Judaean Desert

The Judaean Desert is a desert area in Israel, located to the west of the Dead Sea. It is one of the most famous deserts in the world. In ancient times it served as a refuge for hermits and rebels, and today it is home to Bedouins and Jewish settlers.

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Video: Judean Desert

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Highlights

The arid region receives little rainfall. Almost everywhere, the hilly Judean Desert resembles Martian landscapes and appears to travelers in various shades of gray, brown, yellow, and beige. Near its northwestern borders, the Jordan River carries its waters. In some places it colors the rocky slopes with patches of bright green. The nature of these places is very harsh, but, according to scientists at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, under the Judean Desert is a huge underground reservoir. The aquifer starts from the Judean Mountains and goes towards the Dead Sea. Experts believe that about 100 million m³ of water per year passes through the underground reservoir.

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Traveling through the Judean Desert is popular with tourists and pilgrims. People travel here for the monasteries, the world’s oldest synagogue and other historical monuments that represent the living history of Israel over 2,000 years. People come to the Judean Desert to ride off-road vehicles, ATVs and bicycles. Many tourists are interested in seeing the unusual animal and plant life that is preserved in protected areas near the Dead Sea. The best time to visit the Judean Desert is considered the dry season – from May to September.

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History of the Judean Desert

In Judaism and Christianity, the desert near the Dead Sea is associated with many biblical events. These lands were given as an allotment to one of the 12 tribes of Israel, the lineage of Jehudah, and for this they were named the Judean Desert. One of the first hermits who found refuge in the desert was David. The future ruler of the Jewish kingdom hid here from King Saul.

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Even before the arrival of the early Christians, beginning in the 2nd century B.C., representatives of one of the Jewish sects, the Essais or Ossinians, wandered in the desert area. They established their colonies in the northwest of the desert and led isolated lives, trying not to meet with other Jews.

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At the mouth of the Jordan River, in the northwest of the Judean Desert, John the Baptist baptized people. In these places Jesus Christ spent 40 days in fasting and prayer. Centuries passed and hermitages and monasteries were formed in the desert area.

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Nature and climate

There are no smooth plains at all in the Judean Desert. The desert landscape consists of hilly ridges ranging from -50 to 900 meters above the ocean. One side of the hills is usually gentle, while the other side is cut off by steep escarpments. The desert is crossed by many ravines or wadis, most of which are quite deep. On the slopes of canyons and cliffs can be seen caves that gave shelter to Stone Age people and hermits.

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After winter and spring rains, violent streams of water run down the ravines. After them, the Judean Desert is covered with bright colors and young greenery. However, the arid climate takes its toll, and after a short time the landscape becomes lifeless again.

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Desert animals and plants have developed places around streams and springs that do not dry up and are able to sustain life despite the drought. Hawthorn, pistachio, and carob trees grow here, and oases are home to stone goats and cape damans.

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The Judean Desert lies in the subtropical zone. It receives 400-500 mm of rainfall per year. The western part of the territory is dominated by a Mediterranean climate, while the eastern part is characterized by an arid desert climate. It is very hot in summer. During daytime hours, the air temperature rises to +40…+50 ° C.

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Dead Sea

The Judean desert cannot be imagined without a huge inland body of water – a drainless salt lake lying on the border of Israel and Jordan. The water level in the Dead Sea is 430 meters below the ocean level, so its shores are considered the lowest land areas on our planet.

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Travelers to the Judean Desert are sure to bathe in the saltiest sea on Earth. While bathing in the Dead Sea, it is difficult to become completely submerged in the water.

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Ancient monasteries and temples

The Judean Desert includes the area of the Qumran National Reserve, which is located near the Dead Sea, near Kibbutz Kalia. The settlement on the dry plateau originated in the 2nd century BC. It was little known until the famous Qumran manuscripts or Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Today, the excavation site has been turned into an open-air archaeological museum, which can be visited by everyone. The tourist center shows a film about Qumran for travelers.

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In the vicinity of Jericho, 5 km from the Dead Sea, in the Judean Desert is the picturesque monastery of St. Gerasim of Jordan. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Palestine. The monastery was named in honor of St. Gerasimos, who in the V century founded a small lavra in these places. Almost all the icons and frescoes of the monastery depict animals associated with the life of St. Gerasimos – a donkey and a lion.

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Nowadays there are two temples in the monastery: the upper and lower temples, and a hostel was built next to them, where many Greek pilgrims come. Under the walls of the monastery there is a cemetery, where Greek and Russian monks found their last shelter.

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A place of baptism on the Jordan River – Qasr el Ehud – is very popular with pilgrims and tourists. Here John the Baptist baptized Jesus. For a long time the territory around the place of baptism was mined and inaccessible to travelers. But a few years ago, at the request of representatives of various religious denominations, it was demined.

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The Jordan River at this site is about 10 meters wide. Its left bank belongs to Jordan, and the right bank belongs to Israel. From both sides many tourists come to the place of baptism. It is customary for Orthodox pilgrims to dip three times in the river, imitating the events described in the New Testament. The path to the place of baptism is sheltered from the sun by a shady canopy. Traces of archaeological excavations can be seen around it. Today, the remains of several temples built from the V to XIII centuries have been discovered near the place of baptism. Nearby, on the Jordanian shore several temples of different denominations have been built.

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How to get there

The Judean Desert lies to the east of Jerusalem and the Judean Mountains, between the Ramallah Range and the Hebron Highlands. Bus tours of local attractions are organized from all Dead Sea resorts and from Jerusalem. Traveling over the Judean Desert is also conducted by helicopter. Such tours, for example, can be purchased in Herzliya.

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Along the shore of the Dead Sea goes highway Ein Gedi – Jericho. It is not difficult to reach the Judean Desert by rented car or cab. Direct buses from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea are operated by the Eged company. The trip takes about 3 hours. You can also take two buses to the Dead Sea, transferring in Jerusalem.

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