Judean Desert. Israel, Jerusalem

Judean Desert

Israel, Jerusalem

Desert

The Judean desert is located in Israel, on the west coast of the Dead Sea, between the ridge of Ramallah and the Hebron Highlands. This desert is considered one of the smallest, its territory totals about 10,500 sq. Km. It begins east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea.
The Judean Desert has important historical value: from time immemorial, it served as a haven for hermits and rebels, the future Jewish king David hid here from the persecution of his father-in-law King Saul and composed psalms. According to the legend, on the northwestern border of the Judean desert, at the mouth of the Jordan River, John the Baptist baptized people and preached the imminent coming of Christ. Even before the early Christians in the Judean desert, participants in the Jewish sect of the Essenes, chronicles of which were found in the local village of Qumran, sought purification and enlightenment. Currently, the desert is inhabited by Bedouins and Jewish settlers.
The main attraction of the Judean desert is the Dead Sea, which borders on it in the east. The desert has its own oasis, it is called Ein Gedi and is distinguished by many exotic plants brought here from different countries. Occasionally, when it rains over Jerusalem, the desert transforms: turbulent water streams flow through its gorges, after which it is covered with delicate greenery.

Western coast of the Dead Sea, Israel