Among the group on the President's Shield Holy Land tour were apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. Frank is both an apostle and a pastor. He has seen four people raised from the dead. Last night during his sermon, he laid hands on everyone and prayed, imparting the anointing of healing. Each person has a different gift, but in the vision they share the same mission: to work together with God in the last days, doing what pleases Him. Mily and Pastor Hannah, who are traveling with us, saw angels the day before yesterday and yesterday. The spiritual eyes of these people have almost all been opened, and they often hear God's voice. "Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both" (Proverbs 20:12). In 2001, at the lowest point of my life, God visited me for the first time. In a loud voice He asked me, "Do you know who you are?" He asked me more than twenty times. At that time I was not yet a Christian and did not know God. I was so frightened that I could not answer the Father's thunderous question. "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Father God, I pray that You will reveal Yourself to me again in Israel. If You ask me the same question, I will prostrate myself on the ground and answer You: "Father, please tell me who I am."

The blue area in the above picture is the Dead Sea, with Masada National Park beside it.

Masada is a holy site for the Jewish people and a World Heritage Site. It is located on a rocky mountain top at the junction of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea valley, overlooking the Dead Sea. This was the last fortress of the Jewish resistance against Roman rule. Its fall marked the end of the ancient Jewish kingdom at the close of the Second Temple period. More than nine hundred ancient Jews committed suicide here. This tragic event of final resistance made the region a symbol of Jewish culture, representing humanity's unceasing struggle for freedom and against oppression.

Masada was built successively by High Priest Alexander Jannaeus and King Herod, a magnificent ancient Eastern Roman-style fortress. The camps and siege works at its base form the most complete surviving ancient Roman siege system in the world.

Taking the cable car up to the top of Masada.

A commanding view.

Waiting in line to enter.

Did King Herod pass through this stone arch?

Is this a military engineering structure – a Jewish barracks? Or residential quarters? There are many towers and fortresses here, including warehouses, barracks, armories, palaces, and cisterns for storing rainwater.

Even in the time of King Herod, the mosaics were already beautiful, with various colorful patterns. The artists of this period did not use figurative imagery.

I found a few doves. In such a desolate place, what do you eat? Dirt?

A model of King Herod's luxurious palace. After Herod's death in 4 BC, the Jewish kingdom was incorporated into the Roman Empire in AD 6, and the Romans stationed troops here. The fall of Masada marked the completion of Rome's conquest of Judea.

The final stop today was the Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, with salt pillars above. The Dead Sea is located at the border between Jordan and Palestine, fed by the Jordan River. It is the lowest lake in the world, with a surface elevation of 424 meters below sea level. The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest point of exposed land on Earth. The lake is 67 km long and 18 km wide, with an area of 810 square kilometers. The salinity of the water is extremely high, increasing toward the bottom. At the deepest points, the water has become fossilized.

The above picture shows the shore of the Dead Sea.

The scenery along the Dead Sea shore.

 

"Dead Sea" is a modern name that never appears in the Bible. In the Bible, it is called the Salt Sea, the Sea of the Arabah, and the Eastern Sea. The Upper Jordan, the Sea of Galilee, and the Lower Jordan converge here and flow into it.

The water of the Dead Sea contains many minerals. Applying it as a body mask is fantastic! Local people also often come here to enjoy this natural gift. Are these two tourists or locals?

People from all over the world are soaking in it.

A kind local who helped me take a photo. Thank you 🌹

So refreshing! Next time I'll wear a swimsuit and soak in the Dead Sea for hours 🌹

 

How could I miss the most natural Dead Sea mud mask? A newly bought T-shirt that says: "Med Sea . Red Sea . Dead Sea" 🌹 Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Dead Sea. Is the next stop the Mediterranean and the Red Sea?

The Dead Sea next to Jerusalem.

Wow! The mysterious Dead Sea beside Jerusalem. Ein Gedi is located on the western shore of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the Qumran Caves. It is an oasis in Israel. "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of Ein Gedi" (from the Song of Solomon, describing the love between Solomon and the Shulammite woman). In the Old Testament, David hid in the caves here: "And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Ein Gedi."

 

Experiencing firsthand the people and places of the Bible – whether you believe or not, they are there! Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. And without faith it is impossible to please God.

 

In the early morning, ancient, weathered Hebrew songs drift in from afar. Does this voice come from ancient Israel?

Early morning, February 25, 2018

 

Deborah Du, Jerusalem, Israel