En Gedi

After a hot day of hiking around the top of Masada, En Gedi is Paradise. It is one of the most beautiful oases in the Middle East. It is also called Hazazon-tamar in the Bible (Genesis 14:7, 2 Chronicles 20:2), and was part of the land belonging to the tribe of Judah. David took refuge here when fleeing from Saul (I Samuel 24:1).

More than 8,000 cubic meters of water a day come from four springs into the En Gedi oasis. Rain soaks into the Hebron hills and sinks through permeable rock to a layer of clay. It travels underground on top of the clay until it reaches the cliffs of the Rift Valley. The water is clean and pure. It is bottled and sold by the local kibbutz.

The En Gedi oasis is a wildlife preserve. There were ibex not far from the trail. Ibex are large wild goats with horns as long as 30 inches.