Springs in the Desert

The burning sand will become a pool,    the thirsty ground bubbling springs.  In the haunts where jackals once lay,    grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Isaiah 35:7 Driving north from Eilat, we eventually arrived at the Dead Sea region. Most of the areas around the Dead Sea are rather dry and lifeless. But there are a few places teeming with life. En Gedi is the most famous because David hid there from King Saul. I’ve been there a handful of times. We stopped briefly this time before pushing northward. Near the northwest corner of the Dead Sea, […]

Hideout

He turned the desert into pools of waterand the parched ground into flowing springs;there he brought the hungry to live,and they founded a city where they could settle. Psalm 107:35-36 Two of the prominent sites along the western shore of the Dead Sea are associated with David when he was on the run from King Saul. The first is Masada (meaning ‘stronghold’ in Hebrew). David stayed in “the stronghold” while avoiding Saul (1 Samuel 22:4-5, 24:22). A millennium later King Herod built a fortress on the traditional site with two luxurious palaces. Tourists today can hike the historic snake path […]

Of Death and Life

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.    He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 Our third and last day of the long weekend, Monday, brought us to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth at over 1300 feet below sea level. It is the saltiest body of water in the world at 30-40% (by comparison the ocean is about 3% and the Great Salt Lake in Utah is about 15%). Additionally, the sea is dying, […]