by Adam Morris
"We relaxed and floated in the Dead Sea for around 30 minutes. What made the Dead Sea so interesting was that you could not sink because of how much salt was in the water."
The day started at 4 a.m. when we woke up and got on the bus to go to the base of Masada. Once we arrived, the race to the top began and it was no surprise that Dr. Sanders was the first to the top. When we got to the top, we split up and had a quiet time while watching the sunrise over the Dead Sea. We regrouped, discussed what unfolded at this site 2000 years ago, and looked at the ruins of the ancient fortress. After taking it all in we started the descent to the bottom - Wendy was the first to finish. Once we all finished, we rode the bus to Ein Gedi. It was only 8 a.m. so we ate breakfast then talked about how David cut Saul’s cloak at Ein Gedi as well as the significance behind this story. We then hiked the trail and stopped for a moment to cool off at a waterfall along the trail. Then we went to Qumran and discussed how it was the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered and how the people who lived here dedicated their lives to preserve the scriptures. We then headed to the Dead Sea and ate lunch at a restaurant in the entrance to the beach area. After eating, we relaxed and floated in the Dead Sea for around 30 minutes. What made the Dead Sea so interesting was that you could not sink because of how much salt was in the water. Lastly, we capped the day off by looking at the Jordan River. Although we were only there for a brief moment, we saw the possible location where Jesus may have been baptized and where Joshua crossed the river. Today was very long and exhausting; however, it was definitely a great day.
