The Judean Desert

An absolute must on Israel tours, the Judean Desert is a natural wonder of desert sights, sounds and more. Bordered to the east with the Dead Sea and the Mountains of Judea in the west, the Judean Desert is considered to be on the smaller side as it only spans about 1,500 square km, however, it has many historic sites, beautiful nature reserves, monasteries and primeval landscapes. Every visitor to the Judean Desert agrees that it is absolutely gorgeous and every-changing. Full of plateaus, riverbeds, canyons, cliffs and mountains, it has several rivers that snake their way through it. Visitors on tours to Israel will be able to see some of the oases (Nahal David, Nahal Arugot and Nahal Prat) that are created by some of the rivers that maintain their water year-round. There are also two nature reserves, Einot Tzukim and Ein Gedi, which sits at the bottom of the 300 meter-high cliffs on the eastern side of this desert. Because the Judean Desert is close to Jerusalem, a lot of people who visit one visit the other. Unlike Jerusalem, however, there are very few people who live in the Judean Desert. Because of its rugged environment, the Judean Desert has been the hiding place for many zealots and refugees and also the site of large fortresses such as Massada and Horkenya (in the time of the Maccabees).

The Dead Sea Scrolls were actually found several decades ago in Qumran in a cave, and Qumran National Park is available to tourists today so that they can see the remains of the settlements there. Though many rebels lived in the Judean Desert over the years, other groups such as a unique order of monks called the Laura lived there because it fit their lifestyle of solitude (during the Byzantine period). The monasteries of these monks were built in the crevasses of rocks and cliffs-a wonderful site to see while on a trip to Israel. Among all of the monasteries that have been built in the Judean Desert over time, some of these are still active while others, such as Maar Jirias and Maar Saba Monastery, are only ruins. Another reason to visit the Judean Desert is because of its close proximity to the Baptism site on the Jordan River-the location where John the Baptist was baptized by Jesus. Christians believe that the Jordan River's water is sacred, inspiring many to be baptized in its waters on Israel trips. The site has actually been moved to a different spot on the Jordan, making it far more accessible. No matter why you visit the Judean Desert, you will not walk away from your Israel guided tour disappointed.