The Dead Sea and Bethlehem

Greetings to all! We have all returned safe and sound - but I will make a number of short blog entries to cover the time since my last update. This should make it easier to read.
We made our way down from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea on Sunday (March 27th). Our first stop was Qumran - the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a shepherd boy in the middle of the last century.  The arid environment and the fact that these scrolls were in sealed pottery jars helped to ensure that there were well preserved. The site has ruins from what is believed to be a first century Essene Community - a Jewish group that emphasized the need for ritual purity and believed they were preparing for the battle of good vs. evil - Light vs. Darkness.
We celebrated Mass here - outside under a tent awning with the plate and chalices we had purchased in Tabgha - the site of the feeding of 5,000. We made our way next to Masada - an impressive Desert Mountain Fortress built by King Herod (the same one who met the wise men from the East!) This was the final place of rebellion in the years 70-73 A.D. after Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans and almost 1,000 men women and children retreated here and lasted 3 years fighting the Roman Army. On the last day they killed themselves rather than be held as slaves and abused by the Roman Legion. 2 women and 3 children survived - to tell the story.
We then made our way to a Hotel on the dead sea - where went for a float in the waters and enjoyed the warm mineral baths in the Hotel Spa... The next morning we were up before the Porters could make it in - so I was collecting luggage and many were bringing it down to the Bus themselves as we prepared for our trip to Bethlehem. This town is really almost a suburb of Jerusalem, but since it is in the Palestinian Authority Territory, we had to go through a check point - and our Israeli Guide and Driver had to be swapped out for a Palestinian Driver and Guide. We never left the Bus and had no Issues going in to Bethlehem, it was a little longer coming out - and the Isaeli Security Forces boarded the Bus and did a walk through just to make sure we all "looked Canadian". The Mass we celebrated in Bethlehem was Midnight Mass - and this was a little weird - the day before in the desert we were on the 3rd Sunday in Lent! None the less it was a highlight for me - since we were in the grotto of St. Jerome - the one who translated the scriptures into Latin - and the name of my first parish assignment after ordination in 1993.
We had a stop at a store that sells olive wood carvings and so much more - and our Israeli Guide had asked us to "Fertilize the soil" (spend money!) for these Christians are suffering as a result of the conflicts in the past few years that caused erection of the 15 foot security wall in this area of the "West Bank". Spend money we did! I purchased small wooden carvings of the Holy Family that I will give to the priests who help us with confessions this year in Lent.