We headed south from Petra early this morning and drove about 80 miles straight to Aqaba, the only port city that Jordan has on the Red Sea. Aqaba is not only a major commercial port but it boasts some of the finest beaches and best scuba diving in the world. It’s a major middle eastern resort area.

Our crossing from Jordan into Israel was without incident, taking about an hour and thirty minutes or so. We had to unload from the Jordanian bus, walk our bags through customs, and then we went about 200 yards further and got on the bus in Israel.

Our new guide is named “Peter”, a Palestinian Christian.

The bus drove us about three hours straight north to the ancient fortress called Masada. We took a cable car up the sides of this mesa-like formation, which sits about 1350 feet above the banks of the Dead Sea.

it served as a refuge and palace for King Herod the Great, the same King who was in power when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When Herod died in 4 BC, the  fortress passed into Roman hands until Jewish Zealots took it in the revolt of AD 66.

After the Romans had crushed the Jews and destroyed Jerusalem, they came to Masada to finish out the Zealots. About 1000 Zealots and their families lived here when the Romans put a seige wall completely around the fortress (easily seen today), and began building a huge earthen ramp which would allow them to gain access to the walls.

It took two years before the Romans arrived at the top. When they breached the walls, they found all but two women and three children dead by their own hands. Complete silence greeted them. The Jews had decided that dying free was more important than living as slaves.

Today, when Israeli military personnel graduate from their training, they often do so at Masada, receiving a rock from the fortress with this refrain: Never again.

From Masada, we boarded our bus, went through a Palestinian checkpoint just outside of Jericho and arrived at the Inter-Continental Hotel outside the old city. We were all glad to welcome Scotty Edwards who flew into Tel Aviv today and joined his wife, Co, and the tour.

Tomorrow, we visit Qumran, swim in the Dead Sea, and end the day at the Mount of Temptation Monastery.

We look forward to a night of restorative sleep, grateful for the blessings that come in a new day. And we pray for the Lord to bless the worshipping community of First Church in Tulsa even as we will be worshipping tomorrow here in Jericho.