The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves. Isaiah 33:9 We had reached the southern-most point of Israel at Eilat. There was nowhere to go but back north again. The trip north, however, would be via a different route along the eastern edge of the country to the Dead Sea. This route follows the rift valley. The Bible calls this region the Arabah. The rift valley is crack in the earth formed by the meeting of two tectonic plates that extends from Lebanon along the […]
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Southern Boundary
After a couple hours driving south through the desert, we reached the southernmost point in modern Israel: the city of Eilat. Situated on the Red Sea, this resort town is wedged tightly between Egypt on the west and Jordan on the east. While the Mediterranean Sea is Israel’s main link to international waters towards the west, this small section of shore provides a gateway to the east. This site has been in use since antiquity. For instance, King Solomon launched ships from here to bring back gold (1 Kings 9:26-28). Our first stop in Eilat was the national park. Renting […]