This booklet takes you to the three most visited sites in the Judaean Desert: Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. The Masada route takes in the main points of interest and tells two dramatic stories – the story of King Herod, a persecuted persecutor king who built himself a palace in the middle of the desert, and the story of the rebels, who 70 years later used the palace as their last fortress. Another story that my booklet deals with has nothing to do with the ancient history, but rather with the story we tell ourselves. Masada is not only an archeological site, but it was also built as a national symbol that has its own story. I have also included a description of an unknown trail that surrounds Masada. It can be combined, in its entirety or not, with a visit to the top of Masada.
Ein Gedi offers a variety of walking routes and you can visit the main sites included in the booklet: the ancient synagogue with its mosaic floor, on which it is written that cursed will be the man who tells the town secret; the Chalcolithic Temple, and the flora and fauna of Ein Gedi.
