Desert Wanderings
Visitors can follow in the footsteps of the ancient Israelites
VICKI CABOT
Contributing Editor
From the floor of the Negev Desert to the peaks of the surrounding Arava Mountains, the historic connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is almost palpable. This is the land where Abraham and Isaac settled, where David fled the wrath of King Saul, where King Solomon lived. Exploring the expansive desert terrain, hiking its peaks, snaking through its inner recesses, visitors can connect with Jewish history in a new and meaningful way. A three-day trip by car or van allows ample time to experience Israel's desert wilderness.
Driving south from Jerusalem along Highway 90 on Israel's eastern border, the landscape begins to change within minutes.
The green Judean Hills gradually give way to flatter expanses with sparse vegetation. Bedouin villages, clusters of temporary dwellings made of scrap materials such as wood and corrugated metal, dot the terrain. Flocks of goats and sheep graze nearby, kaffiyehed shepherds keeping watch.
The scene is timeless. Nomadic tribes have populated the area for centuries.
It is a surprise when just a few miles further, the Dead Sea suddenly comes into view. On its northern shore is a water park - just a strip of sandy beach, some lawn chairs along with showers and changing facilities, and a simple cafeteria. Date palm trees ring the area that looks out at the still waters. It is a pleasant place for a short stop.
Continuing on, it's another short ride to Qumran, an ancient city known for the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The scrolls, found by a Bedouin shepherd 50 years ago, document the history of the area. But exploring the dusty site with its neatly laid-out excavations provides a firsthand look at life centuries ago. Looking out at the stark desert beyond, it's easy to understand why the ancient Essenes settled here. The three big springs at nearby Ein Gedi comprise, literally, an oasis in the desert.
An overnight stop at one of the Dead Sea resorts provides the opportunity to revive body as well as spirit (see related story), then continue on the next day into the Arava Desert, the narrow band of land between the Dead Sea and Eilat, Israel's southernmost tip.
Taking a sharp turn off the Arava Highway, Highway 90, between kilometers 193 and 194, the terrain soon resembles the surface of the moon. A narrow, bumpy road marked in red winds through a series of shallow craters, spreading out as far as the eye can see. It leads to an opening in a dried river bed, faced on both sides by soaring white, chalk-like rock formations.
A 15- to 20-minute hike takes visitors to the entrance to the Flour Cave, named appropriately for the white dust that clings to clothing, hair and skin. Entering through a veritable "hole in the wall" in the rocky surface, hikers wend their way through a narrow passageway. The cave is pitch dark, so visitors are cautioned to bring flashlights, or to be prepared to hold hands and feel their way along the rocky walls. The passageway opens to a deep cavern, with sheer cliffs reaching toward the sky. The cave is estimated to be about 18,000-20,000 years old, say guides in the area, its striking beauty testimony to nature's power. Energetic hikers can follow a blue-, then black-marked trail that leads from the exit of the Flour Cave up Mount Sodom. The mountain is actually a ridge of salt, its peak said to be the pillar of salt from the biblical story of Lot's wife, who disobeyed God and looked back for a final glance at Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Beauty in the desert
Back on the highway and continuing south toward Eilat through the Dead Sea Valley, another attraction for desert seekers is Timna Park. Huge rock formations rise from the desert floor, their Sedona-like reddish hue reflecting rich copper deposits in the area. A short hike up Solomon's Pillars, one of the majestic formations, affords expansive views of the desert beyond. The steep descent down a rickety metal stairway provides a look at ancient etchings carved into the rocks from the time of King Solomon.
An overnight stay in the seaside resort of Eilat, on the Red Sea coast, is a nice respite from the dry, dusty desert and puts travelers in close proximity to Western Border Road, which runs up Israel's western border along the Sinai Desert and into the Negev. The terrain along the road is at first mountainous, with interesting brown, taupe and ochre formations on the horizon. Gradually, the land becomes flatter and a stop at Nefatim Crossing, a checkpoint on the Egyptian/Israeli border, affords magnificent desert views that conjure up visions of the Children of Israel wandering on their way to the Promised Land.
"The end of Eretz Yisrael," is how local guides describe the desolate lookout, but they go on to explain that the Israelites probably did not cross into Israel at this point during the exodus from Egypt. Israeli soldiers patrolling the area look uniformly bored; one passes the time walking along the desert ridge, cellular phone pressed in hand.
Traveling through history
If travelers continue on Western Border Road, they will arrive in Gaza; a turn onto Route 40 will put them on the road to the Ramon Crater, the largest natural crater in the world. Following the bed of the Paran River, which is the border between what is known as the south and central Negev, leads to the entrance to a trio of craters - named Ramon,
Hagadol (big), and Hakatan (small) - that have been carved out of the land by the natural forces of wind and water. Forty kilometers long and 2 to 10 kilometers wide and shaped like an elongated heart, the Ramon crater was created millions of years ago when the ocean that covered the Negev began to move north. Much later, as the Arava Valley was formed and rivers in the area changed course, the crater literally was scooped from the earth's surface.
A Jeep ride into its center takes visitors through open desert and scenic canyons and provides glimpses of desert wildlife and vegetation. On a recent visit, an ibex crossed through a dry river bed and white-tailed gazelles were spotted in the distance. The road through the canyon is narrow and windy and strewn with rocks. At some places it is barely wide enough for the Jeep to pass, with sheer dropoffs to the rocks below. But the experience of entering the crater, where millions of years of geologic and archaeologic history is written in its rocks and dusty byways, is fascinating. The crater was on the spice route from the East, and ruins of huts along the route where the camel convoys would stop and spend the night can be explored. Today, Jeep tours follow the routes, taking travelers deep into the canyon, then simulate a stop at one of the huts with a picnic lunch under a rocky canopy.
The crater is a popular destination of hikers and naturalists, part of a 250,000-acre national geological park. The visitors' center at the crater entrance provides an overview of the geological, archaeological, zoological and botanical wonders in the area and offers a striking panoramic view of its expanse. The center operates a field school for serious hikers and is adjacent to an inexpensive hostel for overnight stays. The Ramon Inn, built in nearby Mizpe Ramon, offers reasonably priced accommodations and a fine restaurant, which features many dishes of the area, including several Bedouin specialties.
It's a short half-day trip continuing from Mizpe Ramon into what is known as the northern Negev, then on to the Mediterranean Coast and Tel Aviv.
In three days, visitors can experience the immense variety of Israel's terrain, gain an understanding of desert life, see its flora and fauna, its soaring cliffs, its deep canyons, and walk in the footsteps of the ancient Jewish tribes.
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