Shivta & Tel Arad

I do believe these are the last of the desert photos from our July 4th weekend trip. One stop was to Shivta deep in the Negev. The Egyptian border was not too far away. We were also in close proximity to the traditional site of Kadesh Barnea, where Moses dispatched the 12 spies in Numbers 13. "Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the LORD has given them? "This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land."For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them. Numbers 32:7-9

Shivta was one of the Nabatean cities on the Spice Route to the Mediterranean. Shivta was also a Christian city during the Byzantine Era around 500 - 700 AD (CE).

All that I wrote above I learned from reading this sign.

The ruins at Shivta are quite extensive. It is so isolated not a lot of tourists go there. On July 4th, we were the only ones there.

Walking in some isolated and abandoned areas, I kicked up a few pigeons that were roosting. You can barely see the last one in flight.

Shivta contains the ruins of three Byzantine Churches. Not sure if they had doctrinal differences or the city was large enough to accomodate three churches. Paul's letters have many references to disagreements among the early church. Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1st Corinthians 1:10.

This is the second church that I came to. The archeological site just named them the North, South, and West churches. Hopefully there were not divisions among the brethren like the Corinthians. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." 1st Corinthians 1:12.

At one of the churches there was a baptismal pool in the shape of a cross. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, Matthew 3:16.

Peter said to them, " Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:48.

I wondered why I took this picture of just rocks but I finally saw the chameleon in the lower left center of the photo. He blends in well.

Trying to break my neck in the middle of the desert, I climbed up these not so safe rocks to take this photo. Not sure why now.

The third church.

Another chameleon hanging from the ceiling. Had he decided to take a walk on my head, I'm not sure what my reaction would have been. It's like he could plant his feet in my bald head.

Instead of leaping for my head, he went the other way.

The streets of Shivta are very visible after 13-1400 years or so.

This is Tel Arad which is close to the modern day city of Arad, which is close to last week's posting of Masada. When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. Numbers 21:1.

Tel Arad is located on a high hill where you can see your enemies approaching. Looking south from Tel Arad you can see two Arab villages with the tall mosques.

Looking north from Tel Arad you can see two Bedouin camps in the desert.

Tel Arad was a well fortified city. This was one item that bothered 10 spies but not Joshua and Caleb. "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Numbers 13:28.

There are always a few tanks in the desert. The bad guys don't live very far away. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. Psalm 83:2-3.

They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more." Psalm 83:4

The Back Side of Masada

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Israel is Masada down by the Dead Sea. Two thousand years ago, Masada was originally built by King Herod to be a winter palace. Masada would be the last battle fought in the Roman-Jewish wars that began 30-35 years after the Lord Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. To His disciples, the Lord Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD while they were admiring Jerusalem and the Temple from the Mount of Olives. "As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down." Luke 21:6.

Masada was the last place to hide and holdout for the Jews who did not want to submit to Roman authority. The siege of Masada ocurred from 70-73 AD. The above photo is approaching Masada from the west, the back side. The main entrance for buses, cars, and a cable car to the top of Masada is on the east side off of Highway 90 by the Dead Sea. The remains of the dirt ramp that ascended to the top of Masada are still visible today.

A closer view of Masada and the Roman ramp to the top. The ramp was built with Jewish slaves one bucket of dirt at a time. Those who held out on Masada would not kill their brethren. These Words of God were repeated twice by Moses. You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:19.

The Roman ramp as the sun is going down.



A recreation of the battering ram the Romans used to enter the city.

King Herod actually built himself a three tiered palace on the northern slope of Masada. This is the same King Herod who was ruling over Jerusalem at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1-3.

Herod may have been a master builder but he was also a butcher and murderer that was afraid of losing his power. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Matthew 2:16.

The Dead Sea behind the northern edge of Masada. The mountains of Jordan on the other side. Also known as the Salt Sea in the Bible, this was a border for the children of Israel. 'And the border shall go down to the Jordan and its termination shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders all around.' "So Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the land that you are to apportion by lot among you as a possession, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes. Numbers 34:12-13.

The caves at the bottom are actually cisterns. Cisterns on Masada allowed the Jews to withstand the Roman siege for three years. King Uzziah built a lot of cisterns in Jerusalem during his reign. Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. II Chronicles 26:9-10.

In 73 AD, when it became apparent that the Romans were about to enter Masada, the zealots of Masada choose to commit suicide rather than face the Roman army. In the 1960's, during the excavation of modern day Masada, the bones of the zealots that were found were buried here.

In 73 AD at Masada, each man had to kill his own family. Then 10 men were chosen to kill the rest of the men. Then the 10 drew lots to see which one would kill the other nine. Then the last man was to fall on his sword. In all, 970 Jews died before the Romans entered the city. This was recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus and verified by one woman and two children who survived. The lots of the ten men were actually found during the excavations.

One of the best reasons to go to Masada from the back side is to see the nighttime sound & light show which tells the story of 70-73 AD.

There is only one older accesible road to the back side of Masada which begins in the desert town of Arad. Modern day Arad is a thriving and popular city located near the ruins of the Biblical town of Arad. Now the Canaanite, the king of Arad who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the sons of Israel. Numbers 33:40.

After Joshua led the Israelites into the land promised by God, the descendants of Jethro, Mose's father-in-law, settled in the area just south of Arad. The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people. Judges 1:16.

We did catch the Masada Sound & Light Show on a full moon night in the desert with a good strong breeze.

Before the show started, many Orthodox Jews were also in attendance. In the photo below, a few of them are praying towards Jerusalem. "Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and speak against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel; Ezekiel 21:2.

Between Arad and Masada is place where you can "spend the night in the desert". There were six bus loads of young kids getting ready to go on a camel ride.