Monday July 26

So first let us say what a great trip this has been so far. We love the group. What a bright, fun loving bunch, up for everything - and up is the operative word.

While traveling to a Bedouin encampment, Jared got a call telling him that there were tickets available for David Broza, a very popular Israeli singer, for a concert at Masada to begin at 3:30 AM the next morning. A wonderful coincidence since we were planning to climb up Masada that morning at 5:30 AM.

So our day starts at 2:30AM as 16 of us rise from our mats on the floor of our group Bedouin tent, gather our water, hats and backpacks. Get into four waiting cabs and head for Masada. What a beautiful morning, a full moon looked down on us as we drove over the hills to Masada. The air was fresh.

For two hours we listen to fantastic music with a light show playing on the steep walls of Masada, with the younger kids sleeping in their parents' arms and all of us enthusiastically clapping with the guitar and band music. We all plan on buying a CD of his as soon as we can.

We then join the rest of the group for the hike up the western slope, "the Roman Ramp" to the top where we watched the sun rise together and pray the morning prayers. Actually since Ginny and I are a little height phobic, our praying actually started on the way up! With the sun now above the horizon and the temperature rising steadily, we begin to move about as we learn the history of Masada, with stops at Herod's palace and the Roman baths.

As we look down, or in my case, peer down, we can see the places where the Romans encamped as they first tried to wait out the zealots who had fled Jerusalem during the Great Revolt.

Best of all for me is the way Jared,our guide, gives us a nuanced view of the history. This was no good guys-bad guys drama. Jared tells us how the Zealots would not hesitate to kill those who disagreed with them or even those who had stuff that they needed. We then shift into a discussion of the imagery of Masada and how the symbolism has been used and is changing in Israeli society.

It's this back and forth historical modern perspective while seeing it all before our eyes, which is one of the things that is making this trip so fascinating.

Our days have been jam packed.This day has been no exception. So I just want to mention the delight of being under a water fall at Ein Gedi and the wackiness of spreading mud all over us and jumping into the Yom Hamelech (the great salt sea). Yes it has been only one day. I write this on the bus as we head north to Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar and what we hear will be a good meal but most importantly a good night's sleep.

Jerry Lanoil