World Toilet Day

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See these signs and symbols, as if on shards?
They point the way to sanitized toilet facilities of the archaeology museum at the foot of Masada.

So yes, it's not only S day on ABC Wednesday; it is also the annual World Toilet Day.
Seriously--the U.N. General Assembly has designated November 19 as World Toilet Day. 

The idea behind it is
"We can't wait to improve sanitation.
2.5 billion people do not have access to a clean and safe toilet."

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Masada Museum

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This artist or scribe seemed to be painting or writing something on the sign outside the new (2007) Masada Museum.

It was very touching for me to go through the semi-dark exhibits for the first time.
Standing alone in the museum next to the life size statues, I felt very close to the people, both the Jewish zealots and also the Romans.
I even started to whisper to a few.

The end of the route and the end of the story was a lit case showing the 12 ostraca, the sherds with names written in ink, the lots by which were chosen the last rebels who would die by their own sword rather than become slaves for the conquering Romans.
This was the part that brought me tears, remembering them and all the 960 men, women, and children who chose death up on the fortress of Masada.

So it was a nice and needed lightening of heart when I exited and saw the guard dragging the outside statue guy in through the door just before closing time.
It made me laugh.
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Here is a nice 5 minute video about Masada National Park.
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(A post for Our World Tuesday and Monday Doorways .)
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Daughter at the deep Dead Sea

Today's ABC Wednesday has bloggers from all over the world presenting their letter D words.

The DEAD SEA SCROLLS were accidentally DISCOVERED in these caves near Qumran, in the DESERT called The Wilderness of Judea.

I have not been DOWN there for years, so I take the liberty of showing my DEAR DAUGHTER's photographs. She and her family were back in Israel for a visit in January 2007.

In Naomi's picture above you can see the shrinking Dead Sea, its surface now at minus 421 meters below sea level. Beyond it is the Kingdom of Jordan. The cable car carries tourists up to the top of Masada. The square below is one of the camps built by the Romans for the siege of Masada.
The super-salty Dead Sea water was too cool for floating on in January, Naomi's blog says, but this was the view of the beach from their hotel window.
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President Bush in Israel's sky

I'm pretty sure President Bush was in this helicopter over my house. A whole row of choppers from America's Marine One fleet went over, flying from the airport to Jerusalem. Bush came for Israel's May 14 Independence Day and to contribute to the Facing Tomorrow Presidential Conference. Also participating were present and former presidents, prime ministers and senior officials from 27 countries, along with Jewish Nobel Prize winners, Google founder Sergey Brin, and Susan Decker of Yahoo. (By the way, none of these countries recognizes Jerusalem as our capital. Their embassies are in Tel Aviv.)
Bush also requested to be helicoptered to the desert mountain fortress of Masada. In the year 73 C.E., after a long siege, the Romans were about to break through the walls and capture the Jewish resistance fighters inside. Rather than fall into Roman slavery, the 960 men, women, and children died by their own sword. Masada is a powerful symbol for our modern nation; some say we have a Masada complex.
Bush later addressed the Knesset and to a standing ovation declared: "Masada shall not fall again! Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you."

(To see more Sky Watch Friday contributions visit Tom's blog.)