Israel Southern Exposure
A proposed tour of the Judaean desert, Dec 17th 2022
We will head out from the Weizmann at 7:45 and start our journey to the south east part of Israel with Massada as our first stop for the day. Masada is a fortress built by King Herod at the top of a mountain on the southern side of the Dead Sea. From the top we will see onto Jordan and over the Dead Sea. We will arrive there at ~10:00 and head up via the cable car.
The unique story and archaeology led UNESCO to declare Masada as a world heritage site. We will learn of the events that took place one evening, close to 2000 years ago, that linger and intrigue us till today. During our tour we will visit the Snake Path gate, the Northern Palace, storage rooms, bath house and, of course, the synagogue and the breach in the walls of the western side.
We will head down via the cable car and drive north to Qumran restaurant to have lunch then head to Kalya Dead Sea beach located at the northern edge of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was formed thousands of years ago as a result of tectonic movement and is part of the Great Rift Valley and one of the few remains from the ancient Lake Lisan which covered the entire area long ago.
From there we will make our way back to Rehovot to arrive there toward early evening.
Please be advised:
- Weather is unpredictable during this time of year so it is advised to follow the weather forecast for the Dead Sea area and to bring hat and sunscreen. For the early afternoon it is advised to have a light jacket \ long sleeve shirt.
- Comfortable walking\hiking shoes are a must. It is advised to bring flip flops or similar when going to the Dead Sea .
- We plan to spend time and float at the Dead Sea, please make sure to bring bathing suite, towel and a change of cloths.
- Due to weather, time limits and importance of sites, there might be a need to alter from above description.