Sunrise in the Negev Desert, the Ghosts of the Sicarii + Why I Hate the Dead Sea

One of the best experiences I had in Israel was hiking to the top of Masada at night, to see the sun rise over the desert and Dead Sea.

The minibus passed through the outskirts of the ancient city of Jerusalem under the cover of darkness, and headed into the Negev desert, watched only by the moon and the stars and a lonely checkpoint.

We were tracing the route of the Sicarii rebels - extremists who were scattered following a failed rebellion against Roman rule. High up on an isolated and seemingly impregnable rock plateau, pursued and besieged by the Romans, they made their last stand.

Still half asleep, we navigated ‘the snake’, a twisting path that winds up to the summit with many ingenious zig-zags. Its not even wide enough for 2 people, so you have to go single file.

Now we were literally stepping in the footsteps of ‘the dagger-men’ and their families who made this same journey nearly 2000 years ago. In 66 AD, at the beginning of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire, a group of Jewish extremists overcame the Roman garrison of Masada and settled there. Following the Roman siege of Jerusalem and subsequent destruction of the Second Temple, additional members of the Sicarii and many Jewish families fled Jerusalem and settled on the mountaintop, which the Sicarii used as a base to harass the Romans.

In 72 AD, the Roman governor of Judaea, Lucius Flavius Silva, fed up with the rebel presence, led a Legion to take Masada.

The Romans surrounded Masada, but even with superior forces could not assault the fortress head-on. They spent six months building a ramp against the western face of the plateau, moving thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth to do so.

According to the historian Josephus, a giant siege tower with a battering ram was moved laboriously up the completed ramp, while the Romans assaulted the wall, discharging “a volley of blazing torches against a wall of timber”, allowing the Romans to finally breach the wall of the fortress. When the Romans entered, however, they found it to be "a citadel of death." The Jewish rebels had set fire to all the buildings and committed mass suicide, declaring "a glorious death ... preferable to a life of infamy."

You can still feel the ghosts of the Sicarri up here, and it is an eerie and desolate place, but absolutely majestic scenery when the sun hits the rockface and lights up the desert.

The waters of the Dead Sea shimmer in the distance.

After descending Masada, we set off for Ein Gedi, a small oasis with waterfalls and sanctuary for many types of plant, bird and animal species. According to Josephus, on Passover, the Sicarii raided Ein-Gedi, which in AD 70 was a thriving farming community, and killed 700 of its inhabitants. It difficult to think that somewhere so beautiful had ancient blood soaked into the rocks and dust.

Next stop, Dead Sea. I was looking forward to cooling off with a refreshing dip in the healing waters, as the desert was heating up. However, I did not come prepared, and had to scramble over razor-sharp salt crystals in bare feet. I got a couple of small cuts, which really stung once I entered the water.

Its fun to float around for a bit (the salt content is so high that you cant physically sink), but large waves kept pushing me towards the jagged shoreline. One unfortunate Chinese tourist never saw a big wave coming, and it hurled him onto the crystals, lacerating his back! He let out a howl of pain as the salt burned his cuts, and quickly exited the Dead Sea.

After about 15 minutes, I was ready to do the same. If you stay to long, the salt and minerals feel like they are dissolving
your skin. Worse still, get any salt in your eyes, and you'll be in a world of pain! Once you get out, a strange slimy residue clings to your skin, and gradually turns crusty as the day wears on. Not especially pleasant in the heat. If I ever go back to the Dead Sea I will make sure to have coral boots, goggles, and access to a shower (which only the resort beaches have). On the plus side, it is a beautiful colour and my skin felt good the next day!

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