Sites along the Dead Sea part 2

After Qumran, we headed down to the Dead Sea, where most of us floated in the incredibly salty water, 10 times saltier than the ocean. It was shocking to see how much the Dead Sea has receded just in the 10 years since I was last here. We looked like an invasion of the mud people after smearing ourselves with the mineral-laden mud. Everyone who did it has reported softer, rejuvenated skin. After the Dead Sea, we paid a quick visit to nearby Jericho, the oldest city in the world, going back some 10,000 years. As a resident of Jericho, Vermont, I was particularly excited to spend time in the original. Back in Bethlehem, after dinner a large group went down to Manger Square, which is all decked out for Christmas. At the urging of Prof. Mahoney’s Palestinian friend and former SMC student Sally, we tried “Sahlab,” a sweet winter concoction of warm milk, rose water, toasted coconut, and pistachios. Masada is in the state of Israel, while Qumran, Jericho, and Bethlehem are in the Palestinian Territories. Each day we learn a little bit about what this means, constantly crossing checkpoints, sometimes waiting in traffic to do so. As tourists, we enjoy an ease of passage that Palestinians themselves can only dream about.  Tomorrow it’s on to Jerusalem!


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