My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.
Song of Songs 1:13-14
This 3,000 year-old imagery suggests the riches of this desert oasis on the shores of the Dead Sea. Come to this place early in the morning and spend 20 minutes hiking up this small green canyon until you reach the high, green waterfalls cascading down from the cliffs above. Then strip down and cool off in Ein Gedi’s fresh, sweet water, judged to be the highest quality in Israel. Then, walk back down along the water with the vista of the Dead Sea below you. On your way the hiker-friendly Ibex and Hyrax of the national park will make your acquaintance.
If you have the time and inclination, visit the ancient synagogue uncovered here. Part of the mosiac warns the local residents to guard their communities secret or face a curse. The community here produced a perfume from a local fruit which acted as an aphrodisiac and it’s formula was worth a fortune and hence the taxes collected here for the Romans were significant and the site was prized by regional players such as Herod the Great and Cleopatra.
Unfortunately the formula has passed, unknown, into history…