As you descend 1,200 meters from Jerusalem through the wilderness to the Dead Sea, you will pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan and will also stop briefly at the “sea level” marker. In the distance you will be able to see Jericho, the oldest city in the world. You will then continue along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada. As you ascend in the cable car, you can look down at the snake path which was used 2,000 years ago when King Herod built this fortress cum palace. Maintained by a small Roman legion after the death of Herod, it was seized by Jewish zealots at the beginning of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, which culminated in the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 C.E. You can stand over the ramp, built for the Romans by their Jewish slaves, which facilitated the breaching of the wall after 3 years of siege. The synagogue, which was built by Herod, proved conclusively to those who doubted that there were synagogues even while the Second Temple stood. You will see where the first piece of parchment to be discovered in an Israeli archaeological excavation was found. On this piece of parchment and legible to the naked eye were the words of the prophet Ezekiel, the “dry bones” prophecy. On your return journey you will pass the oasis of Ein Gedi, where David hid from the wrath of King Saul (I Sam 24:1ff) and Qumran where the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Finally you will enjoy a therapeutic swim in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, where the water is almost 35% salt and even those who cannot swim can float.