We began by walking to the nearby beach to gaze upon the still waters of the Sea of Galilee, whose calmness that morning belies the eternal storm of conflict that has engulfed the region since antiquity.
By 7:30, we were making our way to the nearby Mount of Beatitudes, the supposed location of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Unlike Bethlehem, this area is still mostly picturesque, with tree covered hills overlooking the waters of the Sea. A relatively modern (1937) Roman Catholic Franciscan chapel sits on the site. The altar is housed within an octagonal portion of the chapel, whose windows on each wall contain one of the eight Beatitudes.
Despite the hour, we were preceded by several large tour buses, whose inevitable appearance at noteworthy sites never ceases to fill the Author with the most un-Christian sentiments. Nevertheless, we were able to see the chapel in relative tranquility, for only one group had made its way there, as many of the others had occupied outdoor chapels around the grounds for impromptu Sunday services. After a quick tour of the area we headed out, and noted that at least a dozen more tour buses had arrived during our brief stay.
We next headed to Capernaum, the city on which Jesus centered his ministry. The city is the set of many Gospel stories, including the lowering of the paralytic through the roof and the healing of the Roman centurion's servant. It is now in ruins, and contains the remnants of two ancient Synogogues and a house said to have belonged to the Apostle Peter. At one point an octagonal Byzantine church was built on this spot, but was later destroyed, and today an elevated modern structure sits over the excavated ruins of both.
In lieu of having breakfast, we next sought spiritual nourishment by heading to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish. At the entrance of the site a security guard told us the area was not yet open to tourists but only for attending mass. Our desire to see the church prompted us to positively respond to the latter, but we did not get far before our scruples caught up with us and forced us to turn back, as we had no intention of staying for a full mass, being pressed for time to get down to Masada.
And so we set off for the long journey south, after picking up much needed vittles. Our circuitous route brought us down towards Jerusalem, through which the detour necesitated by the flood damage brought us. From there, we headed south to the city of Arad, which actually lies to the south of Masada, requiring backtraking to the north. This route brought us through the West Bank, meaning another check point stop was required upon exiting that area.
Masada is the site of an ancient fortress, built on a high plateau that affords a commanding view of the surrounding area. The site was fortified by Herod the Great in 37 BC with massive store rooms and cisterns for collecting and storing rain water. A palace on the north side featured a Roman style bath and mosaic floors.
Around 66 AD, during the First Jewish-Roman war, a group of rebels took possesion of the fortress from the Roman garrison. These rebels were reinforced in 70 AD after the destruction of the Second Temple. Three years later, the Roman governor Lucius Flavius Silva set out to apprehend the rebels. In the face of a lengthy siege, a huge ramp was constructed to conduct the Roman siege engines to the top of the plateau. Rather than submit to inevitable defeat, the rebels killed themselves on the eve of the final Roman assault. Over 960 men, women, and children participated in this last defiant act.
Our detour brought us up from the east, which gave us an excellent view of the Roman siege ramp on our approach. The western side of the plateau is also significantly closer to the ground than the eastern, meaning the climb to the top was relatively easy. At the top, we admired the ruined palace, panoramic views, the mosaic floors, and the cisterns before being ushered out at closing time, which hit us an hour earlier than expected.
-Nathaniel
Inside the Church of Beatitudes
Outside the Church of Beatitudes
The ruins of an ancient synagogue at Capernaum
Palestinian controlled cities, such as Bethlehem, are off-limits to Israeli citizens
Mummy and Tut 2 in front of Masada - the Roman siege ramp is clearly visible
Nothing but ruins remain on the top of the formidable plateau
The view east; in the distance you can see the Dead Sea
Ruins of original Roman encampments at the base of Masada
Remnants of the Northern Palace built by Herod
The Roman bathhouse; a furnace outside the building heated the air beneath the well ventilated floor
No comments:
Post a Comment