Day 8 – Friday, November 14: Southern Border Crossing into Israel, Red Sea, Timnah, Dead Sea
Staying here in the desert of last night was really a fun experience. While it got cooler last evening 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 75. Following breakfast, we left Wadi Rum shortly after 8 a.m. and drove to the southern border to cross into Israel. We read from Obadiah 1 about the Edomites who lived in this area.
Rabin Southern Border Crossing
It took about an hour 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 very easy and quicker than normal, with no issues.
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. A Messianic (Marco) did a wonderful job guiding us through the model. Inside the “Holy of Holies,” we read portions of Hebrews 9. Where is the Ark today? Jeremiah 3 tells us that it would “no longer be used nor would it be remembered.”
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“We crossed into Israel this morning! This next stage of our trip will allow us to connect to the Bible in the primary location where it took place. We already had a wonderful time in the Red and Dead Seas. Also, our visit to the full-size Tabernacle Model was fabulous!”
Yotvata & the Dead Sea
From here we drove to Yovata about 15 minutes north of Timnah. We enjoyed lunch and especially the ice cream here 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. The floating was not the only unique experience. The very dark clouds to the north was also an unusual scene! Dinner and a free evening at our leisure followed our “floating” back at the hotel. We are here at this hotel for two nights. Tommorrow we continue northward along the shoreline of the Dead Sea.
Day 9 – Saturday, November 15: Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran, Judean Desert, Jericho
