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Interesting Israel -Columbarium at Masada
This interesting ‘honeycomb’ structure on top of the ancient fortress of Masada, could be mistaken for a brick wall to let air and light enter a dwelling. However, it is actually a columbarium, a name derived from the Latin ‘columba’ meaning dove. Historically, doves and pigeons were used for communicating to the outside world and of course, as a food source for residents and soldiers living on Masada’s summit. As well as doves which provided fresh meat and eggs, Masada’s isolated and elevated location required many more storerooms for essential dry-goods.
Such was the case when, in about 37-34 B.C.E., King Herod the Great was deposed and fled from Jerusalem to Masada, where he built his palace fortress on Masada’s summit along with 29 elongated storerooms. Archaeologists have discovered remains of clay pots used to store food, where some of the clay containers have retained their labels bearing names like fish, beans, dried figs, meat and fig cake.
Herod’s luxurious mountain top retreat was home to up to 100 people at any one time, who all needed to be fed. About a hundred years later, in 67 A.D. Jewish Sicarii rebels in the First Jewish-Roman War, took the summit of Masada as their retreat from the Romans who had left many supplies which managed to sustain approximately 960 people for almost two years.
Israel © MEA-20180516 (PF720) Interesting Israel -Columbarium at Masada
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Featuring Israel -Negev Camel Ranch
Peace and tranquillity are the endearing features of this unique Bedouin-style camel ranch. Established in 1986, in the Eastern-Negev, near the ancient Nabatean city of Kurnub-Mamshit, and along the northern ancient Incense Route, the Negev Camel Ranch offers the serenity of a biblical landscape, while carefully protecting the surrounding environment, natural sites and monuments.
This is where one can ‘sail’ the Negev on a most interesting camel ride, traversing the paths of this ancient spice route. The gentle ‘rocking’ of the camel has sometimes lulled a person to close their eyes and soak in the transcendent desert calm, which riders for thousands of years would also have done.
The Negev Camel Ranch is about half way between the Dead Sea and Beer Sheva. Totally unique, visitors experience a ‘Bedouin’ lifestyle within the sands of the Negev Desert. From this position, one can explore the Dead Sea, walk the marvellous hiking paths, ride the mountain bike trails, drive jeeps to historical sites close by, or travel on one of the camel-friendly tours. And, upon returning and freshening up, visitors can take advantage of the genuine and very tasty Bedouin-style vegetarian meals served at dinner or breakfast.
Israel © MEA-20180509 (C1191) Featuring Israel -Negev Camel Ranch
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History of Israel -Roman Aqueduct
This elevated aqueduct with its impressive arches was built by King Herod of Judea (37-4 BCE), to bring water from springs in the Carmel mountains in northern Israel, down to the city of Caesarea and its adjacent harbour, which Herod also built. Aqueducts were one of Rome’s greatest architectural and engineering achievements. This section of the aqueduct is beside the Mediterranean sea-shore between modern Haifa and Tel Aviv.
This particular aqueduct was able to deliver about 250-300 thousand cubic metres to a city of about fifty thousand, average about 140 litres per person per day, which is similar to a modern city today.
The word ‘aqueduct’ is derived from the Latin words ‘Aqua’ meaning ‘water’ and ‘ducere’ meaning ‘channel’ or ‘pipe’. They are also found in other parts of Israel, but this one is the oldest. Roman-style aqueducts were used as early as the 7th Century BCE. Nevertheless, prior to the Romans, well-engineered aqueducts and other impressive irrigation systems were built by the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Indians.
The Bible in Genesis 10:11 records the great city of Nineveh, capital of the Assyrian empire, which had also built a limestone aqueduct that carried water across a large valley to their city. It was an impressive 10 metres high by 300 metres wide and traversed a distance of 80 kilometres.
Israel has remains of other aqueducts, such as a 14-kilometre structure leading from Solomon’s Pool, which is cited in 2 Kings 18:17, telling how the Assyrians sent a massive army to invade Jerusalem and its king, Hezekiah. When they arrived, they waited by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which was beside the highway and Fuller’s Field near the valley of Hinnom, west of the city. Remains of this aqueduct can be seen in the vicinity of Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate.
Tourists who are already in Caesarea will often stop to marvel at how the Roman aqueducts moved water from the north to the south of Israel—one of the many photogenic landscapes within Israel’s history.
Israel © MEA-20180502 (C538) History of Israel -Roman Aqueduct
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History of Israel –The Synagogue in Capernaum
This splendid 2-story Capernaum synagogue is a fine example of Roman architecture, built in the early third century A.D. from white ornately-carved calcareous stone. It sits by the shores of Lake Kinneret (the Galilee) and is one of the oldest synagogues in the world.
Rabbi Yeshua and His disciples spent much of their time in the Galilee area, both in Capernaum, in synagogues and in the countryside—healing, teaching and praying. This area is most likely where Yeshua healed on the Sabbath day, taught Torah law and wisdom from the hillsides, raised Yairus’s daughter from the dead as cited in Mark 5:21-43, as well as many other things, including in Matthew 17:24-27, instructing His disciples to catch a fish so they could pay the Temple tax.
This synagogue is built on top of the original synagogue that existed during Yeshua’s life, and like its predecessor, faces east towards Jerusalem. Greek and Aramaic inscriptions can be found on the site. Josephus Flavius mentions Capernaum because he was brought there after being wounded in battle. For many centuries, this small town of about 1500 people, was inhabited by both Jews and Christians.
It became a prosperous town spread over some thirteen acres, and the inhabitants were mainly farmers, merchants and of course fishermen. However, many of these Roman structures were all-but-destroyed in the earthquake of 749 A.D. and Capernaum was abandoned sometime before the Crusaders arrived.
Israel © MEA-20180425 (C469) History of Israel –The Synagogue in Capernaum
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History of Israel -The Jordan River
The Jordan River, also known by its Hebrew name, haYaden, is one of the most famous rivers in the world. It begins in the mountainous region where Israel, Lebanon and Syria connect, and travels some 360 km south, as well as descending some 950 metres down through the Jordan Rift Valley, below sea level to the Dead Sea. It is about ten metres across and fairly shallow, sometimes rising to two metres deep.
The Jordan is known universally by almost every person in the Jewish and Christian faiths. Songs are sung about it, Prophets have spoken of it, many have been healed in its waters, great kings and mighty armies have crossed it, wars have been fought over it, and miracles were performed in its waters. It continues to be a place of spiritual and political significance. John the Baptist, who was known as Yochanan the Immerser in Biblical times, established the Jordan as a place to be baptised. Historically, the Bible tells us that Yohanan (John) fled to this area when he was persecuted by Herod. This prevented him from continuing his priestly duties in the Temple, as he was in line, through his father, to become a High Priest. However, after deposing the then High Priest, the Roman authorities appointed a succession of four High Priests, with Joseph Caiaphas being the most prominent during the time of Rabbi Yeshua.
From the late 1990s, the members of kibbutz Yardenit, situated on the banks of the Jordan River at the Southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, is host to many hundreds of thousands of tourists and pilgrims, who come to this peaceful and spiritual place where Yeshua Himself is said to have been immersed by John the Baptist. Also in the area tourist can enter the Baptism Archaeological Park and see the remains of a Byzantine monastery and many churches, including one which surrounds a cave which is traditionally believed to be the cave of John the Baptist.
Because the Jordan’s natural flow is interrupted by many dams, where the water is used for domestic and agricultural purposes, the amount of flow is now reduced to 10-15%, leaving the lower Jordan heavily polluted by sewage and industrial run-off.
Israel © MEA-20180418 (C483) History of Israel -The Jordan River
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Rosh Hanikra is host to one of the more fascinating geological formations, the Blue-water cave grottoes at the base of a white chalky cliff-face which opens up into these spectacular grottoes. They are situated at the top end of Israel, on the shores of the Mediterranean and north-west of the Galilee region and just meters away from Israel’s border with Lebanon. Soldiers are permanently stationed here to protect Israeli citizens and tourists alike. The residents of Rosh Hanikra kibbutz manage this tourist site, which in turn provides funding for its various agricultural and other interest.
Strategically, Rosh Hanikra could one day be part of a proposed Cairo-Haifa-Beirut rail link. The sea travels some 200 metres into the grotto. In 1968, a 400-metre long tunnel was dug between the grottoes which gives it more tourist appeal, especially when visitors can easily get to the grottoes by cable car, which descends at a 60-degree gradient from the top of the cliff down to the tunnels. This cable car is advertised as the steepest in the world.
Ancient history records Rosh Hanikra as being one of the important trade routes for merchant caravans and often used by armies travelling to and from Lebanon and Syria in the north and Israel, Egypt and Africa in the south. In the Book of Joshua in the Bible, a place called Misraphot Mayim, located south of Rosh HaNikra is mentioned because of it was at the northern border of the Tribe of Asher, part of the Kingdom of Israel. Also historian Josephus Flavius writes that Rosh Hanikra is the northern border of the city of Acre, (from The Jewish War 2, 10, 2). And, in the Jewish book I Maccabees, verse 11:59, it mentions the restoration of an independent Jewish kingdom and Shimon HaHashmonai being responsible for this region, in the middle of the 2nd century B.C.E.
Alexander of Macedonea (323 B.C.E.) is purported to have cut a tunnel at Rosh Hanikra so his army could pass through. General used of this roadway include armies of the Seleucids and the Ptolemies during their wars in the third and second century B.C.E. and the Crusaders in 1099 C.E. Then, during World War 1, the British Army made the road safe for motor vehicles.
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