Day 29: Tuesday, May 20, Tel Arad and the Negev

Watching the sun rise over the Dead Sea, this time without several hundred American college students to ruin the peace and quiet.

Today we visited Tel Arad and wandered the Negev. First, however, I got up with a couple of others and watched the sun rise over a formation that looks like a mini Grand Canyon. I’m surprised that it doesn’t get any press, because I think it is a more interesting formation than Masada. I don’t know if it’s ancient or the result of some recent Dead Sea changes. It definitely has strata, and the way it flakes it definitely seems to have a high mineral content. (I thought rocks were really boring in middle school, which I now regret.)

The Bible talks a lot about "sitting in the gates" of a city. I decided to do just that.

It was then off to Arad. (“Tel” just means a hill with layers of ancient cities on it.) Arad was leveled by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. More recently, Arad became a “development town” in the 1960’s. Development towns were originally set up as homes for Jews who emigrated. However, they didn’t integrate well with the rest of Israel, so Israel changed some incentives to give existing Jewish families incentives to move into these development towns. Arad was one of the first of these new development towns.

A shot of the strata from the morning's canyon. For comparison, that tall outcropping is probably forty feet tall.

We stopped at another wadi (spring) and hiked along it for a bit. The trees always grow over the water, so it is actually very nice to just walk in the shallow stream.

When we were done there we went to our “Bedouin camp” where we were to spend the night. I say that because I quickly realized this was a full-fledged tourist operation that happened to have camels and Bedouin running the show. [I was later told that it’s Israeli-owned and they just employ the guy.] I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else, but frankly I was a little disappointed. Bedouins these days rarely move around for reasons I already discussed, and most of their places are shacks of corrugated metal. This place had big tents laid out in the traditional fashion, with concentric circles of mats that were both chairs while you were awake and beds at night. Our tent could probably have slept 40 people. It had electricity, and right around the corner were the communal bathrooms/showers. It was like a hostel, except that each group had a massive tent instead of each person sleeping in their own room. We got a camel ride and then played some Frisbee and lazed around talking for the evening. I guess I had never paid attention to the way a camel walks, but I was fascinated by their feet – they splay out like gelatin pads when they walk on them in order to reduce the pressure and not sink into the sand.

For comparison, here is a real Bedouin dwelling we passed on the side of the road.

The whole place had a Disney air to it – the buildings were nice, and the dirt floors were only there to keep the atmosphere. The only very non-Bedouin thing was the “party tent” – a tent blaring techno music that was basically the club. Our bus driver was having a good time. He travels with us and brought a suitcase, but I’m not sure why. He hasn’t changed his jeans and only seems to have two shirts. You smell him every time you get onto the bus.

I did, however, really enjoy our host. He was Bedouin, but had gotten a degree in music at Tel Aviv University and had been to the U.S. three times. He spoke excellent English and explained about Bedouin customs for a bit and played some on a lute-like instrument. I would have loved to talk with him except that he had to make the rounds and talk to all of the tents. Apparently a lot of people come during the evening, then their group leaves at 3am to drive to/hike Masada as the sun rises.

We also got a new tour guide. I’ll wait and see how it works out, because he’s very different from our departing tour guide. He’s in his late 20’s as opposed to his mid 60’s, for one thing. Our other guide was incredibly knowledgeable, but he also didn’t “read people” very well and was oblivious to some unspoken group sentiments. Our new guide seems to be the opposite. I’ll call him Jethro, just because that was the first Hebrew name that popped into my head.

Jethro knew he wanted to make aliya (come to Israel) since he was in high school. He struck a deal with his dad that he could move over here once he graduated from college. He graduated from Columbia with an English major, if I remember correctly. I asked him why he moved here and he just said he felt like he was home here. He said NYC was all stressed, busy people who equate money with success. Here he can just be himself. “Himself” is a huge movie buff with a quick laugh. He generally echoed our previous guide on issues of Israeli/Palestinian relations, foreign policy, etc. However, he had a different approach that I can’t quite describe. Maybe it was the difference between a older man whose views had hardened versus a younger man with the same views, but who was more willing to listen to another side even if he still disagreed with them after the discussion.

I saw a field with what looked like cotton growing on dried plants. Turns out it was thousands of bleached-white snail shells. Check out this snail-covered dead grass.

He echoed one complaint that I have heard a lot: red tape. Israel’s bureaucracy is notorious for red tape. He told about having to get his name legally changed on his national ID because his mom’s maiden name on his card didn’t match that in some other database, and a bank wouldn’t give him a loan because of it.

He also said that there are two Talmuds, a Babylonian version and a Jerusalem version. They are pretty much the same, but most everyone uses the Babylonian one because it is more reader-friendly. I got the idea that the Jerusalem one is more terse and more open to interpretation, whereas the Babylonian one is a little more wordy but consequently easier to understand.

Interesting article

There is an excellent article in The Washington Post. It doesn't say much by itself except that most Arab nations, including a lot of oil-wealthy ones, are paying only fractions of their commitments to support the PLO. Who is contributing a lot? "European governments, the World Bank and the United States have provided more than three times as much money as Arab countries this year to keep the government afloat..."

While the article (properly) withholds from most editorializing, I think reading between the lines tells more. Contributions spiked when Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's existence and calls for its obliteration, controlled the PLO. A recurring theme of Middle East relations is that the Palestinians are pawns for both sides. They are probably pawns more for the Arabs, in fact, because the Israelis actually have to deal with the Palestinians, whereas the Arabs sit at home, stir the hornet's nest every once in a while, and (sometimes) cut a check. What happens when the Arabs have to deal with the Palestinians? Last time the border between Gaza and Egypt was forced open, the Egyptians rushed to plug the hole and keep the Palestinians in Gaza.

I don't mean to cast equal aspersions on all Arab countries or imply that the Israelis are perfect, but it's healthy to view Arab nations' statements of solidarity with Palestine with some skepticism.

Day 28: Monday, May 19, Masada

A view back into the valley. Our hostel is just to the right of the trees.

Today we got up bright and early to hike to the top of Masada. Our tour guide was deciding between 5AM and 4:30AM; he chose 5AM, but I wish we had left at 4:30. The sun was already fighting its way over the Jordanian mountains as we started up the Snake Path. There are three ways to get to the top: the Snake Path on the east, the path the Romans took (or built) from the west, and a modern cable car. We hiked up the Snake Path, which rises about 1000 ft over 1.5 miles of switchbacks. The sunrise over the Dead Sea was visible the entire time. When I got to the top there were tons of Birthright kids up there as well as a group of Young Presidents. We got the talks and tour and then headed back down the cable car; there were plenty of jokes about hiking the toughest path up and going down via the cable car.

Herod's overlooks carved into the cliff. His palace is in the rock behind them. If it looks like it's a long way down to the valley, you're right.

Masada is a stunning place. Any mountain fortress would be difficult to capture in those days, but this is in a whole new category. Even today, taking it would be like taking Iwo Jima – you could bomb it back to the Roman Period but the defenders would just be sitting underground waiting to pick apart anyone who tries to scale the cliffs. Herod had an entire summer palace complex built into the cliff, with his private quarters and a bath at the north tip that juts out like the point of a teardrop. He had a 300 degree view for miles. Granted, there isn’t a lot to see (desert and the Dead Sea), but it’s awe-inspiring. You realize how easy it was for the Jews, number about 960 including women and children (so probably more like 400 fighting men) could hold off an entire legion of about 15,000 Romans. The Romans built their siege ramp from the taller side of the surrounding valley, but they still probably had to build up at least 500 feet vertically. No wonder it is a powerful symbol of Jewish resistance and courage.

William on the Snake Trail, with an overexposed sunrise reflecting off the Dead Sea.

It also makes you think about history and historians and be sure you separate facts and interpretation. Josephus records the speech the Jewish leader made when convincing them to kill their own wives and children. One problem: Josephus wasn’t there, and I’m sure that the seven women and children who survived were not at that meeting, either.

We then went to Beersheba. It pops up in the Bible with some regularity; it was where Boaz and Ruth met. The entire town was 5.5 acres, which really makes you realize how small they used to be. Modern Beersheba is a couple of miles away and is 120,000 people.

William and a chameleon face off. This guy was a vibrant green a minute ago; in about one more minute he'll be a mottled brown just like the plank.

I bought a postcard from a guy who runs a little shop in the hostel. Yesterday I asked him how much a postcard was and he told me two shekels. Today I went and told him I wanted two postcards. I was holding four shekels in my closed hand, but I didn’t just hand it to him, I wanted to see what his price would be. He told me five shekels for the two postcards, so then I reminded him that he had told me two per card the previous day, and I got them for four. It taught me two things. First, you can bargain on anything no matter how small. Second, it reminded me that it’s a game. I couldn’t be miffed that he was trying to charge me more than four, because I was holding out to see if he would name a number less than four. I also used a computer at the hostel that was in Hebrew; since Hebrew reads right to left, the Start menu in Windows is on the right side.

I also saw on the news that it is 36 C in Houston, which is hotter than it is here – and we have no humidity. I’m not looking forward to that part of the return.

Day 27: Sunday, May 18, Dead Sea/Masada

Today we followed the “Way of the Patriarchs” south along the Jordan River. The landscape changes here. It’s still desert everywhere, but the Jordan River is clearly distinguished not because you can see the river – it’s little more than a lively stream at points – but because you can see the agriculture that pops up along the bank. Rows of date palms run like spiders as you drive past them.

Ibex on the cliff. Can you spot the little guy?

Our first stop was the Ein Gedi nature reserve. It was really beautiful. A stream trickles from the Ein Gedi springs through a rocky valley. The canyon walls do go almost straight up on either side, and there are myriad natural caves in the face. It was in caves like these that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and after looking at these you can see why they were safe for thousands of years. First, there are a lot of them. Second, they are on almost vertical cliffs – I wouldn’t be able to get to most of them without rappelling down. It was in this area that David spent a lot of time hiding from Saul, and it’s obvious why. When the Bible talks about the “clefts of the rock” I will always think of these caves.

Our next destination today: the Ahava factory. Ahava markets beauty products made from Dead Sea mud. (Am I the only one who finds it funny that people clamor for skin care products made of mud, let alone mud from a place called the Dead Sea?) They have a factory there on the edge of the sea where you can see the products being made. Or, more accurately, you can watch through glass as finished products are boxed by a robot; the main attraction is the short film on Ahava products (i.e. promo video) and shopping in the store. A quick look at some of the pictures and clips in the promo video show that this is definitely not a conservative Jewish operation. They are not above selling their beauty products next to men’s boxers with “100% Kosher” written on them.

After the checkout counter there is a VAT refund stand. Israel has a VAT (Value Added Tax) system. Tourists can get refunds on the tax paid on items over a certain amount. Since few tourists want to go home, mail paperwork to Israel, then wait six months to be paid (like those sketchy mail-in rebates), there is an industry that pays you up front and submits the receipts for you in exchange for a percentage of the refund. Ahava made a lot of money off of people buying stuff, then made more money off of them by giving them tax refunds. Very smart system.

My stunning good looks are all due to regular Dead Sea mud treatments.

There was no way we were going to drive by the Dead Sea without testing the waters, so of course that was our last stop of the day. It really is an odd experience, because you can sit Indian-style in the water and float perfectly. However, getting to where you can float is sort of a painful experience. On the bottom of the sea is a crust of crystal minerals, so it’s like walking over the inside of geodes. You also have to shift your weight carefully, because if you step to hard or hit a thin spot you will fall through the crystals and sink knee-deep in the thick mud that is below. The mud is fun to play around in, as you might imagine. Any scratches you had (and the many you get from the crystals) are instantly and painfully cauterized. Despite all of this, it really is worth hopping in. One girl got the water in her eyes and it obviously wasn’t pleasant.

We stayed that night (and the next) at the Masada Youth Hostel. It was a very new and much nicer than “hostel” implies and could handle small conferences as well. They had a central grassy courtyard… oh wait, it was actually Astroturf. A basketball court and large swimming pool made for some good diversions.

I forget the name of this groundhog-type animal.

There are several Jewish school groups with us. For each group there are several student leaders who carry guns around everywhere. The vast majority use the M1 carbine, which is a WWII weapon. Today I saw a waif of a girl whose rifle was about as big around as she was. Israeli school kids dress more skanky on average than their American counterparts seem to do.

Bush is in the country right now. I have gotten used to hearing fighter jets roaring overhead every couple of days, but I noticed a spike the other day. Now I probably know why.

Today on the bus our guide told us that there are several tribes that just disappeared – “the Jews” today are almost all descendents of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. There is speculation that the Pashtuns are actually descendents of the “lost ten tribes.” I’m not sure how much speculation vs. evidence there is.

Chillin' in the Dead Sea. Can someone pass me a mojito?

The family that joined us the other day arrived with no luggage – Delta has assured them it will arrive soon. Also, I was talking with the mom and she talked about how she had asked the trip coordinator the obvious question: is it safe? His response hadn’t been yes or no, but simply to refer her to the story of Joshua and Caleb. Of 12 spies sent into the land that Israel was to conquer, 10 reported that the inhabitants were too mighty to be defeated. Joshua and Caleb reported that it didn’t matter, because God had said he would protect them and go before them. It was an interesting response to the safety question.

Day 26: Saturday, May 17, Samaria

Part of the reason I haven't posted in a while is that I don't have my notebook with me at the moment, so consequently I don't remember things like where exactly we were this day. (It was somewhere in Samaria.) Also, since it was Shabbat, I don't have any pictures from the day.

Saturday was Shabbat, so we had an easy day and just did stuff within the community. I should actually backtrack and say that we went to synagogue on Friday evening. There are several synagogue meetings, the biggest of which is on Saturday morning. The room was roughly hexagonal, with desks laid out in rows along the outside, all facing the front. Women were in the balcony in pews. In the center of the room was a platform with a desk and ornamented pillars. There was a podium up front facing the ark (where the Torah is kept) – thus facing away from the audience – where someone would lead the ritual; however, they rotated out from time to time, with almost no break in the action. They would read in a sing-song voice while bobbing their head, and at certain times everyone would join in singing songs in a dirge-like but attractive melody. Not quite wailing Arabic, but definitely Middle Eastern. This wasn’t like in a church where the pastor would say, “Now let’s turn to hymn such-and-such,” but rather the whole service was one big script that everyone obviously knew by heart, so they could join in on a song on the first note and knew exactly when it was coming. There were times when we stood, but mostly we were seated. I couldn’t figure out the reason we stood. When compared with my church services (Bible church/Presbyterian) I would call this service organized chaos. People wandered in at any time, people walked around, people looked around, little kids played. (The men would be still singing/reciting as they walked around, like it was subconscious.) When people would come in late they would go around and greet their friends before going to their seat. People were always bobbing as they said the rituals, and there was no prescribed way to bob. Some people were practically thumping their heads on their desks, some were doing more side-to-side twist than forward-backward, and some would dip by bending their knees before tipping forward. It really did remind me of a bunch of bobbleheads. Everyone had a head covering – were were given yarmulkes before entering – but one guy had a ball cap and another had a straw farmer’s hat. Some people were reading synagogue newsletters. There was a “sermon” – I don’t know what he said, but his delivery was just like a lot of American pastors.

The official rule on Shabbat for Jews is that they are not to work. However, this was interpreted by Jewish sages to fundamentally mean you should not “create or destroy.” Later commentators specified what was/wasn’t an act of creation – writing is an act of creation, for example. Still later, commentators said that you should not carry pen/paper on Shabbat so that you cannot unwittingly create by writing. This seemed pretty typical of a lot of Jewish religious laws – the real Biblical law is X, but in order to make sure you don’t do X we’re going to ban Y and Z. Don’t forget that the ancient commentaries have the same force as the original Torah in Judaism. Using electrical devices has been deemed bad because electricity is too much like fire, and you are not to create fire on Shabbat. One of the families on our trip was joining us this day, so Benjamin had given his cell phone to one of the other people on our trip just in case the family called – that way he wouldn’t talk to them directly and thus not break Shabbat. However, the Jewish taxi driver called for directions, and since only Benjamin could speak Hebrew, the other guy held the phone up to his ear.

A soldier named Ed joined us for lunch. He was in his early 30’s and doing reserve duty. I really enjoyed talking to him. I asked him what he had found different/odd when he first came to Israel. Among other things, he said they call all cereal “corn flakes,” stereotype Americans as soft (and Americans in turn stereotype Jews as CPA-soft), that all American Jews want “exotic”-looking Yemmenite Jewish wives, that there is no sense of personal space, and that most Jews think America is all like Disneyland and that everyone becomes a millionaire within a year of moving there. He also said that Jews aren’t very polite, but he said it’s more like they all treat each other as brothers – ordering each other around to some degree, but it’s not meant in a rough, I-don’t-like-you way. I got him to read some bumper stickers to me, because I think bumper stickers reveal something about the hot issues or what people think. We were in a settlement and this particular sticker was, understandably, a pro-settlement sticker. It was or orange, and Ed said that orange is associated with pro-settlement and blue is anti-settlement. After that I could count the blue vs. orange bumper stickers and have a feel for the area’s sentiments. He also said that all men serve reserve duty until they are 40. Whenever you are called up you are paid your regular salary, unlike the U.S. reserves. I think this is an excellent – but expensive – system. Doctors get paid a week of lost doctor wages; construction workers get paid a week of construction wages. The U.S. military has a problem with drawing disproportionately from lower classes, and taking away the financial penalty to those with upper-class jobs might help.