The Reading of 1 Samuel 24:1-3 tells of the story of David hiding from Saul in the Ein Gedi Wilderness
1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-Gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
The story in 1 Samuel goes on to show how David spared the life of Saul.
The view from the Cave area is spectacular and very much worth the climb. When visiting places such as this, it is really important to understand what has happen in these places and it gives you a far greater appreciation of not only the places but a greater understanding and appreciation of the events that are described in the Bible.
Ein Gedi is referred to in other parts of the Bible including 2 Chronicles 20:2
The walk that we did started at the car park and proceeded along the creek called Wadi David. In addition to the water and some water falls, there is plenty of Wildlife including the Nubian Ibex, the Rock Hyrax. I also spotted some White-crowned Black Wheatear and a number of Fan Tailed Ravens flying overhead when we arrived at the Cave.
The walk is relatively easy – but remember to take water with you – and was a very relaxing couple of hours.
Our guide, Erez, provided great explanation about the area which added to the experience.
For more information about Ein Gedi