This is Ein Avdat which is a white-walled canyon with a small waterfall and pools of water. You can see the road leading down to it. The pictures of walking in Ein Avdat will be posted later.
Before leaving Jerusalem for holidays in the desert, I had hoped to see some 4-legged creatures. Sde Boker has a large herd of Ibyx close by that are used to being photographed.
No doubt this must be a grandfather Ibyx with his grandson.
These little guys looked like they wanted to play.
Ibyx coming over the mountain edge.
The Ibyx just kept walking past me. I actually took a little movie but was unable to upload it.
Desert hills surrounding Sde Boker.
Looking southeast from Sde Boker.
Most of these guys would stop and pause for their photo then continue on their journey.
This is the little town of Mitzpe Ramon where I stayed the first two nights. Mitzpe Ramon sits on the northern edge of the Ramon Crater about 20 kilometers from Sde Boker. The English translation of the town's name would be "Ramon Lookout". I stayed at a nice little hotel designed for families. There was an indoor swimming pool, fireplace in the lobby, and in the evenings the local alpaca farm would bring one of their animals to sit in the lobby. The kids had a big time petting the alpaca and having their picture taken.
This is the road that leads down into Ein Avdat.
The view from Sde Boker.
Desert blooms in December.
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; Isaiah 35:1
Kay would have figured out a way to hug these little guys.
Another view from Sde Boker.
Sunset at the Ramon Crater. It was pretty hazy and affected the sunset photos.
This is Eschol National Park over by Gaza. I drove through there on my way to Mitzpe Ramon.
There was a 4x4 back road out of Eschol National Park. It was very windy and hazy.
While driving on the backroad out of Eschol National Park, I passed an enormous orange grove. If I was in the states, I would have said it went for "miles". Since I am in the Middle East, the orange grove went for many kilometers. Notice the "cactus fence" that was planted all around it. The cactus fence probably keeps many night time critters out of the orange grove.
While on that back road I came across Israel's only suspension bridge.
Had the bridge collapsed with me in the middle of it, this would have been the last thing I saw.
Just to prove that I made it across the bridge, you can see the parking lot from this side.
This is the quaint home of David Ben-Gurion in Kibbutz Sde Boker. Ben-Gurion was the first Prime Minister of Israel and loved living in the desert. He thought the desert was the best future for Israel and the Jews. So did Isaiah when he prophesied about John the Baptist: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3.
The entrance to Ben-Gurion's home.
This is the actual tape recording in 1948 when Ben-Gurion declared "the Jewish state shall be known as Israel". Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. Isaiah 66:8.
The desert blooming.
Ibyx close to Ben-Gurion's gravesite.
Another view from Sde Boker.
Ben-Gurion's study. In his will, Ben-Gurion asked that his house be left "as is".
This room contained many gifts from world leaders. It was shortly after taking this photo that someone told me "No Photos". The sign by the door must have been written in Hebrew.
Part of the drive home went by the southern portion of the Dead Sea. You can see how low the Dead Sea is in some portions. It looks like you could walk to Jordan, which are the mountains in the background.
Towards the southern end of the Dead Sea is the traditional site of Sodom and Gomorrah. So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” ...... Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. Genesis 18:26, 32,33.
This rock is called "Lot's Wife" even though it is not a "pillar of salt". Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:24-25.
On Sunday, the 28th, while driving back to Jerusalem, I stopped for gas in the desert. A bus load of young IDF were also there taking a break. This was the next morning after the Gaza Conflict began not too far from here.
The IDF does conduct drills and target practice in the desert.
Next week's posting will reveal more of the beauty of the Arava Desert where I spent two nights after leaving Mitzpe Ramon.
Israel's nuclear reactor in the desert. Not yet within grad rocket range.
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