Excursion number 20

Dead Sea, Masada Fortress, Ein Gedi Nature Park

Film Dead Sea on YouTube channel - Israel with Paul and Laura

This excursion combines the program of travel on the national nature park Ein Gedi (Hebrew עֵין גֶּדִי - "the source of the goat"), located in the Judean Desert on the hill of Tel Horn, which includes a unique in its beauty and color to the gorge "Nahal David" - "The Creek of David"). The city on this place is known since VII century BC, which was famous for its fruits grown in its surroundings: grapes, dates, figs. Grapes produced juice and wine. But the most important and significant income to the city brought valuable incense, made from the mysterious tree "afarsonom", the secret of which was owned only by local residents and it is not like the tree itself, has not reached our days. The waterfall "Shulamit" or as it is also called "the waterfall of David" is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the whole of Israel.

Masada (Hebrew מצדה, metsada - "fortress") - an ancient fortress, located on the south-west coast of the Dead Sea, in the State of Israel. It is located near the modern city of Arad, by the Ein Gedi highway - Ein Bokek. This unique fortress, overlooking the majestic cliffs of the Judean Desert, about 450 meters above sea level, was founded in 25 BC by King Herod I the Great, an Edomite and the founder of the Jewish dynasty of Herodias, on the basis of the fortress of the Hasmonean period of 31-37 BC. e. The fortress was equipped with a unique water supply system, warehouses and weapons stores were built there. It contained the gold of King Jordan. The strategic importance of the fortress was underscored by the unique geographic position, when rocks were surrounded by Masada on all sides. In 66 CE, the fortress was captured by rebellious Zealots - representatives of the socio-political and religious eschatological trend in Judea, which arose in the era of the Maccabees in the second half of the 1st century BC. e. and finally formed in the middle of the 1st century AD. The main goal of the Zealots was the abolition of the Hellenistic influence and the overthrow of the Roman domination, for the achievement of which any means were considered suitable. By the middle of the 1st century AD. e. The Zealots were formed into a political party to fight the legacy of the king of Judea, Herod the Great. From the facade of the Jerusalem temple, rebuilt by Herod, they knocked down the golden eagle as inducing to idolatry and hinting at Roman domination. The Zealots, being irreconcilable opponents of the Romans, decided to fight to the end, justifying this also by the fact that only the Messiah, a descendant of David, can manage Israel. The most brave warriors stood out in a separate wing and received from the Romans the nickname of "sikaria" ("assassins", "daggers"). Their radical warlike actions led to a war with the Romans. Thus, one of the sycaries, Menachem, son of Judas, having captured the fortress of Masada, was interrupted by a Roman garrison. Captured the Ambush, held it for three years, until the last of the 960 besieged defenders of the fortress committed suicide. In the modern archaeological park on top of a flat trapezoid plateau, surrounded by powerful walls of 1400 meters in length, there are ruins of public buildings, palaces of King Jorda with unique mosaics, a synagogue, a water tank, the ruins of a Byzantine monastery from the 5th century. The fortress can be reached by cable car - cable car, or by mountain trails on the east and west sides.
 
The Dead Sea - Dead Sea (Arab El Mate - "Dead Sea", Hebrew ים המלח Yam ha-malah - "Sea of ​​salt", also Asphalt Sea) - is a drainless salt lake between the states of Israel and Jordan . The water level in the Dead Sea, according to September 9, 2015, is 430 meters below sea level and falls at a rate of about 1 m per year. The coast of the lake is the lowest land area on Earth. Dead Sea is one of the most saline reservoirs on Earth, salinity is 300-310 ‰, in some years up to 350 ‰. The length of the sea is 67 km, the width is 18 km in the widest place, the maximum depth is 306 meters. This unique biotope is defined in the name as "dead", because it was believed that because of the high salt content, neither fish nor other organisms can live in it (with the exception of some bacteria in the mouth of the Jordan River). In the last years of the XX - beginning of the XXI century, about 70 species of oomycetes and higher fungi, capable of transferring the maximum salinity of this reservoir, were found in it.

The mineralogical composition of the Dead Sea salt is fundamentally different from that of other seas. It contains about 50.8% magnesium chloride, 14.4% calcium chloride, 30.4% sodium chloride and 4.4% potassium chloride. This circumstance allowed the Dead Sea to become a unique therapeutic resort, created by nature and attracting millions of tourists from all corners of the globe. In addition to the unique composition of salts, the Dead Sea is also known for its healing muds that are extracted from the bottom of this lake. Famous silt sulphide muds of the Dead Sea are highly mineralized (up to 300 g / l), with a high content of bromine, iodine, hormone-like substances. We will have the opportunity to finish our day with rest in the unique water of the Dead Sea on the beach of the famous resort of Ein Bokek.
 
The excursion begins at the place of accommodation of the tourists in Jerusalem (the address and time of the excursion beginning is indicated in advance by the guide). On the tour you need to have comfortable shoes, drinking water and a hat from the sun. Clothes should be like when visiting temples (men should not visit temples in shorts, women should have clothes with closed shoulders, do not have a neckline, short skirts and shorts, you can wear trousers). At the request of tourists to the tour, you can add a visit to the city of Bethlehem, subject to departure from Jerusalem. To cross the border post between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, tourists need to have a passport with them.
 
The price for all participants of the excursion on our car with departure from Jerusalem or the Dead Sea is $ 650 (with the number of up to 6 people in the car), and $ 900 (with the number of participants from 7 to 15 people).
 
When you leave for a tour from Tel Aviv and its environs on our car, the price for up to 6 people is $ 800, and from 7 to 15 people - $ 1050.

 

If the tourists have a rented car, the price is $ 400 for all participants of the excursion, provided that the excursion begins in Jerusalem. The tour is accompanied by Tour guide Paul
 
(License of a certified guide in English from the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Israel No. 10103)
 
You can order the tour by e-mail paul@vizitisrael.com
 
And also by calling: + 972-545-336-297 (Wats up / Viber / Telegram), (in Israel: 054-5336-297)
 
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