"Squeeze the World"

We began our journey in the late afternoon, dodging "Shabbat drivers" on their way home from the weekend. By the time we reached Arad, it was dark and we could only make guesses about our surroundings. The air was moist after the rain, but the scent was still distinictly desert. When we woke up, the sky was overcast and nearly blended with the long dunes stretched out into the expanse. We had a restful morning with hearty conversation before loading into the car again. The first stop was Mamshit, a long deserted Nabetian city. The Romans had also occupied it, and there are traces of two Byzantine churches. After that we toured Avdat, a larger Nabetian city which had lain along the Spice Route from Petra to Gaza. It was also used as a Roman army camp later on. Along the way, we had a few adventures involving flooded roads and trying to ford through them in our little rental car. The suspense was insane, but we survived with nothing worse than dirty windows. Our southernmost stop was at Mizpe Ramon, a lookout over Makhtesh Ramon, the largest canyon in the Negev. It was very impressive, especially when I imagined Abraham or other nomadic tribes traveling through the middle of the expanse on the road to Egypt.

The next day also included driving along the coast as we traveled back toward Tel Aviv, but first we stopped in Tel Arad and Tel Beer Sheva. Tel Arad was a particularly fascinating city as it was only a days journey from Sodom and Gomorrah. The digs in the city show a definite change in the climate and culture at the same time as the destruction- before, there are remains of healthy and large produce and rich pottery. After the time of the destruction, the remains in the area show a rudimentary and impoverished civilization. It was still a massive city, and the location gives a broad view into the distance. Tel Beer Sheva was a much smaller city, but is very important Biblically as the patriarchs spent a great deal of time there. It was amazing to see what sort of work it took to sustain a civilization out in the wilderness, as the weather patterns are extreme and not friendly to vegetation and other growth. Yet, people still live out there. The bedouin settlements were numerous, and the little shacks looked pathetic in the strong wind. Their animals were scraggly, but proudly staked out in front as symbols of their wealth. And as much as I have grown an dislike of sheep, it was sad to see them laying like flattened chipmunks on the side of the road.

On our journey back up, we stopped by Lakhish, another ancient ruin, before going to Ashkelon. When we couldn't find the national park there, we meandered through the residential areas before deciding to find the entrance into Gaza. We were also unsuccessful in that, but we found several military areas which weren't marked on the map, and settled for a pretty beach where we could just barely make out the skyscrapers of Gaza City. We found the main road again, drove by Ashdod, and went back north.

It was a great time for adventure and discovery, but the trip was also a wonderful retreat from the usual worry and local drama. I spent a wonderful few days with some wonderful people, and came out feeling inspired. In all, a success.