Day Three

Today was an enormously great day! We explored Arad in Negev, a very rich & wealthy city in the desert. Got to experience the coolness of a Tamarix tree planted near the Arad Temple. An amazingly cool place to find cover from the desert sun. We saw the Holy of Holies (not really Holy) and an altar for sacrifices that were made each day at 9AM and 3PM. A shofar would blow at these times to signify that a sacrifice had been made and all were cleansed. The attached picture of the alter has significant meaning that I will have to explain when I see you all. From Arad, we were invited guests of a Bedouin Community home. We were served hot tea and fresh flat bread. What tremendous radical hospitality we experienced during our stay. To finish off the day, we hiked Masada, a rock plateau that was fortified by Herod the Great. The Masada climb was definitely a 3 bottle hike (about 4 liters of water)! We even got to hike down the Snake Path after exploring the fortress on the plateau. Everyone is doing well on this journey and your prayers and support continue to be appreciated. The photos attached may not be in the correct order...
May G-d continue to bless each of you,
Phil