MASADA:  The Experience Of a Lifetime

by Andrew Bonds,       11^th grade,       Philadelphia

 

view of the snake path up the eastern side of Masada

            Nine out of ten times when you ask a teenager to get up at 4:00 AM, you can pretty much guarantee it is not going to be followed with cheers or any sort of positive emotion. This instance however was very different. Even as we went over the supplies list for what we would need the next morning, the overwhelming feeling of joy, nerves, excitement, and anticipation filled the entirety of the room with its presence.

            As hard as getting up before the sun was, we all did and started our journey up towards the top by 5:15 AM. While the hike up was a challenge, the remarkable and breathtaking view at the top made it all worth it. After a long rest and an opportunity to take pictures we had the morning prayer service (shacharit) at the top of mountain led by our classmates and now unbelievably close friends. Finally we split up into our individual Jewish-History classes and began the educational point of the trip. The Hebrew definition of Masada, or מצדה (literally ‘fortress’) was the last Jewish stronghold that served as the Jews last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE.

             The king who built palaces at Masada was known as King Herod. The main reason The King picked this mountain is because it is on a plateau and while the environment around was obviously consumed by desert they were able to find the necessities to having a successful community that started at around 40 and grew to 900 when it fell.          

In order to have a surviving city that can grow and expand, in class we look at the 4 D’s that are the essential keys any city in ancient times would need.

King Herod's northern palace at Masada

a model of King Herod's northern palace

     The first D is Defense. The height of the mountain presented a successful defense tactic, when attacked they would throw rocks and oil on attackers causing them to plunge to their death. The second D Stands for Drink, Water was acquired by sophisticated water ways that used trenches to guide the water into a holding area on the mountain and was then brought up to the town. The third D is a bit of a stretch but stands for Dinner. To obtain food and nutrition they had multiple forms of agriculture and strategies to provide food for everyone. Because of the heat the soil dies and turns to dust. Their solution was to keep doves, at first thought you would think that has no relativity to anything but in fact they used dove droppings for fertilizer which when combined with the unhealthy dried out soil on the mountain created dirt that let them grow a plentiful amount of fruit trees and plants. In year 2000 they found a pit of a date tree that was from the time period of מצדה. When they found this they took the pit and planted one of the oldest trees in history. I find this so impressive because the Date tree takes the most amount of water out of almost all the plant trees to grow (need the fourth D Dollars).

a view of the Judean Desert from the northern edge of Masada

Rather than speaking about the day to day life I would rather talk about how to understand their final act here at Masada. I have no doubt many people question the choices of our ancestors, whether it’s the integrity of the story or just the flat out reasoning behind the choices they made and why. After continues days of worry and fear with the Romans closing in on them once again, it started to become clear to the Jews that this was the beginning of the end for their community on מצדה something had to be done. According to the historian Josephus Flavius, all men were sent home and forced to kill their wives and families. They then proceeded to write down the names of each man and hold a lottery. Ten men were picked at random and told to kill the rest of them, and then one man to kill those ten, then finally after burning down their whole village and leaving nothing of value or use left for the Romans, except the food to portray that there was no sign of an end to this community any time soon. That one man took his own life, leaving no survivors on מצדה and ending its reign. Left on the floor of their synagogue was a quote from Ezekiel's prophesy of dry bones (chap. 37), the prophesy that we would return to Israel, that we would be a great nation on our own soil again.

a model of the water system at Masada and the local dry river beds that would flood

            What do we mean today when we say “Masada will not fall again”? I think this phrase still remains so popular today because of its horrific ending. You realize what happened and can understand why it is necessary for Jewish people to keep the memory of מצדה alive. We have to preserve the idea that the innovations and remarkable skill it took from people to make living in this super hot desert on this super high mountain and not go anywhere else ever is extremely empowering to Jews today.

the "shouting edge" of the south of Masda where your voice echoes!

ISRAEL MUSEUM:  Jerusalem Model and Dead Sea Scrolls

by Eva Zaientz,        10^th grade,           Ann Arbor MI

On Wednesday February 20th, 2019, we the students of Heller High embarked on a journey to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  The major exhibits at this museum tell the story and history of the Jewish people through the display of artifacts. Its main purpose is to educate people about the Second Temple period in the city of Jerusalem. The first thing we did after arriving at the museum was explore the Second Temple model of the ancient city of Jerusalem which was built in 1966 but was only moved to the museum in 2006. This model was very overwhelming at first, it was very big and detailed. This model showed us a lot about the culture and style of living during this period. There were two main groups of Jews living in the city at this time. These groups are called the Pharisees (Rabbis) and the Saducees (Priests). Each group had very different lifestyles which is shown by the model of Jerusalem. The priests of the Second Temple period were the most respected and lavish people of this time. They lived in the biggest and most extravagant homes (Herodian mansions) at the top of Jerusalem (upper city), these can be recognized by the red roofs in the model. The priests also liked and respected the Romans who lead Jerusalem at this time, like King Herod, and had a more Hellenistic way of life.

On the other end of the spectrum the Rabbis were very poor and were one of the lower classes during this time. The sewage from the Priest slid down into their small and modest homes, that’s why that specific gate of the old city today is called the Dung Gate. The Rabbis did not like the Romans at all but they felt that it was not worth the bloodshed to go to war. Another group of Jews at this time wear the Jewish zealots who were located at Masada and they were a very messianic people. We also learned about this group even though there were no exhibits at the Israel museum.

The next thing we did was go into the Dead sSea scroll exhibit at the museum. Before we made it into the actual showing of the scrolls we passed through corridors filled with artifacts. As modern Jews, it helped us learn about the daily life and culture of our ancestors. When we made it into the vase shaped room where the scrolls are actually stored it was very overwhelming how long it actually was. Right when you walk in you can feel the importance of this scripture. This writing was one of the most important Jewish archaeological findings to date. It is the oldest written Tanakh ever found, it is close to 2,000 years old. This was so important because it is a huge example of historicity to prove the fourth group of Jews existed, the Essenes. Historicity is when real archaeology backs up what we read about in holy scriptures like the Tanach.

The Essenes lived by the Dead Sea and were very different from the other groups at this time. They were only males and had a very strict way of letting people in. They also were the most messianic group in the Second Temple period and expected the messiah to come within their lifetime. All of these sects developed at this time because they all had different ways of coming back to Jewish life after the Babylonian exile ended and the Second Temple was built. They also had different ways to adapting to the rule of the Romans and ideas about the messiah. I think that I identify mostly with the Pharisees because of their motivation to sticking with Jewish tradition and their modest way of life. However, like the Saducees I have been in many ways acculturated to American culture and can relate to that part of their life.

At the end of this exhibit we went to decompress what we had just learned about at the ahavah (love) statue at the museum. This art piece is one of the most iconic in Israel and people had a lot of fun taking pictures with it!

Herodian Mansions + Southern Wall Excavations

By Rosey Limmer,      10^th grade,      Chicago

a replica of the Temple menorah displayed in the Jewish quarter of the Old City

On Wednesday, we stood on the “most controversial real estate” in the whole world. Jerusalem, and more specifically the area around the Temple Mount, is an area of extreme significance and conflict for all three of the major monotheistic religions. Even thought for the most part all of the religious groups are able to find compromises, all we ever hear about in the news is the tension. While there always is underlying tension and unsettled disputes, for the most part everyone is usually able to coexist and bask in the holiness that is the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit).

looking at the "Broad Wall" from 701 BCE in the Jewish quarter of the Old City

While standing at the south wall, I was for the first time in my life able to understand and truly feel the power of prayer. Standing in the place where the whole world sends their hopes and dreams is a remarkable feeling that is unifying and helps to exemplify how small we are in the grandeur of the universe.

the Cardo, the street level from the Roman period in the Jewish quarter of the Old City

The Sadducees

            In the Herodian mansions, the ancient neighborhood of the Sadducees (cohenim/the Temple priests) we were able to not only reflect on the past but learn about our culture and history by walking through the houses of our people from two millennia ago. By observing the houses of the Sadducees we were able to see different aspects of their lives. For example, we were able to see the juxtaposition of their religious lives that centered around the Beit HaMikdash and their acculturated Roman lifestyle.

            When we visited the Herodian mansions, we were able to see the different aspects of Sadducee life based on the artifacts within their homes. The appearance of Mikveh, Jewish ritual baths, used to purify oneself, showed the specific Jewish aspects of their lives. Mikvaot are a big part of observant Jewish life, so the cohenim houses have mikvaot because they must constantly be in a state of purity in order to enter the Beit HaMikdash. However, there were also artifacts that showed us ways in which the Sadducees acculturated to upper class Roman lifestyle. For example, colored mosaics and frescos can be found in their house. Not only did the material for these decorations have to come from abroad but they also had to be installed by professional artisans. In addition, each different color of mosaic had to come from a different location. While the Sadducees were both Roman and Jewish, they were more Roman in their appearance and behavior while being more Jewish in their actions and work.

here's our teacher David standing in an ancient mikveh next to the Temple Mount

Beit HaMikdash

            On the three festivals, Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot, it was customary for Jews to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. These pilgrims were known as oleh regel. When they would travel to Jerusalem, they would undergo multiple traditions before walking up the footsteps to the Temple Mount. This showed us the importance and centrality of the Temple to the Jewish people. We not only learned about the importance of the Temple Mount, but felt it for ourselves and we sat and sang Shir HaMaalot (Pslam 126) on the footsteps before making aliyah ourselves by walking up the steps to the southern wall of the Temple Mount.

            A lot of social events also happened at the street level before ascending to the Temple. This showed us how the Temple was also the center of trade and life for the Jewish people. We also learned about the different patterns of who would walk up which steps to the Temple Mount. The general public had one set of steps. The cohenim had their entrance at Robinson’s arch in the southeast corner. The steps at the Southern wall were the exit for the general public but an entrance for a select few. Those who were outcasts or in mourning would walk up the Southern steps so everyone would know to welcome and help them help reintegrate into society.

ancient clay vessels and furniture at the Herodian mansions museum

The Destruction of the Second Temple

            The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, is considered the central event in Jewish history. I think the destruction of the Second Temple marks the new era of rabbinic Judaism. The destruction of the Second Temple not only destroyed the center of Jewish life, but destroyed multiple sects of Judaism. After this destruction, the proactivity of the rabbis, and their ability to lead, study and worship without the Temple lead to their success as a peoplehood. This is the central event in Jewish History because as a peoplehood we have been waiting for the messiah to come in order to build the Third Temple. This shows us how central the Temple is to our religion and how the destruction of it cause for our entire religion to change. It marks the shift from biblical Judaism to modern Judaism.

an ancient mikveh at the Herodian mansions museum

Tiyul to Ir David

by Anna Voskoboynik,       11^th grade,         Indianapolis

Walking through the beautiful streets of the City of David, we can only imagine how much history is under our feet. Today we got the amazing opportunity to visit an incredible place, Ir David. It’s just amazing that we are able to be in the location that we are actually acquiring knowledge from not just looking at pictures back at home in the States.

a view of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan from the look out point at Ir David

What are the accomplishments and failures of each of the Isarelite kings we learned about today?  In the Tanach, we learned that there are certain criteria for the kings:  not to have too many wives, horses, not to be a thief, and to carry around a Torah at all times. Shaul, the first king of the Israelite tribes, fit under all of these characteristics which is why God chose him to be a king. He was tall, handsome, and very charismatic. He was an amazing leader and he had the ability to win, but he was not good at following instructions. He took people’s belongings when he was conquering cities and he made an idol of himself. He angered God so he was dethroned. 

 

walking through part of the Jewish quarter of the old city on the way to Ir David

Another king that we learned about was David Hamelech. He came from the tribe of Judah. He was a shepherd like everyone else living in his area and had many characteristics similar to Moses. He was very sensible in speech, a musician, and a poet. He was a very successful king because he conquered the whole city of Jerusalem, and he fits into all the criteria that the Tanach describes in Deuteronomy 17.  He unfortunately made many mistakes too in his kingship. One major mistake that David made was that one day he saw a girl cleansing herself and soon after they had intimate relations. The girl, Bat Sheva, found out that she was pregnant and David wanted to hide this so he sent her back to her husband but it was unsuccessful so David arranged the girl’s husband Uriah to be killed. God was not very happy with this. The Tanach gives us both the good and the bad sides of these characters to show that people can make mistakes because we are all humans. 

 

two of my classmates act out the biblical story of David and Goliath

Why did King David choose Jerusalem for his capital?

The reason why David chose Jerusalem for his capital was because Jerusalem was a Jebusite City that did not belong to any one of the 12 tribes. Jerusalem was a very difficult city to capture so there would be a spectacular amount of military achievement that united all of the 12 tribes under David’s leadership. The last reason why King David chose Jerusalem for his capital was because it was the site of Mount Moriah where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac in Genesis chapter 22.

 

inside of Warren's Shaft, the archaeological excavation that leads to the water tunnel

What are some of the archaeological findings that were excavated at the City of David and what is their significance? 

When archeologists where digging through the walls, they found a long water tunnel which was one of the main sources of water when the city was under attack by the Assyrian empire in the year 701 BCE. Also they excavated what scholars believe was the royal palace of King David. It had many aristocratic buildings including metal stairs installed for modern visitors which I took a tumble on :). 

Overall this experience was tremendous. Everything in Israel is so beautiful and spiritual which is why it was so amazing to see something as incredible as Ir David.

 

the entrance to Warren's Peer at Ir David

Tiyul to Sataf Park

by Erika Apel,       grade 10,       Ontario

 

our Jewish history class, Kitat Kinor, in the Sataf JNF park

1. What were the challenges the Israelites had to deal with entering Eretz Yisrael? During this period of time the Israelites were questioning their devotion to God. We know this because they practiced idol worship. This was a big challenge because God specifically says, in the 10 commandments, to not practice idolatry. The other big challenge was the other inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael. The Philistines, the Canaanites and more were already in Eretz Yisrael and the Israelite tribes had to reclaim their land that God had promised to them.

 

spectacular view from Sataf in the Judean mountains with some almond tress in bloom

2. How did the Israelites deal with these challenges?  The Jewish people have faced many challenges, and have overcome nearly all of them. When the Israelites overcame their challenges before entering Eretz Yisrael it deepened their connection to God. The Israelites two big problems mentioned earlier were solved by the Story of the battle of Jericho which appears in the Book of Joshua. In the story of Jericho, God instructs the Israelites to participate in a very specific ceremony in order to knock down the walls which prevent them from entering the city of Jericho. Joshua was told to march his troops around the city for six days, blowing rams horns (shofars), while priests carried the Torah at the head of this parade. On the seventh day, the sound of them shouting along with the call of the shofars caused the wall to collapse. This deepened the Israelites connection to God because they believed God listened to their cries and broke down the wall for them, letting them into the city and helping them reclaim the land the land that was promised to them.

 

my classmate Talia leading the way.

3. What form of leadership did we have? We had very strong leadership when entering Eretz Yisrael, in order to overcome our problems. The first strong leader we had was Joshua. His leadership was militaristic and very strong. He led the fight of Jericho and allocated the land to the tribes when they got into Eretz Yisrael. After Joshua passed we had a series of Judges. The first one was Devorah, she tells Barak, the military general of the time, to fight the battle against the Canaanites and give her credit for the victory. Barak defeats the Canaanites with Devorah’s help and becomes the Israelite tribes prosper in the land. Next is Gideon who was told by God to prepare an army to lead the Israelites to defeat the Mennonites. He creates an army of 32,000 people which God says is too many people so he instructs him to let all people who are scared to go home. He brings the remaining 10,000 people to the water and says drink, whoever goes on their knees like a dog and drinks is also sent home. Now remained only 300 people so they are arranged in three columns and given a pot and a shofar. Gideon then instructs people to surround the camp and blow their shofar and to throw down their pans. The sound of the shofar causes the Ammonites to fight each other. Yiftach is the third Judge, he makes a deal with God in order to win the battle. If God lets him win the battle, he will sacrifice the first person who opens the door when he gets home. God held up is side of the deal and the Israelites win, when Yiftach returns home he is greeted by his daughter. Yiftach could not sacrifice his daughter and instead banishes her to the hills to live out her life in solitude. The final Judge is Samson (Shimshon), who was instructed even before he was born to not cut his hair. He was known for his strength that he derived from his uncut hair. All of the Judges experienced something that we know as the “Judges cycle”. It starts with the Israelites going astray or praying to idols (avoda zara), then there is a cry for help, God listens and sends a new Judge to solve the issue. They then thank God by praying loyaly.

 

class activity at Sataf learning about the Biblical Book of Judges

4. How did we make the transition into a farmer’s society? The Israelites started as shepherds when going through the desert. Once they reached Eretz Yisrael they transitioned into a farming society to produce their food. In order to live they needed to grow crops and herd animals, and in order to do so they needed water. The Canaanites asked for water from their God Baal. To avoid praying to the Canaanite Gods the Israelites invented a new terrace agriculture. When the rain came the water fell from each level to evenly distribute it amongst the plants. In modern services we continue to pray to God for water. In the Amida prayer we pray for water with the line “morid hatal מוריד הטל” or “modid hageshem  מוריד הגשם” , but we make a point not to pray to other Gods or idols for the rain.

 

Marissa and Talia having fun with the olive trees at Sataf

5. What were the special sites we saw? An interesting thing we learned is the species of plants that are native to the land of Israel, the shivat haminim. They are a part of our history because they have always been the source of food for the Israelites, since the times of Joshua and the reclaiming of the promised land. The crops are: grapes, pomegranates, figs, dates, olives, barely, and wheat. The importance of these crops is simply that they are a holy food for the Israelites and supplied food for them throughout the years.

here are my classmates with some dates (tamar)

Ancient Burial Cave at Kibbutz Tzuba

by Carly Whay,       11^th grade,        St. Louis

A week into our four month pilgrimage to Eretz Yisrael we were able to visit ~2700 year old burial caves here on Kibbutz Tzuba. Though we have been here a short time it is already evident how seeing history where it happened affects the learning process. Although ordinary schools are indoors and fairly similar, learning outside and in historical settings help students obtain information more easily. There's also a certain emotional aspect about it too. Sitting in the caves and thinking that this is where people in ancient times would come to bury their dead is very powerful.

In America, we learn about history sitting in a classroom, it doesn't seem real. But in Israel, we can walk right into our backyard and find 3,000 year old ruins of history. Kibbutz Tzuba is a great place to learn Jewish history for many reasons. Firstly, the people have maintained the same agricultural roots since biblical times. Secondly, Tzuba is mentioned in the Tanach. There was a biblical settlement in Tzuba. Towns in America will be at most 400 years old, and much of history would have been built over. Israel has been able to preserve the land in places like Tzuba so we can learn from them.

The burial cave itself was very interesting. What the ancient Israelites would do was that they would "bury" their deceased in the caves until the bodies decomposed and were eventually just bone, dust to dust. Then they would return them to their ancestors, meaning they would place the bones in a small cavity within the cave. This also ties into the ten commandments, "Honor thy Father and thy mother." In a literal sense this meant paying respect to the dead and visiting them, in accordance to the tradition of the time.

The reading of the Torah portion in Genesis "Chayei Sarah" inside the cave truly tied together the story of the cave. Since we cannot go visit the actual cave where the matriarchs and patriarchs are buried in Hebron, we can still experience what the cave must have been like before a Jewish worship area and a mosque were built on top of it.

Finally, it is unwise to take the Tanach necessarily as a literal source of history, but it should not be completely overlooked. The Tanach provides explanations and insight into the practices of our ancient ancestors. It is impossible to know if there was even an Abraham or Moses, but we know that these stories were passed down and are a part of our tradition. The Tanach may not have literally happened, but it certainly provides a moral code to live by and insight into lives and problems of our ancestors.

Our First Tiyul at Heller High:   Tel Gezer

by Eliza Wein,       10^th grade,         New York

On our sixth day in Israel, Heller High embarked on our first Jewish History tiyul, or field trip. We visited Tel Gezer, a man-made mountain with past layers of civilization stacked on top of each other like the layers in a wafer bar. While we were here, we learned about how the Canaanites lived 4,000 years ago and how this site has changed over time.

Four thousand years ago, Tel Gezer, now blanketed in green grasses and beautiful red kalanyot flowers, used to be home to a thriving community of people called the Canaanites. Some of structures they built have been excavated and we were able to see them. Observing these structures offers valuable insights on the lifestyle and beliefs of these people.

Around the hill we saw open space used for agriculture, including vineyards. We learned the Canaanites also depended on these same areas for growing food. I thought it was rather amazing that thousands of years ago these fields were being used for the same purpose.

Further along, we explored a cave dug by the Canaanites to access the groundwater that seeps down through the porous bedrock. Inside we heard the echoing cries of bats that make the artificial cave their home. Thousands of years after the residents of the city had faded away, the ditches they dug to sustain themselves are still supporting life.

Back in the day of the Canaanites, Israel was conveniently located between the powerful civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. This strategic placement allowed Gezer (along with other cities in Israel), to become thriving trade hubs. With many different and sometimes hostile peoples passing through, it became important to protect from invaders. In response, the people of Gezer built a gigantic wall and guard tower (the ruins of which we were able to see) that kept the city safe.

Further along the path we were met with a special surprise- Abraham and Sarah came for a talk! They weren’t fans of the Canaanites- in Abraham’s words, “Dude, they’re stupid dude.” Perhaps it was their polytheistic beliefs, or their frequent child sacrifices, but Sarah and Abraham avoided Canaanite cities, instead preferring to roam the countryside as nomads. They believed in one God they called יהוה. Abraham and Sarah were so strongly opposed to the Canaanites that they didn’t want their son Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman, because they believed he would adopt their gods through marriage.

While we explored around the Tel, David taught us about some of the archaeological finds at Gezer and why they were important. One rather disturbing find here was of the bones of children in a vessel near the worship alters the Canaanites used to pray to their gods so that there would be rain. Another important find here is a calendar with the ancient Hebrew alphabet that was used to keep track of harvest months and to teach children. This is significant because at the time it was discovered (1905) it was the oldest example of written Hebrew ever found. It is also important because it shows how children may have been educated. Lastly, the defense tower at Gezer is the largest ever found in Israel.

After seeing all the ruins, some of which were oddly sophisticated, the image of the Canaanites as an advanced people comes to mind. I can hardly imagine how someone might build a large stone tower without modern tools, chisel out and transport massive stone pillars, or make complicated clay vessels by hand. With regard to child sacrifice, it was their way of explaining events, and they didn’t know any better since it was commonly practiced back then my many peoples. Like we believe in the weather forecast, they truly believed what they were doing was the only way to bring rain, because they didn’t have the scientific knowledge to have an alternate explanation.

As we wrapped up the tiyul and had tefilah under a shady tree, it gave us time to reflect on the trip we had just done and imagine what life must have been like four millennia ago.