Dead Sea Fun

Geza Vermes, Translator of Dead Sea Scrolls and Renowned Scholar of Jesus, Dies at 88

Geza Vermes was a translator of the Dead Sea Scrolls and renowned for books exploring the Jewish background of Jesus.

Vermes had an early interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a cache of documents written between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200 which were discovered in caves at Qumran, near Jericho, between 1947 and 1956. Vermes published the first English translation of the scrolls in 1962.

The scrolls gave an insight to Jewish practices and thought at the time Jesus was preaching, and they informed a series of books by Vermes on the historical Jesus.

Read the full article at WashingtonPost.com

Leave the Driving to Egged

Common ways to travel to the Dead Sea area are by car, Egged intercity bus, and by tour bus. If you are near the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, Egged has direct bus service to the Dead Sea hotel area, under two hours travel time from Jerusalem, three hours from Tel Aviv. Egged offers a convenient Trip Planner on their Website in English or Hebrew. To use the English version, click the "Plan a Trip " tab, type in "Jerusalem" or "Tel Aviv" for Departure, and "Dead Sea Hotels" for destination.

Gabriel Stone on Display at the Israel Museum

An ancient limestone tablet covered with a mysterious Hebrew text that features the archangel Gabriel is at the center of a new exhibit in Jerusalem, even as scholars continue to argue about what it means.

The so-called Gabriel Stone, a meter (three-foot)-tall tablet said to have been found 13 years ago on the banks of the Dead Sea, features 87 lines of an unknown prophetic text dated as early as the first century BC, at the time of the Second Jewish Temple.

Read the full article at Fox News

Masada Project: A Tribute to Israeli Performing Arts, May 30 - June 1, 2013

At Masada Hall, Nature’s Auditorium: May 30 - Shalom Hanoch - "White Wedding", May 31- Mayumana - "RacConto", June 1- Shlomo Artzi.

According to Dov Litvinoff, Chairman of the Tamar Regional Council: "The Tamar Regional Council is a ground breaker in the field of Israeli music. Each year the Council hosts the Tamar Festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators in a very distinguished setting for first-class performers. Now, the Council does so again by establishing the "Masada Project" which brings together the very best of Israeli performers and starting a tradition for the Shavuot Holiday by establishing a unique music festival at the world's lowest geographical point".

Read the full article at Masada-Hall.co.il

Side Trip: Plug Fest - May 9 - 11, 2013

Plug Fest is Israel’s first ever international music festival and will take place May 9-11, 2013 in the beautiful Negev Desert close to the Dead Sea. The festival will bring a great roster of international names to Israel including Azealia Banks, Chk Chk Chk (!!!), Jessie Ware, Tinariwen, CSS, Lee Scratch Perry, 2ManyDJ’s, John Talabot, and more.

Taking place over three days, the festival is a true first for Israel, bringing so many international artists together for a festival has never happened before, and there is no doubt that it will be a great success. Space are limited, and tickets are on sale now.

For more information TouristIsrael.com

Canada's PotashCorp Drops Takeover Bid for Israel Chemicals

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, the world's largest fertilizer producer, on Thursday abandoned its takeover bid for Israel Chemicals, saying it would not pursue the acquisition due to growing opposition from Israeli politicians and company employees.

PotashCorp, which owns just under 14% of ICL, renewed its efforts to gain full control of the world's sixth-largest potash producer at the end of last year. CEO Bill Doyle met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last fall to lobby for the deal, but the bid met staunch opposition from labor unions and many politicians, including Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who recently vowed to block the takeover bid.

Read the full article at Haaretz.com

Jordanian Official Confirms Support for Red Sea-Dead Sea Conduit

A Jordanian senior official affirmed this week that his government supports the proposed Red Sea-Dead Sea Conduit and regards it as an essential step in battling the severe water shortage in Jordan.

Saad Abu Hamour - secretary general of the Jordan Valley Authority and Jordanian head of the Israel Jordan Joint Water Committee - assured participants of the Ashdod Sustainability Conference this week that Jordan would support the proposed conduit from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The so-called Two Seas Canal is a joint Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian project intended to provide potable water to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It would also bring sea water to stabilize the Dead Sea water level.

Read the full article at Haaretz.com

In Israel-Nepal Exchange, Monuments Erected to Link Earth's High, Low Points

A monument containing a stone from the Dead Sea was placed on Mount Everest in a symbolic link between the lowest and highest points on Earth Tuesday.

The monument is part of an exchange program between Nepal and Israel. A stone from the highest mountain will be placed in a matching monument by the Dead Sea on May 16.

Read the full article at Haaretz.com