Day 8 – Saturday, February 22: Southern Border Crossing into Israel, Red Sea, Timnah, Dead Sea
Staying here in the desert last night was really a fun experience. While it got cold last evening here in the desert of Wadi Rum, our bungalows were warm. We awoke to clear skies and a warming sun throughout the day, with highs around 60 (cool for this southern region). Following breakfast, we left Wadi Rum at 8 a.m. and drove to the southern border to cross into Israel. We read from Obadiah about the Edomites who lived in this area.
Rabin Southern Border Crossing
It took about 50 minutes to arrive at the border crossing. Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, we cross from Aqaba, Jordan to Elat, Israel. The border here is named after the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The border crossing (we walked across to Israel) was fairly easy and quick.
Coral Beach/Red Sea
Once we crossed, we met Shlomo (our Israeli guide) and David (our Israeli driver). We drove through Elat, Israel’s most southern city, to Coral Beach. Here, we enjoyed the beautiful waters of the Red Sea. The clarity of the water and the color of all kinds of fish was stunning! It was a fun time of swimming (about half the group) and relaxing.
Timnah/Tabernacle Model
From here, we drove north through the Aravah (Rift Valley) to Timnah. In ancient days (14th-12th century BC), this was a copper mine of the Egyptians. Here we walked through a full-size replica of the Old Testament. Before we left the site, we read from Hebrews 9. We also hiked up and over Solomon’s Pillars where we saw a Temple of Hathor (the Egyptian goddess of fertility).
“Today we crossed into Israel. What a wonderful feeling this was. The border crossing went smoothly too. We really enjoyed seeing the full-size tabernacle Model displayed at Timnah. Christ came to fulfill the redemptive purpose of the Tabernacle (Mishkan).”
Yotvata & the Dead Sea
We drove to Yovata about 15 minutes north of Timnah. We enjoyed lunch and especially the ice cream here (complementary, with special thanks to Amiel Tours, our Israeli agent!) at this “dairy kibbutz.” Shlomo’s sister lives here. With content stomachs, we drove about 1:45 hours north up Rt. 90 to the southern end of the Dead Sea (33% salt and minerals). We checked into our hotel in Ein Bokek and then enjoyed floating in this unique body of water. Additionally, some in the group enjoyed the hotel pool filled with warm Dead Sea water. Dinner and a free evening at our leisure followed to end the day. Tommorrow we continue northward along the shoreline of the Dead Sea.
Day 9 – Sunday, February 23: Masada, Ein Gedi, Jericho, Judean Desert
