Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Caves at Qumran, where the hot, dry, desert climate helped to preserve the Dead Sea Scrolls
Qumran
7
Road map
C4. Route 90, 20 km
(12 miles) S of Jericho
.
Tel
(02)
l
994 2235.
@
from Jerusalem.
#
8am-5pm (winter: 4pm) daily.
& 7
From the site you can see the
caves above where the scrolls
were found. You can scramble
Y
up to the caves for a fine
view, but you need to allow
about two hours and carry a
substantial supply of water.
rodents, while the more
remote areas are the abode of
the desert leopard. Two
gorges, belonging to the
Nakhal David and Nakhal
Arugot rivers, are at the core
of the park; these are crossed
by a network of paths. The
shortest walking tour takes
about an hour and ends at
the spectacular Shulamit Falls.
A short way from the park
Qumran is known chiefly as
the place where the Dead Sea
Scrolls were discovered. From
150 BC to AD 68 this remote
site was the home of a
radically ascetic and reclusive
community, often identified
with the Essenes. According
to their school of thought, the
arrival of the Jewish Messiah
was imminent, and they
prepared for this event with
fasting and purification
through ritual ablutions.
These activities were rudely
brought to a halt through
conflict with the Romans.
The Essenes largely vanish-
ed from history until 1947
when a Bedouin shepherd
boy looking for a lost goat
happened upon a cave full
of jars. These jars were found
to contain a precious hoard
of 190 linen-wrapped scrolls
that had been preserved for
2,000 years. Following much
study by academics some of
the scrolls are now on view
in a purpose-built hall at the
Israel Museum
(see pp136-7)
.
Visitors to Qumran watch a
short film on the Essenes and
view a small exhibition on
the community before being
directed to the archaeological
site at the foot of the cliffs.
Signs indicate the probable
uses of different areas of the
vaguely defined remains.
Ein Gedi
8
Road map
C4. Route 90, 56 km
(35 miles) S of Jericho.
@
from
Jerusalem.
A
entrance are the ruins of a
5th-century BC synagogue
with mosaics and inscriptions
in Hebrew and Aramaic.
Ein Gedi is also a popular
spot with Dead Sea bathers
(see p197)
. For a more
luxurious experience, the
Ein Gedi Health Spa
, a further
3 km (2 miles) to the south,
has hot sulphur baths and
private access to the Dead Sea.
O
Ein Gedi National Park
Highway 90, Dead Sea
Tel
(08) 658
Ein Gedi is famous as a lush
oasis in an otherwise barren
landscape. Several springs
provide plentiful water to
support a luxuriant mix of
tropical and desert vegetation.
The site is mentioned in the
Bible for its beauty (Song of
Songs: 1-14) and as a refuge
of David who was fleeing
from King Saul (I Samuel: 24).
Protected as
Ein Gedi
National Park
, the oasis is
a haven for desert wildlife
such as ibexes and rock
hyraxes, which look like large
l
4285.
#
daily.
&
L
Ein Gedi Health Spa
Highway 90, Dead Sea
Tel
(08) 659 4726.
#
daily.
& 7
Trail sign for one of the gorges in the Ein Gedi National Park
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp261-2 and pp278-9
