10 times saltier than the Mediterranean. Its saltiness makes it very buoyant; we were able to float in it effortlessly. It was amazing.

The Dead Sea is constantly being replenished by fresh water from the Jordan River and other nearby springs, but the temperatures in the desert are so hot that the water evaporates very quickly, making the salt content high. Mixed in with the salt are rich minerals that are considered to be very therapeutic. Needless to say, you cannot bathe in the Dead Sea without the ritual slathering of mud over your body. I tried it. Dead Sea mud has a velvety smooth texture, and it leaves your skin feeling great. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, 1350 feet below sea level! Traveling into the area makes your ears pop.

Masada

Some months back before my trip to the Holy Land, I read an article in National Geographic about Masada, Herod's fortress in the desert. Actually, the fortress had been built by Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus, but Herod rebuilt it (and made it even more luxurious) as a retreat against any who would try to kill him. The fortress was more like a magnificent palace, containing bathhouses which used an elaborate system for bringing water to the site, around 16 storerooms where he stored food supplies and munitions, and lavish sleeping chambers.

Masada is best known for what happened there around 72AD. A group of Jewish extremists in the first Jewish war with Rome, sought refuge at Masada which came under Roman siege. Of the 960 at Masada all but seven committed suicide rather than surrender to the Romans.

Masada (pronounced Metsada) is located in eastern Israel and is 1,300 feet above the Dead Sea. From its summit, the view is spectacular. Standing there, looking down at the sea below and the desert beyond, I could hardly believe I was there!!!

The Holy Land

The Sea of Galilee has several names in the Bible. St. John refers to it as the Sea of Tiberias, and it is also called Gennesaret. I did not know that its name refers to its shape (like a lyre) and is derived from the Hebrew word for harp. The sea is not really a sea at all but rather a fresh-water lake. It is fed by the waters of the Jordan River from the north. It is the largest freshwater lake in Palestine.

Galileans have made their living from fishing, so it is no wonder that Jesus' disciples were fisherman. Jesus chose just who he needed to be fishers of men.

On the day we boarded our fishing boat to cross the sea into Magdala, the waters were calm. Although it was mid-morning, a soft early morning breeze still lingered. It was such a beautiful day that I chose to use my video camera for most of the trip across. The sea is nine miles long and five miles wide, so we were at our destination much too soon. During the time on board I thought about what it would have been like to be on a fishing boat with Jesus, and especially when he calmed the storm. Before coming on board, we were told that the sea is noted for its sudden violent flare-ups and that we were fortunate to be having such smooth sailing. Still, I could not help but think about that time and of Jesus' admonition, Where is your faith?

As had become our practice, someone read from Scripture and we sang and we prayed. We glanced out at Magdala, and I thought about Mary Magdalene. After our brief sail, we were on the bus en route to Mount of the Beatitudes where Father Francisco would celebrate Mass.