Overcoming a Mountain-Sized Obstacle
November 18th, 2008
Masada, a man's obstacle
By Grant Turgeon
I glanced up at the peak and sighed. Why couldn’t we just take the cable car to the top? Immediately I wished I was back in the gift shop, lavishly enjoying my chocolate ice cream while reclining in a lawn chair with my feet up on the flimsy table. Anything would be better than climbing a mountain, right?
The obstacle I am referring to is Masada. When the Romans sacked Jerusalem, many of the Jews fled here. The Romans caught up to them eventually, and the Jews holed up in an impenetrable fortress on top of this mountain. After a lengthy siege in which the Romans built a huge ramp up the mountain, the Jews, knowing they would be cruelly slaughtered, decided to take their own lives in a final act of defiance. All totaled, around 960 Jews committed suicide.
One third of the 60 members attending the Jerusalem Feast site decided to make the trek up the mountain. We started up, trying to remain positive, but the heat and constant pain in our calves stifled most attempts at conversation. Looking up at the endless stairs didn’t help either.
Looking down from near the top of Masada
All of a sudden, Daniel Ladenburg, an upbeat young man from Arizona, started yelling and cheering like a wild man. His antics lightened the mood instantly. Just like that, jokes and laughter rippled down the side of the mountain. Then, we discussed the importance of this area, and became engrossed in deep conversation.
Finally, we reached the top. The view was breathtaking: endless sand dunes with several planted palm trees scattered around. In the distance we could see the Dead Sea bordering the sand. We relished the breeze as it cooled us off.
We saw the stone structures where weapons and food had been stored. There was also an underground palace, but we weren’t able to see that. Various caves lay in corners of the rock. Our tour guide, Jareer, explained the details of the history of Masada.
The trip down was easy for most people. Jogging down made it more like a controlled fall with gravity guiding our steps. Once down, exhausted as we were, we decided to sit and eat ice cream. At least, that’s what I did. It was a refreshing treat capping off one of the many fantastic memories of my 2008 Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hey Grant!
Great article! Like your intro heaps. Sounds like it turned out to be a lot of fun in the end!
November 18th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Hey Grant-nice article! Glad your still alive after your journey!
Keep up the good work. 
November 19th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Sir
Thank you! I feel like I was there.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Wow, that sounded so interesting, Grant!!! Thanks for sharing that with us. And that picture speaks volumes. Glad you could visit there
November 20th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Wow! I didn’t know that Buffalo Bill fans could do that. Good article though.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Thanks for sharing Grant. It reminds me of the Jordan feast in ‘98 when we took a hike to eat with the Bedouins. We had to climb over steep rocky mountains and even jump a ravine. It was a big test for me because I have a fear of heights, slopes and jumping over ravines! Doing it anyway was a character builder.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I totally took the cable car last year…
now i feel guilty.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Great article Grant! Brings back wonderful memories as we were there also. If I had been 20 years younger I might have joined you but caught the cable car with the other senior members of the group! Keep writing!
December 5th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
thanks grant that wasan amazing article keep up the goodwork.
December 5th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
thanks grant that was an amazing article keep up the good work.
December 9th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Well done Grant! Loved how you not only shared your personal experience, but some historical information as well! What a great resource for our eight year old! keep it up TE!
December 11th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Good job Grant! that was quite inspiring, we didnt exactly climb mountains at Sandusky but i had to bulid myself up to get on some of the waterslides,
keep up to good work bud.
December 11th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Great article Grant. I almost felt like I was there - Oh wait a minute - I was. Mom
December 14th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Hey Grant!
Great article! The picture really showed what height on the mountain you were at. Ice cream sounds good about now. Sounded like an awesome feast! Thanks for the article!
Keep up the good work!
December 20th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
You sure did like that Ice cream over there. It seems every time I turned around you had a new bar or cone. :D. It was so awesome spending the FOT with you and your family. I have to say - my wife gets most of the credit for the enthusiasm - You can tell GOD brought us together. :D. Hope to see you again soon - you are always welcome to any Ice Cream I have - miss you guys tons.