This is the Monastery of the Cross in the Valley of the Cross. The monastery was built in the 11th century over the site of a 4th century church. This, they believe is where the tree for the cross grew and where Adam was buried-though there are two other sites that also claim Adam's burial place. Oct. 1917, 800 Australian Light Horsemen launched an amazing cavalry charge on Be'er Sheba, called the last great cavalry charge in history. They were actually mounted infantry equipped with rifles and bayonets. The Commanding General said of them, "Words fail me, I cannot see how these horsemen were able to achieve what they did. Every rule of war says they should have been annihilated!" The Australian Light Horsemen were the first to ride into Jerusalem with General Allenby. We were told a story where a few Light Horsemen came upon the Monastery and found a wine cellar and then ended up taking the surrender of some Ottoman Turks.
These electrical boxes (?) are all painted like this.
David's harp bridge. It is really pretty.
I love these flowers on this hotel.
This was so pretty on top of a building.
Seeing the bridge one last time on our way out of Jerusalem.
In 1947, Arabs put a siege around Jerusalem. The British would not allow Jews to carry weapons. When the convoys tried to take supplies to Jerusalem they were constantly being attacked and shelled. The Israelis had no defences or war materials and the nature of the terrain made it especially difficult trying to reach Jerusalem. The end of the siege came with the opening of the Burma Road in June 1948. The major problem in the road was a step section requiring men, mostly conscripts over the age of 50, to carry 45 lbs loads on foot twice a night because the section was impassible to vehicles.
Along the high way are the remains of the convoys.
The anciet city of Beit Shemesh "temple of the sun" was originally named after the Canaanite sun-goddess Shemesh which was worshipped here. The people were very advance with iron in the late Bronze Age. The most ancient iron workshop in the world was discovered here. The remnants of a fortified city with an advanced water system from the early Kingdom of Judah was found here. Beit Shemesh is first mentioned in Joshua 15 as a city in the territory of the tribe of Dan. In Joshua 21 Beit Shemesh is mentioned as having been set aside as a city for the Levitical priests. The ark was captured by the Philistines and taken to Ashdod, then to Gath, and finally to Ekron before they decide to get rid of it. Beit Shemesh is the first city the ark of the covenant comes to on it's way back from Philistia (1 Samuel 4-6). 2 Kings is mentioned as being the site of the battle between Amaziah king of Judea and Jehoash king of Israel. Above is the Sorek Valley. Nahal Sorek was the place where Delilah lived and Samson came to meet her and was captured. Sorek means "fruitless tree", req means "empty"-a metaphor of how Samson's involvement with Delilah was fruitless and empty. Timnah is to the left in the valley. The sites of Zorah, Samosn's birth place, and Eshtaol are located in the Judean foothills.
Samson began to prophesy between Zorah and Eshtaol (Judges 13:25). After his death his body was brought back for burial in his father's tomb between Eshtaol and Zorah (Judges 16:31). Samson is a type of Jesus, both had their births announced to their mothers by an angel, both were gifts of God, both had supernatural strengths, both were betrayed, both died with their arms outstretched in their darkest hour, in humiliation, and defeat but ended in victory. One took the Nazarite vows, Jesus ate and drank with the Jews and touched dead bodies. Sampson was entreated three times to reveal his secret and was weak and seduced. Jesus was tempted three times but did not yield because He had no weakness. Samson's fall brought dishonor and scandal to God and Israel. Christ's death and resurrection fulfilled God's plan for mankind, brought infinite honor to God and salvation to those choose to be redeemed. What a man can not do, only God can. The term Nazirite comes from the Hebrew nazir. Nazareth is derived from natser. It's a play on words.
Tel Beit Shemesh.
Next is the Valley of Elah, "the valley of the oak," and best known as the place described in the Bible where the Israelites were encamped when David fought Goliath (1 Sam 17:2). At the upper end of the valley is a very large and ancient tree.
Ronnie demonstrating a homemade sling as David would have used. He said he got the idea for it after watching the kids in Gaza and the West Bank on tv.
Looking down the valley, this is the dry river bed. Jacob's teaching: The five stones represent the five books of the Old Testament-the Talmud. When God tests it's 40 days. 1 Sam 17:16, "The Philistine drew near and presented himself 40 days, morning and evening." David is rejected, "we are bigger than you, stronger" never scoff or reject the small things. Jesus began with a small group. God prepares people for the extraordinary in the ordinary. David had the weapons God gave him-in his every day circumstances. he had used them defending against wolves. he was ready, he had honed his skills before God needed him. Rely on the Lord and His weapons He has taught you to use. Not cumbersome armor that saddle you. Use the stones in the bible-scriptures then finish them off with their own sword-their doctrines. It's the little believer with the bible that will do God's work. Obey and learn God's word.
Looking across the valley.
Ronnie showed me the anise seed plant-very yummy. Walking back to the bus I smacked my head really hard on a sign, I was walking with my head down.
We dropped everyone off who won't be going on to Jordan. I am so sad. Thank You Lord for bringing these amazing people into my life: Highlander Ron, Anne and Richard, Will, Fless, Winston and Jamie, Craig and his mom...I pray for you guys...and I miss you!
The bus seems so empty now, it's really quiet and we are kind of lost without Ron telling us about the land we are traveling through. I miss the way he makes history so "on the edge of the seat." The front of the bus just isn't the same now.
We head south, go by Be'ersheva. We are in the Negev desert now. It covers about 55% of Israel. There are three crater like canyons unique to this region. 
Bedouin areas.
I love this, all the Bedouin houses have solar panels.
Nomadic life dates back at least 4,000 year. The first settlements were established by Canaanites, Amalekites, and Edomites. Egypt started copper mining and smelting in the Negev. The northern Negev was inhabited by the tribe of Judah and the southern by the tribe of Shimon. Beersheba was the region's center for trade. In the 4th century the Nabateans brought the development of irrigation systems that supported 5 new cities. The Nabateans controlled the trade and spice route between Petra and the sea ports on the Mediterranean. The population of the Negev is largely made up of Arabian tribal nomads who ruled the Negev largely independent with little interference for a few thousand years. What is know of this time is derived from oral histories and folk tales from the Wadi Musa and Petra areas. The Bedouins of the Negev survived on sheep and goat herding. With the new state of Israel all Bedouin habitation was termed illegal and unrecognized. Today there are 75,000 Bedouin living in 40 unrecognized villages therefore there is now water, electricity, roads, education and health care. They were no longer able to engage in their sole means of self-subsistence of agriculture and grazing. In 1950, the Black goat law was installed to prevent land erosion prohibiting the grazing of goats outside one's recognized land holdings. Since Bedouin territorial claims were recognized, grazing was illegal. Plus grazing was nomadic. Today the black goat is nearly extinct and Bedouin in Israel do not have access to black goat hair to to weave their tents. Thousands of Bedouin resettled to 7 legal towns constructed by the government however they lack business districts and are rive with the social breakdown that come with joblessness. 
The local bus was on the dirt road heading to a little Bedouin village.
Great sign!
I think there is so much beauty in the earth.
This is a big ridge of mountains in haze.
The Arabah Valley along the Jordanian border stretches from the southern tip of the Dead Sea to Eilat.
We spent the night in Eilat, a busy port city on the northern tip of the Red Sea. (I've been to the Med Sea, Dead Sea, now the Red Sea!) Eilat is a cross between Daytona Beach-party, vacation at the beach spot with Las Vegas-party, gamble in the desert town. Ancient Egyptian records document extensive mining operations and trade across the Red Sea as early as the Fourth Dynasty. Eilat is mentioned in Exodus in crossing the Red Sea and various campsites. When David conquered Edom he took over Eilat. The area is in 1 Kings 9:26 with Solomon's mines and in 2 Kings 14:21-22 and 16:6. During the Roman period a road was built linking Petra with Eilat. The border with Egypt opened in 1979 and in 1994 with Jordan. Hundreds of Sudanese refugees from Egypt who arrive illegally on foot are given work in Eilat.
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