The Masada tiyul started off on an interesting note. That being the fact that we woke up at 4:15 in the dark. We then walked to the entrance of Masada and did a warm-up in preparation. We got into pairs of to and started to ascend the mountain. The hike was grueling and hard, but everyone made it to the top safely. When I reached the top I felt an accomplished feeling and looked out at the awe inspiring view. After a generous photo break, we started a weekday service. Following this, the learning about Masada began.
Masada stays true to its definition, which is fortress. King Herod built Masada as a luxurious fortress where he could escape to. Once Herod died and the era of puppet kings ended, the Romans took over Masada. The story goes that once the Great Revolt in Israel started, Extremist Jews called Zealots fled Jerusalem and overcame the small Roman patrol at Masada. They established a hideout from the Romans. It lasted for quite some time until the Roman Empire decided it was time to capture back Masada. The Zealots put up a good fight but were eventually overcome by the stronger Roman Army. However, because of the Zealots extreme view story goes that they all killed themselves. This story and most of the tales we have about Masada were written by Josephus Flavius.
Question
What was more gratifying, reaching the top of Masada or seeing the sunrise?
For me, reaching the top of the mountain was very gratifying. I was one of the first people to reach the peak, and proving to myself that I could accomplish this insane challenge and push myself to those limits was very fulfilling. However, the sunrise was definitely amazing to watch.
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I think that reaching the top of the mountain was the most gratifying. Masada is a storied place among American Jewish teens that visit Israel and it felt good to be able to say that I did it too
ReplyDeleteWatching the sunrise was more gratifying to me because it made the climb worth it. Being able to accomplish something that was difficult for me felt good but I love watching the sunrise so it made me happy.
ReplyDeletei think both were because i had a hard time but making it to the top and seeing the sunrise was amazing
ReplyDeleteFor me it was more gratifying to simply reach the top o Masada after a grueling hike, ending in my stomach acid being all over the Masada trail
ReplyDeleteI agree that reaching the top was more gratifying than seeing the sunrise because reaching the top was an accomplishment of a difficult task, and the sunrise was just an observation, so it wasn't as rewarding even though it was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteReaching the top of Masada was much more gratifying for me personally than seeing the sunrise. It was a very challenging hike for me that I felt like would never end. Every time I turned the corner I felt like ten more flights of stairs appeared. I personally did not care about the sunrise, I was just thankful that I made it up the mountain alive.
ReplyDeleteClimbing up Masada was a huge accomplishment for me. The hike was definitely more satisfactory for me, because two years ago that wasn't even a possibility for me.
ReplyDeleteI think that both climbing and seeing the sunrises provided satisfaction, however feeling accomplished after climbing was truly a great experience for me. Even though my body was aching and sore, the euphoria of finishing the mountain overpowered the feeling of pain in my legs.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, I believe that seeing the sunrise was more rewarding than actually climbing up Masada. I don't get to see a sunrise like that everyday, so seeing it really allowed me to just forget about everything for one second and just enjoy the beauty.
ReplyDeleteI think both were equally gratifying in different ways. Reaching the top was an amazing feeling of accomplishment, and a reward of its own but the additional aspect of the sunset made it even better
ReplyDeleteIt was one hundred percent more satisfying to reach the top because I drank a lot of coffee before our hike up and it did not help my stomach on the way up(I did not puke), so it was very nice to have made it up the mountain in one piece.
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