A sunrise few have seen

Trent and Rebekah are “vagabonding” for forty days in Israel between the close of the Ashkelon excavation and the opening of their fall semester at Jerusalem University College (also known as the American Institute of Holy Land Studies). Last Thursday morning they were at Masada for the sunrise. I didn’t ask if they spent the night there.

This view from Masada to the east at sunrise is one I have not seen. They graciously allowed me to post it here.

Sunrise from Masada. Photo by Trent and Rebekah, Aug. 01, 2013.

There is more to this photo than just the beauty of it. In their photo you see the Lisan (or Tongue) that extends from the east into the Dead Sea. You may also see the canal through which water is pumped to the southern end of the Sea.

The photo below was made near mid-day from Masada.

View east from Masada near mid-day. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

The same photo below has been enhanced further in Photoshop to reveal the details a little better.

View east from Masada (enhanced to show features). Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Last month I wrote about “The topography of Kir-hareseth” here. This map shows the valley that goes down from the Transjordan Plateau in a northwesterly direction to the Lisan Peninsula (tongue) of the Dead Sea. Masada is located directly across from that valley. The Lisan now extends completely across the Dead Sea, as the photos above show. Water is pumped to the southern end of the Sea to allow for the chemicals and minerals to be mined.

Map of the southern end of Dead Sea. Today the Lisan extends completely across the Dead Sea.

Dr. Rasmussen (HolyLandPhotos’Blog) says,

The Dead/Salt Sea can be divided into two unequal sections by a tongue-shaped peninsula that protrudes into it from the eastern shore (= Lisan in Arabic, Lashon in Hebrew). – Zondervan Atlas of the Bible, 49.

Trent and Rebekah continue to post about the places they are visiting in Israel. Take a look at TrentandRebekah.wordpress.com.