The Ancient Synagogue of Ein Gedi

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

After our delightful hike through Nahal Arugot, I asked Mister Handmade in Israel if he wouldn't mind stopping at the ancient synagogue of Ein Gedi before we returned home. The synagogue, which was built in the 2nd century CE and then renovated between the 3rd-4th centuries CE, can be spotted from the road that leads to Nahal Arugot, under a large white tent and surrounded by date palm trees. The tent protects the precious synagogue mosaics from the sun and also serves to protect the visitors from the heat. Unfortunately it also means that my photos are all a little 'orange' in colour since I was taking them under the cover of the tent, but the perfectly preserved mosaic floor of the synagogue is so beautiful that I am going to share my photos here anyway.

The ancient synagogue of Ein Gedi was discovered by chance in the 1960s when members of kibbutz Ein Gedi were placing a water pipe in its vicinity. Excavations in the 1970s uncovered a well preserved mosaic floor and several important inscriptions. We can learn a great deal about the town of Ein Gedi from the mosaic floor of its most important building. It was clearly extremely prosperous! For a small remote settlement of no more than a few hundred people to bring the best artisans in the country to create such a masterpiece would have cost a huge amount of money.
Respecting the Jewish tradition of refraining from figurative depiction, the mosaic floor is made up of geometric designs weaved together to create a central 8-pointed star. A central square depicts exotic birds, perhaps geese and peacocks. At the northern end of the synagogue, facing Jerusalem, is a bimah (an elevated platform used for Torah reading during services) and a semicircular niche for storing the Torah scroll.

Similar contemporary synagogues, such as the ancient synagogue of Beit Alpha, which we visited back in January, feature a central circular zodiac with the 12 star signs, each representing a Hebrew lunar month and a personification of the four seasons. In the Ein Gedi synagogue there is a written list of the horoscope signs and of the Hebrew months set in the floor of one aisle. Another inscription mentions the descendants from Adam to the children of Noah, and one more thanks the local rabbis and the synagogue donors, "Yose, Ezron, and Hazikin, sons of Halfi", who contributed to the building. The most exciting inscription, however, is the 'spell' - a warning for all the members of the community never to give away the 'secret' of the village.

This 'secret', it is assumed, has to do with the industry of the precious Balsam resin, called "Afarsimon" in Hebrew (the same name given to today's Persimmon Tree). For centuries the locals made a precious perfume from the Persimmon that was worth its weight in gold. The method and precise ingredients for the production of the perfume remain a riddle to this day. Keeping the process a secret was an economic imperative of such magnitude that every citizen who entered and exited the synagogue needed to be reminded. And what better way to be reminded than in the building whose elegant artistry is a testimony to the importance of the spice trade that sustained the village?

The availability of water at Ein Gedi allowed for the development of agriculture in the settlement. As well as the Persimmon, Ein Gedi's unique local vegetation also supplied the fibres of the Calotropis Procera (the Apple of Sodom) from which the locals made threads which they wove into luxurious fabrics and made wicks for their candles. Indigofera articulata was grown in order to produce indigo dye - the amazing blue colour which was in high demand and expensive. Lawsonia inermis, or Henna tree, which was mentioned in the Song of Songs together with the name Ein Gedi, is thought to be a highly favoured fragrance tree. In addition the locals knew how to produce henna colour from this tree.

Another obvious source of income for the village people of Ein Gedi was salt mining in the Dead Sea. Besides its use in seasoning food, salt also constituted an important means of food preservation and was used for medical purposes too.

The earliest evidence of human settlement at Ein Gedi actually dates back to the Chalcolithic period, 6,000 years ago. A small rectangular room with 50cm high walls was found in the area. It is assumed to be a temple where animals were sacrificed, since many animal bones and ash were found there.
Excavated housing structures and terraces northeast of the synagogue, at the foot of a hill known as Tel Goren, date from the 3rd-6th centuries CE, the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. They may have belonged to synagogue officials or served as study halls. The houses were built close together, each consisting of two rooms and a courtyard. Large clay vats for the storage of drinking water or liquids made from special plants growing in the area were found in them. Royal seal impressions and others bearing personal names, as well as a hoard of silver pieces were also discovered in the ruins of the village, once again indicating wealth and economic importance.
Stone terraces were constructed on the hillsides and a sophisticated water system, including storage pools and a network of irrigation channels, was developed. These measures made the productions of the perfume more efficient.  To protect the cultivated areas and to control the trade route, a fortress and watch towers were built.
The synagogue and village at Ein Gedi stood for 400 years and was destroyed by fire, probably during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the second half of the 6th century, a period of Jewish persecution. Among the many archaeological finds discovered in the debris was a scroll from the Book of Leviticus and a bronze 30 cm seven-branched menorah.

On our way home I asked Mister Handmade in Israel to stop once more at one of the lookout points overlooking the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea, known in Hebrew as Yam Ha-Melakh (the Sea of Salt) is the lowest point on earth and the saline water of the lake gives lead to the name because no plants or animals can survive in the salty waters. The other result of the salty water is its renowned health and healing properties and the unique feature that one can float naturally in it.

The Dead Sea is part of the long border between Israel and Jordan, whose towering mountains can be seen from the Israeli side. Just a one hour drive from Jerusalem, the lake is a place popular for Israelis wanting a few days relaxation or to take advantage of the medical properties of the water. People famously cover themselves in the mineral rich mud from the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea has in fact attracted visitors for thousands of years. It was one of the world's first health resorts, used by Herod the Great, and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from asphalt for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilisers. On this occasion I simply had a great view of it from a vantage point along the road. It was breathtakingly beautiful and a wonderful way to end a fabulous day.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, All Seasons, Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Sharon's Souvenirs, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday's Treasures, My Corner of the World and Pictorial Tuesday.

Nahal Arugot

You may remember that back in May, when I celebrated my 50th birthday, we planned to go hiking in Ein Gedi, the biggest oasis in Israel. Well, it turned out to be too hot that week but Mister Handmade in Israel suggested that we go on his birthday instead. June actually felt cooler than May this year, so when his big day came around, off to Ein Gedi we went!

There are two major nature reserve hikes in the Ein Gedi area. Nahal David and Nahal or Wadi Arugot. Nahal Arugot seems to attract less visitors, which can be advantageous during a pandemic, so we set off very early on Mister Handmade in Israel's birthday and were at the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, by 8am!

Nahal Arugot is one of the few canyons in the Judaean desert with water all year round. It has a number of springs that provide water throughout the entire year. It is also the longest running river on the western coast of the Dead Sea and flows into the Dead Sea, passing through Ein Gedi. The water is fresh and very drinkable (there is a free of charge cooler for filling up any half empty water bottles next to the ticket office). Kibbutz Ein Gedi, on the hill to the south of the river mouth, uses the water for its own consumption but also markets it as a bottled mineral water.

The Hebrew name Nahal Arugot means "flower beds". It is based on the Arabic Wadi Araja, "the ascending brook". This area is where David hid from the pursuing King Saul (1 Samuel 23 29: "And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi"). Nahal Arugot was also one of the sources of water to the ancient site of Ein Gedi, which dates back to the Chalcolithic period (approximately 5,000 years ago).

There are two paths to choose between at Nahal Arugot - a dry hike on the river banks, overlooking the river from a high steep cliff, or a walk in the water. We chose to walk in the water, which turned out to be a little harder than we expected since it includes some climbs against running water and river crosses with slippery stepping stones. It also took us longer than the 1 hour each way that we had been advised, but the scenery was beautiful and there was a lot to see and enjoy.  

Due to the fresh water and the high temperatures of the region there is vegetation such as oleander, Capparis, Calotropis Procera (the poisonous Apple of Sodom) and saltbush in the valley. There are also a lot of tamarisk trees. These are evergreens with small scale-shaped leaves. They blossom during the summer with a white-pink flower. These trees were frequently planted by the Jewish National Fund in arid conditions for shade - in the Negev, in the Jordan Valley and by the Dead Sea - but the trees at Nahal Arugot are natural. Most botanists and bible scholars believe that the Eshel tree planted by Abraham in the Book of Genesis, was Tamarix aphylla; "And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba ..."

There are also many acacia trees. The Acacia raddiana is a thorny tree that has a single trunk and round branches and is the most common acacia in Israel. It grows in the Negev, the Arava and Judaean desert. The Acacia tortilis is a another thorny acacia tree with a number of trunks. It is easy to recognise because of its multiple trunks and umbrella shape. This tree also grows in the Arava Valley and on the Dead Sea shore up to Ein Gedi.

The path, which alters between wet and dry, leads all visitors to The Hidden Waterfall ("Mapal Nistar"), above. It is the highlight of the hike! We started to wonder if we had walked right past it, since the hike had taken us longer than an hour, but once we saw the pool and waterfall at the end of the lower path, we knew that we were in the right place. It was a beautiful sight and a wonderful way to cool down! I stood under the pounding water for a natural massage. (Yes, I have a photo of it. No, I am not posting it here!). There is another pool and waterfall higher up but it was recommended to only walk as far as this waterfall in the summer heat and, truthfully, it was enough for us.

Just as a matter of information, the waterfall is one of only two places on the route where eating is allowed and it was the perfect spot for a lunch break.

I was excited to see Nubian ibex, below, as we hiked back to the starting point. They roam around the cliffs and steep slopes which are its natural habitat. At one time the ibex almost became extinct but were rescued thanks to stricter enforcement of the nature reserve laws and strict prohibition on hunting. One might also see rock hyrax, Golden spiny mouse, porcupine, river crabs, Agama Lizards, striped hyena and more. The most exciting would be footprints of the single Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) that once survived at Ein Gedi, though the last time it was spotted was 2007. The species is now presumed to be extinct here.

We had originally intended to take the dry path back from the waterfall to our car, to enjoy the spectacular views and dry off, but the stream and shallow pools were once again irresistible. We were soon splashing in the water and an hour or so later were back at the trail head. We had hiked a distance of about 7 km and spent around 5 hours in the canyon.

Nahal Arugot had proved to be an amazingly beautiful hike and it was just about the right time of the year to do it. Any later would have been too hot. The hike is apparently lovely during the winter months and if you happen to be there at the right time, you get to see some beautiful flowers like the desert tulip and other rare species. I'll definitely be going back!

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Sharon's Souvenirs, Our World Tuesday, Nature Notes, Travel Tuesday, My Corner of the World