Cary Jarrett in Jerusalem: Christmas in the Desert

At CFI, we had a few days off for the Christmas Holidays and I took the opportunity to drive south of Jerusalem to spend some time in the desert. I drove a few different roads than before just to see new places. On Wednesday, the 24th, I drove through a National Park west of Beersheva and fairly close to Gaza. This was before the current situation had erupted. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. Acts 8:26.

I spent the first two nights in Mitzpe Ramon, the small city beside the Ramon Crater. At Mitzpe Ramon, you have the chance to see ibyx that are wild, yet also very tame and used to people. These young ibyx were just beside the road early Christmas morning.

They were actually walking down from this mountain top.

It was very cloudy early in the morning, but the weather would soon break with a bright, blue sky. There were threats of rain but the desert did not receive any. Both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem had a lot of rain during the holidays.

Driving down into the Ramon Crater, I passed this older, male ibyx.

Blue sky starting to show through the clouds at the bottom of the crater.

Looking back west to Mitzpe Ramon which sits on the top of the crater.

Looking north.

East.

The pathway down from a black rock mountain called The Carpentry.

The sun was breaking through providing some contrast with the clouds.

There are many colors in the crater, including colored sand.

These multiple colors of sand are a popular place to pull off the side of the road.

The amazing blue sky as the clouds continued to break up. He who builds His layers in the sky, And has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, And pours them out on the face of the earth—The LORD is His name. Amos 9:6.

Be careful where you drive in the desert, the Israeli Air Force could be having target practice.

There were a lot of young Israeli teenagers camping in the desert. This year, the Hannukah Holidays coincided with the Christmas Holidays. It is common for Israeli teenagers to go on organized camping trips in the desert during Hannukah. You can see that a truck full of water was delivered for the kids.

Many were gone on hikes. Here there was hardly anything but sleeping bags.

I had rented a Hyundai Tucson 4x4 in order to take small excursions into the crater.

A travelable road lined with rocks.

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19.

The desert is a nice, quiet place to "meet the Lord". Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10.

This short off road trip on Christmas morning was relatively easy compared to the journey that I would take on the 26th.

This unique shaped mountain is close to the highway and easy to spot.

The desert is an obvious setting for short or long, extended hikes.

I came across a large group of young, Israeli campers. These four young men know that sometimes the desert is not as private as the big cities.

Looking back from where I started at another group of hikers.

This photo looks like I took it while lying on my back after collapsing from hiking uphill. That's very close but I was just sitting on a rock looking for my pulse.

After surviving my hike, I took off north on a different back road in the crater.

And has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, And pours them out on the face of the earth— The LORD is His name. Amos 9:6.