En-Gedi is actually the name of a spring which flows from a height of 656 feet above the Dead Sea. In the Bible, the wasteland near the spring where David sought refuge from Saul is called “the wilderness of En-Gedi” and the enclosed camps at the top of the mountains, the “strongholds of En-Gedi.”

In the period before the Bar Kokhba War (132-135), the Jewish town of En-Gedi was imperial property and Roman garrison troops were stationed there. But in the time of Bar Kokhba, it was under his control, and was one of his military and administrative centers. In the Roman-Byzantine period, the settlement of En-Gedi is mentioned by the Church Fathers; Eusebius describes it as a very large Jewish village.

The 6,250-acre Ein Gedi Nature Reserve sits along the Syrian-African Rift, not far from the Dead Sea. The reserve’s four springs - David, Arugot, Shulamit, and Ein Gedi - are literally the wellspring for a wealth of flora and fauna, providing a stark contrast to the parched desert environment all around.

Thanks to its location, hot climate, and abundant water, Ein Gedi is a tropical oasis. The reserve has trees and plants of east African origin. The lush vegetation on the riverbanks includes Euphrates poplars, trees especially fond of water and heat, which are found in oases in Israel and along the Jordan River. Many animals are attracted to Ein Gedi’s water and luxuriant flora. Some are accustomed to the sight of hikers and therefore can be observed from up close. Ein Gedi’s plentiful water and hot climate were important assets in growing unusual plants and achieving good crop yields. Historically, Ein Gedi’s dates were in high demand and its therapeutic and aromatic plants were renowned. The oldest ruins found in Ein Gedi are from the Chalcolithic period (fourth millennium B.C.E.), when people in Eretz Israel first began to use copper. During this time, a lone temple, cut off from any settlement, was built on a rock facing the Dead Sea, not far from Ein Gedi Spring. During the Byzantine period, the Jewish residents of the area built an ornate synagogue here, on view at the Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park. Excavations in 1970 brought to light the remains of a Jewish community in the Byzantine period. Their synagogue had a beautiful mosaic floor depicting peacocks eating grapes, and the words “Peace on Israel,” as well as a unique inscription consisting of 18 lines, part of which calls down a curse on “anyone causing a controversy between a man and his fellows or who slanders his friends before the gentiles or steals the property of his friends, or anyone revealing the secret of the town to the gentiles...” (According to one authority, it was designed against those revealing the secrets of the balsam industry.) A seven-branched menorah of bronze and more than 5,000 coins (found in the synagogue’s cash box near the Ark) were also uncovered.

There are marked hiking trails along the rivers and streams as well as longer trails with steps leading to the top of the 400-meter-high Ha’etakim Cliff, which runs the entire length of the Dead Sea. In the winter, rainfall in the Judean Hills can translate into torrential flooding in the David and Arugot rivers. When there is a danger of flooding, hiking in the area is prohibited.

A stop at the Ein Gedi Preserve was part of our synagogue’s group tour. It was cancelled due to just such a desert flood. We were going there to study about the hiding of David from King Saul after having left Qumran’s caves of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Before we knew it, a rain taking place miles and miles away in Jerusalem was about to cause a flash flood here in the desert. We watched as the waters cascaded through the Judean Hills and poured out into the wadies (canyons) leading to the Dead Sea, causing waterfalls and white water rapids, which closed down the major roads to the Dead Sea. All traffic was stopped as giant rocks and piles of stone dragged by the water from the mountains fell upon the road. We may have missed the Oasis of Ein Gedi, but we saw something instead which gave us the true meaning of life in the Negev desert and added a unique experience to our trip.