More Jerusalem
and Masada

Menorah

This large menorah stands near the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, in the newer city of Jersualem.

Menorah close-up

There are biblical stories in picture covering the branches of the menorah near the Knesset. Here is the account of Samuel's arms being held up during battle.

Yad Vasem

Yad asem is a museum in memory of victims of the Holocaust. There is a complete forest planted in memory of people who helped protect Jews during the Nazi purging. Here is a railway car that is set to go off the tracks, to remember the Jews who were loaded onto railway cars never to return again.

Dead Sea Scrolls

These caves at Khirbat Qumran are where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947 by a Bedouin shepherd. The scrolls were written between 200 BC and 68 AD. Their discovery helped confirm the amazing accuracy of the Biblical texts we possess today, even after years of passing on texts from one generation to another. The scrolls found in jars were like the discovery of a time capsule from around the time of Christ.

Dead Sea

A view of the Dead Sea from the ancient city of Masada.

The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean. This makes for amazing buoyancy. Swimming is basically impossible, since all you can do is float like a boat.

Masada

Masada, in Hebrew, means Fortress. It was built by Herod the Great in the first century BC. It was a Roman Garrison until AD 66 when the Zealots captured it. Masada was the scene for the last stand made by Jewish Zealots in their revolt against Roman rule. It fell after a two year siege by the Roman Tenth Legion.