Other Sites of Interest In Southern Israel

 

Dead Sea

 

What would a trip to Israel be without taking a dip in the famous Dead Sea? Following is some helpful info for helping you decide which beach is best for you.

 

Northern Beaches

 

The northern beaches are privately owned and charge a fee to enter, even if your stay is for a quick dip in the sea. They have more of the mud for skincare, the water is a little cooler, they have higher waves and a little less salt content. However, there is still plenty of salt, so you can float quite easily.

 

For health reasons, a strong warning is given regarding swallowing the saltwater in the Dead Sea. It has 7 times more salt than any other body of water in the world, and it’s easy to get salt poisoning if even a small amount of water is ingested.

 

All the beaches have changing rooms, restrooms, showers, and bathrooms. All have great places to eat at and shop. The northern beaches have gift shops, while the southern beaches have access to gift shops, but they’re not always right at the resorts.

 

1. Kalia Beach – Less waves, cheaper entrance fee.

 

2. Biankini Beach

 

3. Neve Midbar

 

4. Ein Gedi Hot Springs – More expensive entrance fees, natural hot mineral springs.

 

Southern Beaches

 

The southern beaches have a higher concentration of salt, are more turquoise in color, have more transparent water, are more gradual with fewer waves, are smoother, and are free as they are public beaches.

 

1. Ein Bokek Public Beach

 

2. Zohar Public Beach

 

3. Segregated Public Beach – This beach separates the men from the women for Jewish reasons.

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Ziklag

 

While the exact location of biblical Ziklag is debated, most archaeologists now place it at Tel Ser'a (Tel esh-Shariah), which is in the southernmost area of Judea about 14 miles (23 km.) northwest of Tel Beer Sheba and about 15 miles (24 km.) east of Gaza. 

 

Ziklag is first mentioned in the Bible as part of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:31). It was allotted to the tribe of Simeon (within the tribe of Judah), but the Israelites apparently failed to conquer it because Ziklag was still under Philistine control when Saul reigned as king (Josh. 19:5).

 

Because for many years King Saul sought to harm David, David fled to Ziklag seeking refuge after the death of Samuel. As a result, he lived in Ziklag with six hundred men and their households in Philistine territory.

 

While living in Ziklag, David petitioned Achish, the Philistine king of Gath, to give him the city of Ziklag (1 Sam. 27:5–6). Achish consented and gave Ziklag to David.

 

During David’s rule over Ziklag, which lasted 16 months, he made it his military home base. From Ziklag, David raided many of the cities of the Amalekites. Because many soldiers from Israel were disappointed with Saul’s leadership, they joined forces with David’s private army during this time (1 Chron. 12:1–22). When war broke out between the Philistines and Israel during the reign of King Saul, David and his small army attempted to join the Philistine army to fight against Saul. However, the Philistine leaders rejected David and sent him away from the battle. While David and the Philistines were away, the Amalekites attacked Ziklag. They burned the city and took captive all the women, children, and the elderly. 

 

When David and his men returned to Ziklag, they found it had been destroyed by fire, and their families had been taken captive (1 Sam. 30:1–3). In response, David and his army pursued the Amalekites and recovered their families and possessions. (1 Sam. 30:16–31).

 

While David was living in Ziklag, he received the news of the defeat of Israel by the Philistines and Saul and Jonathan's deaths (2 Samuel 4:10). 

 

Ziklag remained in control of Israel from this point on and is last mentioned in the Bible as one of the cities the Jews inhabited after returning from exile in Babylon (Neh. 11:28).