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The Dead Sea & Surroundings |
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· The Dead Sea
The lowest point in the world at 1300 feet below sea level, and fills a natural basin formed by the Syria-African fault. The Dead Sea varies in depth from 130 feet in the north to 30 feet in the south. The waters of the Dead Sea are ten times saltier than the Mediterranean's, and as such prevent the existence of any complex ecosystem. In the Bible, it is a symbol of sterility and misfortune. The Dead Sea is rich in phosphates, crucial to the economies of Israel and Jordan.
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Masada is a significant landmark in Jewish history. Here Herod took refuge in 40 BC to escape from his rival Mathias Antigone. He returned to fortify it after he was made king by the Romans in 37 BC. The fortification was prompted by fears of attacks from Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. In 6 AD, Masada was made into a Roman garrison, falling to the Sicarii nationalists in 66 AD. In the spring of 73 AD, Flavius Silva established camp at the northeast corner of Masada. In April of 73 AD, Silva's 9000 soldiers began their assault on the rock using catapults, rams and other war machines. Seeing that all was lost, the defenders chose death over slavery to the Romans. In the morning following the assault, the Romans discovered 960 bodies. |
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Between 1947-1956, some eight hundred manuscripts, from the library of the Essenes "monastery" were found in eleven caves by a Bedouin who had wandered in one of the caves and found an earthen jar containing seven manuscripts, broken or empty jars and the remaining seventy four manuscripts. Among these manuscripts, are all the Biblical books except for Esther, the non-Canonical books and Essenes writings. Most of the texts, were copied at Qumran by scribes. Nearly all the manuscripts are preserved in Jerusalem at the Rockefeller and Israel museums. The ruins of Qumran which were excavated in 1952-56, revealed that the site had been the base of the Essenes community from 152 BC to AD 68. |
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This biblical city dates back 10,000 years, and is most famous for the fall of it walls, caused by the holy ram's horn trumpets blown by Joshua's priests. Jericho was the first city to be conquered by the Hebrews after the Exodus. It was razed to the ground and cursed, then rebuilt by Ahabin the 9th century BC. It was later fortified by the Maccabees. Jesus passed through Jericho several times during his ministry, including the time he cured two blind people. The tropical vegetation offers what some of the finest citrus and bananas in the world.
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