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Most scholars identify the inhabitants of historic Qumran with members of the Essene desert sect. The members of the sect lived an ascetic communal life and adhered to study and purity. Some argue that the cult has a significant influence on the movement of monasticism in Christianity. According to tradition, John the Baptist, who lived as a monk in the desert, visited Qumran - and therefore, the site is essential to Christians. Many mikvahs (baths in which certain Jewish ritual purifications are performed) were found here, as well as other public buildings such as the dining room and kitchen. However, the absence of residential buildings in the place raises some questions. Maybe the place wasn't a permanent settlement but rather an annual gathering site of the sect. If so, it is possible that the ascetic customs of the denomination did not characterize their daily way of life but only their conduct during the days of the annual convention. In any case, Qumran, which was inhabited from the first century BC until the Bar-Kochba revolt in 136 AD, is a fascinating archeological site. The hidden scrolls, written in Qumran, were found in the caves nearby - one of the most important archeological finds of the twentieth century. One of the caves can be seen from the site itself. In 1952, Bedouins discovered the cave, which contained thousands of fragments of scrolls. The researchers were able to consolidate over 500 fragments of scrolls. The site is accessible, and signs are scattered along the path. Using a canal, the residents collected the floodwaters for cisterns, ponds, and mikvahs. Before the communal meals, the diners bathed in the mikvahs and put on the holy garments. Then, according to the scrolls, they ate bread, dates, dairy products, and meat. About a thousand pottery vessels were found in the warehouse. Many cooking utensils were discovered in the central courtyard. The tower served as an observation and guarding point. You can hike towards the mountains, and the site is also ready for abseiling trips. 🎫 Admission fees are according to the rates of the Nature and Parks Authority (free for Israel Pass and Matmon cardholders). Enjoy 🤗 For more trips and sites in the Dead sea area press here For more trips in the Jerusalem area press here

A beautiful and unfamiliar lookout point in the southern Dead Sea. The place was established in 2019 in cooperation with the residents of Sodom Square and the RTG. The site was previously used by the factories in the area for mining. Today, it is a lake that is a unique habitat for a variety of birds and waterfowl and a resting place for migratory birds. Important 1: The area is full of mines. You can walk only on the marked trail. Important 2: It is forbidden to light fires and/or barbecue. Enjoy 🤗 For more trips in the area press here

Lot’s Wife is a stunning statue in the southern part of the dead sea One of the well-known stories in the book of Genesis is the story of Lot's wife. She was the one who dared to look back when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even though the angles forbade her. As a punishment, she turned into a salt statue. There are many different interpretations of this story and disagreements about where is the figure in the Sodom area. In Israel, it was decided that the statue is above the Sodom Cave. Like many caves in the area, the cave is closed to visitors due to the fear of collapse. This is a stunning stopping point in the south of the Dead Sea. There you can see the beauty of the desert, the spectacular giant rocks against the dead sea, salt on the low rocks (taste it!), and of course the statue itself - mesmerizing. Enjoy 🤗 For more trips in the area press here

A small and hidden spring in the south of the Dead Sea. A lovely spot to stop and freshen up. It is a great stopping point for refreshment after a hike. Plutit was the name of Lot's daughter, and the place is also known as “the Hidden Spring” or “the Spring of Love.” The salty water (not salty like the Dead Sea but not for drinking) is cool and pleasant. It reaches the knees of an older person. Small fish do a natural pedicure, and part of the spring is shaded. In the shade of the palm trees nearby, there are also two benches. It is a nice spot on the way. Don’t arrive there especially. If you arrive early, you will be there alone. Keep in mind that the place is tiny. When we left, two families came and more or less filled the place... Entering the spring is the responsibility of the travelers. Enjoy 🤗 For more trips in the area press here.

A short half-hour hike to a stunning, unfamiliar place near Nahal Tzin. In the desert landscape, you will find several caves that have been in use since the Nabataean period. One of them was used for burial and has excavations of burial chambers from the 1-3 centuries AD. Others were used for solitude. You can go into two of them and examine them from the inside. You can sit to rest in the largest cave, look at the area, and listen to the silence. The length of the route is about 200 m. Enjoy🤗 For more trips in the area press here.

The full name of the monastery, built on a cliff of Wadi Qelt in the Judean Desert, is the Monastery of Saints John and George of Choziba. In the year 420, some solitary monks settled near a large cave in the Judean Desert. Elijah, the prophet, they believed, hid there when Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, persecuted him (after he slaughtered the four hundred prophets of Baal in the Kishon River). According to the belief, the crows fed and watered Elijah while he was hiding in a cave. The solitary monks would only meet on weekends for common prayers. Then, in 520, John of Thebes turned the place into an organized monastery. Finally, in the sixth and seventh centuries, the site became a significant spiritual factor under George of Choziba - after whom the monastery is named to this day. The monastery was destroyed in 614 by the Persians, who murdered the 14 monks in it. It was restored during the Crusades, abandoned with the Arab conquest, and re-established in 1878 by the Jerusalem Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church. The monastery has three floors. On the top level is the Holy Cave. In addition to Elijah's story, the monks believe that this is where Jesus' grandfather was informed that his wife would give birth to the Virgin Mary. On the middle floor is a church and a house of prayer, a bell tower and a balcony, and on the lower floor are the tombs of monks and warehouses. In the nearby cliffs, there are secluded caves for the monks. Usually, the monastery is open to pilgrims and visitor. However, due to the corona crisis, it is impossible to visit until further notice. Still, it is worth traveling just to see it. There are two incredible viewpoints to see the monastery. The first point can be identified by a large cross towering over a hill. First viewpoint location: The second observation point is near the descent gate to the monastery. With an easy three-minute walk, you will reach a shaded observation deck. At both points, some hawkers will try to sell you Keffiyehs (a traditional Middle Eastern headdress), dates, and juice. So it is best to be prepared with small cash. Enjoy 🤗 For more trips in the Dead sea area press here For more trips in the Jerusalem area press here

"The Good Samaritan" is the nickname of a person who immediately helps another without compensation. The source of the phrase in the New Testament (Luke, 10:25-37): Jesus tells of a passerby who was robbed and wounded. A Cohen bypassed him. He was followed by Levy, who also passed him without offering help. Finally, only a Samaritan passing by approached him, took care of him, led him to the inn, and took care of all his needs. The Mosaic Museum, "The Good Samaritan Inn," is located on a historic site in Mishor Adumim, on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. A roadside inn during the Second Temple period helped pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem from the east. Rock-hewn caves from the Second Temple period were also found at the site, with many archeological finds such as metal vessels, coins, glass and pottery vessels, and more. A short film about the site and the good Samaritan parable is shown in one of the caves in the compound. The video should be played at the click of a button at the entrance to the cave. There was a military fortress here in the Byzantine period whose job was to deal with the many robbers who cared for the road users. During this period, apparently, the place was identified with Jesus's parable. Later, an inn was established for pilgrims who traveled from Jerusalem to Qasr al-Yehud - the baptismal site in Jordan. A large church was also erected on the site. Today the site serves as a mosaic museum. The art of mosaic came to Israel with the Greeks and expanded significantly in the Roman and Byzantine periods. The museum displays ancient mosaics from the Byzantine period, collected from Jewish and Samaritan churches and synagogues from Judea and Samaria, and the temple in Gaza. In addition, various archeological finds collected from the synagogues and churches from which the mosaics were brought are displayed throughout the site. A short path leaves from the site to a beautiful observation point on Road 1 and the ancient road from Jericho to Jerusalem. 📱 You can scan a barcode by phone and receive a concise and excellent audio guide that accompanies the visit (in Hebrew and English). In addition, you can rent a device with the voice guide for a nominal fee for those who do not have a mobile phone. 🎫 Entrance fee in accordance with the rates of the Nature and Parks Authority. Free for Matmon and Israel Pass card holders. Enjoy 🤗 For more trips in the Dead sea area press here For more trips in the Jerusalem area press here

Perat River [Nahal Perat] flows 30 km from Jerusalem into the Jordan. It has three springs: Ein Perat, Ein Mabua, and Ein Kelt. In the beautiful Ein Prat Nature Reserve, the clear water flows between the green vegetation and desert cliffs. There are three easy hikes: 📌A circular route towards Paran Monastery (Khariton Monastery) - on the way, you will pass many pools of different sizes and see the surfing and climbing cliff. You should go up to the monastery for the observation (you cannot get in). The length of the route is about 500 m. 📌 A circular route in the direction of Tel Fara. On the way, you will pass the spectacular Tamar pool - a concrete pool 2.5 m deep (with a lifeguard!). From Tel Fara there is a stunning view of the desert. From there, you can continue to the waterfall pool - an incredible natural pool with small waterfalls. The length of the route is about a kilometer. The trail is marked in black and white. 📌The springs near the lower parking lot - fantastic wading pools, some with "jacuzzi" currents. Around them, you will find picnic tables - perfect for those who just want to relax. Important: ✅Most ponds along the trails have fish. ✅The reservation at the reserve is for 3 hours. Enjoy🤗 For more trips in the dead sea area press here. For more trips in the Jerusalem area press here.

The Dead Sea dries up, and because of this, you can find "mushrooms" and salt paths that were once deep below the water. The Dead Sea mushrooms are salt patterns that emerge from the water. They are magnificent. But unlike other places in Israel where I happily take pictures to show how beautiful the country is, this place only highlights the tragedy of the Dead Sea. It is fascinating to watch, but the beach is not so pleasant. It is more of a photo-op place. On the weekend there are many people climbing on the mushrooms having their pictures taken. There are also machines near that are constantly working and making noise. It is a place that should remind us the Dead Sea is drying, that we are watching an ecological disaster in progress. Near the beach, you will see huge stones covered in salt. Once they were in the sea, today they are on the shores of the coast. Will you take beautiful pictures from this place? Yes, of course. This is an ecological disaster that is well photographed ... If you do not feel like trying to find your place on the main mushrooms (I did not want to), go aside - there are more mushrooms and a salt trail. For more trips in the area press here.

Einot Tzukim (Ein Feshkha) is an ideal nature reserve for all ages. The springs water flows into various pools, some deep, some shallower, and some paddling pools. The two upper pools are accessible. It takes a few minutes to walk to arrive at the lower pools. There are guided tours to the hidden reserve on holidays and Saturdays - a locked part of the reserve that can only be entered with a guide. It is a fascinating tour for those interested in all the processes in the area. It is interested in seeing hidden places and the springs of the springs from which fill the pools. A walk in the thicket leads us to a vast muddy compound that was once the Dead Sea. Until 2000 there was a beach here. Visitors to Ein Pasha came to the pools and the beach. The Dead Sea is drying, and today there is only mud where the beach was. The same mud that is sold in stores at high prices is found here on the ground. A natural cosmetics store is spread out under your feet ... Because the soil is soaked in salts, there is no vegetation in this area. The vegetation exists only in areas where spring water has already washed away the salinity. One of the most spectacular areas in the hidden reserve is Lake Navit. It is forbidden to enter the water because it will kill the fish in the lake and is named Navit Dead Sea. What kills these fish are not humans but the substances we apply on ourselves: creams, deodorants, etc ... Enjoy🤗 For more trips in the area press here

Lower Nahal Og is a stunning circular route that combines desert views, walking between cliffs, amazing views of the desert, and climbing pegs. The route starts from the Nahal Og parking lot near Kibbutz Almog. From there, start walking according to the green-and-white marking. Along the way, you will reach five points of climbing with pegs. When leaving the gorge, turn left with the path marked in black and then connect to the path marked in blue back to the parking lot. Towards the end of the hike, you will reach the Og lookout point overlooking the stunning views. ✅Free ✅No need to register ✅The walk takes about an hour and a half to two hours - depending on your walking pace ✅ It is suitable for anyone who has moderate fitness and is not afraid of heights. Families with children from the age of 4-5 walked with us alongside people aged 60 plus. Enjoy🤗 For more trips in the dead sea area press here For more trips in the Jerusalem area press here

In the Ma'ale Adumim area, the remains of two monasteries from the Byzantine period were found. They are usually only opened twice a month to the public. The monastery of Saint Euthymius was a prominent monastery in which the monks who were isolated also provided services to those who moved between Jerusalem and Jericho. The place is in an industrial area, and the combination of the remains with the view of Supermarkets is unbelievable ... One of the fascinating discoveries in the monastery of Saint Euthymius is the vast water reservoir that has been preserved. You can go down to it, it is very impressive and has fantastic acoustics, so it is recommended to start singing there… The Monastery of Martyrius is one of the most significant Byzantine monasteries discovered in the Judean Desert. The location is also unbelievable - in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Ma'ale Adumim. Neighbors can look out of the windows adjacent to the remains of the monastery... The monastery was active between the 5th to the 7th century AD. Among other things, you will see the remains of rooms, a dining room, mosaics, and a church. Enjoy🤗 For more trips in the Jerusalem area press here