| Abandoning world pleasure, donating all their wealth to the commune, celibate and seemingly pacifistic in nature, were the doctrines of the Essenes culture. They were in preparation for a great war, between the Sons of Light and Darkness. Although they believed everything is pre-ordained by God, they also acknowledged free will, hence their constant efforts to purify themselves. Today it is not uncommon to go off into nature, to fast, to seek a spiritual connection for greater enlightenment, similar to the Essene codes. |
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During the spring season, in the year of 1947, a young Bedouin boy, Mohammad A. Dhib (Mohammad, the Wolf) while searching for a lost kid from his flock of goats, came across a cave, in which he discovered one of the most important archaeological findings of the 20th Century. This discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls resulted in archaeological excavations to the area and it has become generally accepted in the academic world, that Qumeran had been a centre of the Essene community - a mystical, apocalyptic Jewish sect , possibly the beginnings of Christianity. The tour will shed light on the way of life, customs and beliefs of this cult. On the return, stop at 'Shrine of the Book' in the Israel Museum to see the actual scrolls and some of the artifacts discovered at the site.
- Drive across the land of the biblical Phillistines, up through the Judean mountains, bypassing Jerusalem, on into the Judean desert.
- Descend to the Dead Sea, lowest point on earth , driving south along its shoreline to Qumeran .
- The visit starts at the audio visual presentation of Qumeran giving a background of the everyday life of the inhabitants of this community revealing their sparce way of life and their extreme customs of purification.
- Walk through the indoor exhibit where relics of the time period, including a mikve (ritual purification bath) are on display.
- Discuss their beliefs and rituals .
- Continue on to the site itself where you can learn about the system that brought water to the site.
- Walk through the remains of the settlement and view the caves where the scrolls were discovered.
- From atop the hill of Qumeran, enjoy the scenery of the Dead Sea and the Mountains of Moab in Jordan across the the turquoise waters.
- Descend to the shore of the Dead Sea for a memorable experience of floating on its waters.
- Drive through the Judean Desert .
- Stop at the National Park of the Inn of the Good Samaritan, a possible location for the parable .
- Continue up through the Judean hills and on to the Israel Museum, to view the scrolls and other artifacts related to this site.
- Return to Ashdod