En Gedi

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Introduction

 

Nestled between the Judean Desert and the shores of the Dead Sea, En Gedi National Park is one of Israel’s most stunning natural oases. With its lush waterfalls, desert canyons, ancient ruins, and rich biblical history — including the caves where David hid from King Saul — En Gedi offers a breathtaking blend of beauty and spiritual significance. It’s a must-visit destination for nature lovers, hikers, and those seeking a deeper connection to the land of the Bible.

 

Location

 

1. En Gedi is located on the west side of the lower Dead Sea area about 11 miles (17 km.) north of Masada on Hwy. 90.

 

2. It’s a beautiful oasis fed by a large spring in a barren, dry place.

 

Historical Background

 

1. En Gedi was inhabited by the Canaanites during the time of Abraham and Lot. 

 

2. The Dead Sea basin was once like a Garden of the Lord.
Genesis 13:10–12: Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. 11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

 

3. Due to the abundant water supply, the village by En Gedi Park has had a long history of habitation from ancient days to the present.

 

4. Today, this area is extremely dry, and En Gedi is an oasis of living water in the desert.

 

Places of Interest

 

1. Park entrance

 

2. Hiking trail

 

3. Nahal David Stream

 

4. Lower pools

 

5. Upper pools

 

6. Upper waterfall

 

7. Synagogue at Tel Goren (Jorn)

 

8. Ancient and modern En Gedi town

 

9. Dead Sea

 

En Gedi in the Bible

 

1. En Gedi was used in a love poem in the book of Song of Solomon.
Song of Solomon 1:14: My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En Gedi.

 

2. In the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth, God speaks of how He will change the Dead Sea region again to be like a garden due to a supernatural river flowing from Jerusalem. 
Ezekiel 47:9–10: And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From En Gedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

 

3. En Gedi was one of David’s main hideouts when Saul was pursuing his life.
1 Samuel 23:28–29: So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore, that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

 

4. En Gedi is a perfect example of living water in the desert.

 

• The Israelites were a desert people whose whole history was related to the desert. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, along with the Israelite’s time in Egypt, and their wandering in the desert for 40 years, all took place in a desert. Also, much of Israel is a desert as well.

 

• The Israelites fully knew that living water meant life and survival.

 

5. God used the desert and living water as examples of judgment upon Israel.
Jeremiah 2:12–13: Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

 

6. God used desert imagery to show how those who abandon Him are like a parched desert without water.
Jeremiah 17:5–8: Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." 

 

7. Christ referred to Himself as the source of living water.
John 7:37–38: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

 

Faith Lesson from En Gedi

 

1. Living Water in the Bible refers to spiritual life and vitality found only in being right with God.

 

2. Stagnant water is full of sickness and diseases and refers to the person who lives life without being right with God.

 

3. Have we received Christ, the source of living water?

 

4. Do we fellowship regularly with God in order to receive living water for our souls?

 

5. Do we read God’s Word, which gives living water to our spirits and nourishes our hearts?

 

6. Are we seeking to find life and joy in our own pursuits and neglecting our relationship with God?
Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jer. 2:12–13).

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