{"id":22564,"date":"2023-03-19T19:45:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T01:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/?p=22564"},"modified":"2026-03-03T09:49:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:49:52","slug":"qumran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/qumran","title":{"rendered":"Qumran, Masada, Dead Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"
We had a bit of a drive in the morning (we watched the country side and worshipped on the bus) until we arrived at Qumran. This is a village that is being excavated near where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found (cave in background of group photo). The Essenes were a sect of Jews who wanted to set themselves apart from the corruption in Jerusalem and spent a lot of time copying the scriptures and making other records. They were basically a monk-type commune, but we have them to thank for all the many copies of the scriptures proving that the Old Testament we have today has not erred from the originals.\u00a0 All photos<\/a>.\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
Pictured below is a mikveh, a ceremonial bath. You enter on one side, fully submerge, and exit on the other so you don’t become unclean on your way out. The Essenes did this at least 3 times a day before they ate and also before any ceremonies. We actually saw one in one of our hotels that the Jews still use today for ceremonial cleansing.<\/div>\n
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We made it to Masada for lunch.<\/div>\n
Masada was a fort (and palace) on top of a plateau built by Herod the Great that became the last holdout of the Jews when they revolted against Rome. When they knew they were about to be captured, the Jews cast lots in order to determine who would kill all the women and children and then who would be the one to kill the others and then at last to ‘fall on their sword’ as suicide was not allowed and the person who drew that lot thought they would go to hell. They would rather die (kill each other) than become slaves. When the Romans got in, everyone was dead except a woman and children hiding in a covered staircase. We’ve heard there is a movie about this but haven’t seen it.<\/div>\n
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We rode a 1\/2 mile cable car to the top and the ruins had some well preserved tiles and features that were neat to see. Pictured above is the model of the fort\/palace (great view by the way), the double floor of the sauna showing how they would have heated the room and collected the water, and the view down from the cable car. From the top we could also see the ruins of the Roman camp and the dirt ramp they built in order to attack the walls. Masada Photos<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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After Masada, we checked in early to our hotel because we stayed on the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth at 427 meters below sea level. The salinity is up to 9 times higher than other oceans. It is supposed to be the healthiest place to sunbathe because the minerals are in the air around you and filter the sunlight as well as being inhaled. People also like the mud for beauty treatments, if you can find it under the crusty salt floor (ouch).<\/div>\n
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The Dead Sea is dying due to the Jordan River being diverted for drinking water and other environmental reasons. They have markers from English explorers that show the shoreline used to be 100s of meters higher. We saw multiple resorts that used to be on the shore but are now stranded. Israelis ‘harvest’ the minerals (not just salt) from the salt-bergs that form in the water and then refine them nearby. More photos<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We had a bit of a drive in the morning (we watched the country side and worshipped on the bus) until we arrived at Qumran. This is a village that is being excavated near where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found (cave in background of group photo). The Essenes were a sect of Jews who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[245,9,7,212,105],"tags":[5064,5057,5065,5055,314,5033,5062,5056,5054,5063],"class_list":["post-22564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-becca-2","category-faith","category-kids","category-nate-2","category-photo","tag-cable-car","tag-caves","tag-dead-sea","tag-dead-sea-scrolls","tag-float","tag-israel","tag-masada","tag-mikve","tag-qumran","tag-sauna","wpcat-245-id","wpcat-9-id","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-212-id","wpcat-105-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s504YJ-qumran","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22724,"url":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/hope-house-tree","url_meta":{"origin":22564,"position":0},"title":"Hope House Tree","author":"Becca","date":"April 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In early 2019 I cut this tree down to the trunk (right above Hope's head on first photo) because it seemed like it was dead and we were afraid it would fall on somebody. We weren't sure what it would do. Hope photo in summer 2020 and featured photo present\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Becca"","block_context":{"text":"Becca","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/cat\/becca-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/04-hh-tree.jpg?fit=1085%2C868&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/04-hh-tree.jpg?fit=1085%2C868&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/04-hh-tree.jpg?fit=1085%2C868&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/04-hh-tree.jpg?fit=1085%2C868&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/04-hh-tree.jpg?fit=1085%2C868&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22516,"url":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/mediterranean-sea","url_meta":{"origin":22564,"position":1},"title":"Mediterranean Sea","author":"Becca","date":"March 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"After we finished working, we had a little bit of sunshine left so we walked to the Mediterranean Sea. I tell the kids to look for the lake that looks like a duck flying (think Duck Hunt) to find it on the map, and now we have touched it. More\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Becca"","block_context":{"text":"Becca","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/cat\/becca-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10940,"url":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2018\/05\/sea-day","url_meta":{"origin":22564,"position":2},"title":"Sea Day","author":"Becca","date":"May 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"We had a sea day. Had to book it up the coast to Juneau plus we had to make up for leaving a little late. It was formal dining that night so we got dressed up. Explored the ship, played bingo, watched an evening show, and went to the comedy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Becca"","block_context":{"text":"Becca","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/cat\/becca-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/03.jpg?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/03.jpg?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/03.jpg?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/03.jpg?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/03.jpg?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2067,"url":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2012\/07\/pictures","url_meta":{"origin":22564,"position":3},"title":"Pictures","author":"Becca","date":"July 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, its been awhile . . . Nate had photos on his phone from January. :) Here's photos of our recent trip to Texas, there are 7 albums: TX Trip We mostly left the kids with Grandpa and Grandma Diltz. They took them fishing and to the water park and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family"","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/cat\/family"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/01-nate-benjamin-becca-hannah-donald.jpg?fit=989%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/01-nate-benjamin-becca-hannah-donald.jpg?fit=989%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/01-nate-benjamin-becca-hannah-donald.jpg?fit=989%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/01-nate-benjamin-becca-hannah-donald.jpg?fit=989%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12980,"url":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/dead-snake","url_meta":{"origin":22564,"position":4},"title":"Dead Snake","author":"Becca","date":"May 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This guy was hiding under the slide in the backyard and probably eating some of my chicken eggs. Never more! I got him with the lawn mower.","rel":"","context":"In "Becca"","block_context":{"text":"Becca","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/cat\/becca-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/40-snake.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/40-snake.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/40-snake.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/40-snake.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/40-snake.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22545,"url":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/beatitudes-capernaum-jordan-galilee","url_meta":{"origin":22564,"position":5},"title":"Beatitudes, Capernaum, Jordan, Galilee","author":"Becca","date":"March 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Our tour part of the trip started off bright and early as we returned our rental cars and got picked up by our bus driver - Jerek (a Muslim) - and tour guide - Dalia (a Messianic Jew) who had been raised on a Kibbutz (a socialistic community). Very interesting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Becca"","block_context":{"text":"Becca","link":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/cat\/becca-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00-capharnam.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00-capharnam.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00-capharnam.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00-capharnam.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/00-capharnam.jpg?fit=1200%2C960&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.themoehrings.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/14.jpg?fit=1500%2C1200&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22564"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38048,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22564\/revisions\/38048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themoehrings.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}