My maternal grandfather, W. Harvell Jackson, was a Presbyterian minister. In the early 1960's, after many years of research, he opened the Palestinian Gardens, outside of Lucedale, MS.
He searched for land with the perfect topography to reproduce the Holy Land at the time of Jesus. He built the cities based on a scale of 1 yard to 1 mile, and built the houses out of concrete bricks. He and my grandmother, and later my parents, would take groups on guided tours through the Gardens, sharing with them the Gospel stories.
After the Gardens were opened, my grandfather made his first trip to Israel. He loved seeing the very land that he had researched and recreated in South Mississippi. He organized a tour back to the Holy Land, and he would be the guide. At about 17 years old, I was to be a part of the trip. I bought my first SLR film camera, and was ready to make the trip.
War intervened. The Yom Kippur War would prevent us from traveling to Israel. My grandfather and I never had the chance to make this pilgrimage together.
Now many years later, I made this pilgrimage to honor my grandfather. He had an amazing zest for life. He rode a camel, he swam in the Dead Sea, he ascended the mountains and went down into the valleys. He soaked up this Holy Land, and I was determined to as well!
On this day we are traveling to the Dead Sea. When out trip was first proposed, there was not going to be a stop at the Dead Sea. Web Heidelberg and I lobbied for its inclusion. Of the group, we were the only two who wanted to actually float in the Dead Sea. Our teacher, Willis Britt, made arrangements to accommodate us, and I will be forever grateful!
We left Qumran for the short drive to the Dead Sea. We went to a beautiful resort area with changing rooms and showers, chairs, covered areas and refreshments. Web and I went to change clothes, and the adventure began!
I was a little skeptical after reading the warnings, but we plugged on!
Our instructions were to enter the water backwards and then just sit back like you are sitting in your recliner at home and you will float. Well, we did just that! It was amazing! No treading water, no effort required. What a experience! The water is 10 times more salty than regular sea water, and it makes you very buoyant. Unforgettable!
Modern research reveals that the Dead Sea retains the same basic shape as it has since Old Testament times, though the water line has retreated in modern years due to diversion of the waters from the Jordan River.
The Dead Sea is also known by the names Salt Sea, Sea of the Araban, Lake of Asphalt, and Eastern Sea. It is Israel's largest inland body of water. Its size can change by a mile or more from year-to-year, due to changes in rainfall, diversion, and the rate of evaporation. It is the lowest point on the earth's surface. As we descended by bus, our ears popped, much as they do on the descent of an airplane. The Dead Sea has no outlet, the only way that water leaves is through evaporation.
Ezekiel had a vision that the shore of the Dead Sea will be full of trees and the water would become fresh and full of fish. I can testify that hasn't happened yet!
As dusk began to fall, we headed back through Jerusalem on our way back to Bethlehem. A Dutch windmill in Jerusalem?? This windmill was built in 1857 by Moses Montefiore - who was working to promote the Holy Land. The windmill powered a mill which was intended to make the Arabs of Palestine self-supporting. The problem was there was not enough wind - there probably only being 20 days a year with wind sufficient to turn the windmill. It is also called the Jaffa Gate Mill. Two interesting stories - the local millers feared the competition and cursed it-and said it would be washed away by the rains. When it was not washed away, they declared it to be an action of Satan. Secondly, the Arabs working there developed a taste for the lubricating oil and began licking the bearings. Fearing a fire created by too much friction, the operators placed a leg of pork in the oil barrel, ending the Arab's taste for the oil. The windmill was bombed by the British in "Operation Don Quixote", during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence because it was being used as an observation point by Israeli soldiers. It was restored in 2012 as part of the 60th Anniversary of the founding of Israel.
Well, Granddaddy, it's been a good day! L'chaim and goodnight!!
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