Many countries and corners of the Earth entice tourists with their beauty and captivating stories. The endless wealth of the world cannot be fully known or seen even in a lifetime. But there are places that one must visit. Where spirituality intertwines with history, where comfort borders on the pristine nature, where not only the soul but also the body is healed, where a person, finding themselves, discovers a whole world. This is the Promised Land — Israel.
The kingdom of the ancient Jews lasted nearly a thousand years, but at the dawn of the new era, Jesus was born on this land, the messenger of God, whose mission was to help people walk the righteous path, the path of happiness and prosperity, goodness and justice. However, the Great King Herod, having heard that a boy was born who was destined by God to become the King of Judea, ordered the extermination of all male infants.
Jesus managed to escape death; he became a preacher and gained recognition among the common people. However, he was betrayed and slandered by those close to him. The messenger of God was condemned and brutally crucified by the Romans, who ruled the Promised Land at that time. Jesus was executed.
Having a divine nature, on the next day He ascended to heaven. Before His death, Jesus predicted the imminent destruction of the holy city of Jerusalem. Soon it happened: in 70 AD, as a result of a Jewish uprising, the city was completely destroyed, and the Jews were forever expelled from the Promised Land.
Despite the fact that Israel is quite small (its area is only 27.8 thousand square kilometers), it is rich in history, and real history at that, which can be seen and experienced. Its historical heritage is perhaps only comparable to that of the vast and equally ancient China. Every city, every village, and even every stone are witnesses to well-known historical events.
The main point I want to emphasize to the reader is the amazing fate of the Jews, who have gone through long trials of time to statehood and prosperity.
Before talking about modern Israel, I would like to offer a brief excursion into recent history. The year is 1917. World War I. British troops enter Palestine to fight the Turks. And, as has happened many times in history, Jerusalem surrendered to the English. Remembering that Jesus came to Jerusalem on foot, General Edmund Allenby humbly dismounted at the Jaffa Gate. In 1947, the UN voted to end the British mandate and to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion announced the realization of the long-awaited dream of generations of the Jewish people. He made a statement that Jews all over the world had been eagerly awaiting: The State of Israel was born. This was Israel's second birth after nearly two thousand years of oblivion. However, the very next day, troops from five Arab countries invaded. As a result, the eastern part of Jerusalem remained under Jordanian control for almost two more decades. Only in 1967, after the Six-Day War, did Israel manage to reclaim Jerusalem and part of the eastern territories. The holy city was liberated, and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan arrived at the Western Wall. For the first time in two thousand years, the ancient wall, a Jewish shrine, was again in the hands of the Jews. According to an ancient custom, General Dayan wrote a prayer on a piece of paper and placed it in the wall: "May there be peace with the Jewish people."
From this time, the revival of Israel began. Jews of various origins migrated to the Promised Land. Mostly, this was the cultural branch of Ashkenazim from Europe and America. Sephardim — Eastern Jews from North Africa and the Middle East — also came and now live here. In 1949, a Jewish commune from Yemen joined the influx. Later, this flow brought a wave of immigrants from the Soviet Union to the Promised Land.
Merged in the Promised Land, this diverse and multicultural people found a unifying beginning here, absorbing the energy and spirit of the revived ancient shrines and writings.
Our next harbor in the Promised Land is the Dead Sea.
Its first feature is that it is located 420 meters below sea level. This is the lowest point on land on the planet. It is quite hot here, probably around thirty degrees. But now it is January, winter. In summer, says Anatoly, the temperature reaches fifty degrees.
The Dead Sea stretches almost 80 kilometers from north to south, spreading across the Jordan Valley with a width of 12 to 18 km. The sea is divided into two parts by the El Lisan Peninsula (which means "tongue"). The northern part is larger and significantly deeper. The southern part of the lake looks quite exotic. The shallow depth and very high salt concentration contribute to the formation of whimsical salt formations and ice-like deposits. The shoreline is formed by frozen salt waves and white-pink islets. Meter-high islands, pillars, and icebergs adorn the surface of this unusual body of water.
Besides salt, the Dead Sea is rich in carbonic potassium, magnesium, and bromine. It is believed that the mineral salts contained in the water of this unique body of water have a healing effect on bathers, especially for skin diseases, while the black mud rejuvenates the skin.
The mineral properties of the Dead Sea have been utilized since the 4th century BC. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra knew about the miraculous effects of the salts but kept it a strict secret; she often visited here for a few days dedicated to bathing, massage, and masks.
The name "Dead Sea" accurately characterizes the body of water. There are absolutely no plants or animals in its waters. People can effortlessly float on its surface. It is very difficult to immerse oneself in the water; the salt concentration reaches 35%. The salt precipitates and accumulates on the seabed, forming a kind of cocktail of chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, and other elements. All these salts, as well as rare minerals, are raw materials for the thriving cosmetic industry here.
On the territory of one of the tourist complexes, we settled on the snow-white beach. At first, we wade into the water. The sensation is unusual: the water is thick, it does not splash but stretches like warm haze. It is almost impossible to submerge in the water. Therefore, it is better to lie on your back, cover your face with your hands, and drift along the shore.
Right on the beach, a few meters from the shore, there is something resembling a swamp. However, instead of mud, this natural bath is filled with black, oil-like mud. Once you get into the mire, you sink up to your knees. It seems that you can't get out from here. But we don't even try; on the contrary, rolling in the mud, we splash around and smear each other like children. It looks very funny. Washing off the mud turned out to be not easy. It took a long time to scrub under the warm shower.
The next bathing procedure is in the sulfur spring. The milky color of the water and the sharp smell of sulfur. The water flows directly from the ground into a spacious indoor pool. It is hot, so you can't stay in it long, and there are many people.
After all the procedures at the Dead Sea, we felt beautiful and rejuvenated by about five years. It is clear that this is just a feeling. Time cannot be deceived, and yet for those who want to continue their rejuvenation process but do not have time, there is a shopping center owned by the world-famous company "Ahava." They specialize in the development and production of cosmetics made from minerals of the Dead Sea. So, when leaving, you can stock up on a set of rejuvenating products and continue the procedures at home.
Leaving the shore, we head west, where the famous Masada is located. The midday sun obscures the volume, and numerous ravines in the loess foundations of the mountain resemble a quilt embroidered with patterns.
The fortress of Masada, built in the 1st century BC by King Herod the Great, crowns a steep cliff rising above the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea. The King of Judea, recognizing the strategic advantage of Masada, made it not only an impregnable fortress but also his winter residence.
Pilgrims struggle to climb to the plateau rising above the desert. They want not only to honor the memory of the heroes of the Jewish war but also to see one of the wonders of ancient history. We decide to take the cable car. A spacious glass gondola, carrying about thirty people, lifted off the ground and glided to the upper edge of the rocky plateau. Here is the main entrance to the fortress, at the Snake Path Gate. The height is 450 meters. A platform laid over the abyss leads from the cable car station to the fortress. Further, the path leads to the open space of the plateau. The floor is paved with stone, the edge of the cliff along the entire perimeter is lined with a stone wall, and separate arches lead to observation platforms, offering a magnificent panorama of the Dead Sea.
The top of the fortress is a flat diamond-shaped area measuring 650 by 300 meters. On the territory of the fortress were located the main palace, a Byzantine church, a synagogue, barracks, watchtowers, quarries, water collectors, residential and storage facilities, a public ritual bath, baths, the Scrolls' Casemate, a house of study — a place for studying the Torah and other sacred books, and even dovecotes.
Researchers of Masada were able to rely on one of the most famous historical writings of antiquity, Josephus Flavius' "The Jewish War," which contains invaluable information about this period of Jewish history.
The most famous event in the centuries-old history of Masada is the heroic resistance of the Zealots, who, after a long Roman siege, chose to die rather than surrender to the enemy. The Tenth Roman Legion, commanded by Flavius Silva, approached Masada from Jerusalem and surrounded it on all sides, setting up eight camps at the foot of the mountain. As soon as a blockade wall was built, cutting off the rebels from the outside world, the Romans began constructing a siege ramp. There was only one suitable place for this on the western slope of the mountain. The siege ramp was an embankment that the Romans planned to roll special battering rams up to the fortress walls. As the earthen embankment rose, it was reinforced with wooden retaining walls.
Eight thousand Roman legionnaires against 960 rebels — men, women, and children. Numerous Jewish prisoners delivered water to the Tenth Legion. When the height of the embankment reached 70 meters, the Romans raised a thirty-meter siege tower with drawbridges on it and broke through the fortress wall. Josephus Flavius reports that on the night of the 15th of Nisan, Eliezer ben Yair, the leader of the rebels, addressed the Jews and urged them to die as free men, preferring death to torturous slavery.
Here is an excerpt from Eliezer ben Yair's speech, delivered on the night of Masada's fall, which Josephus Flavius quotes in "The Jewish War":
“Be strong, heroes, cover yourselves with glory! We have long resolved not to submit to the Romans or any other rulers, except for one God alone, for He is the only true and just king over men. And now the time has come to fulfill our vow. Let us not disgrace ourselves at this hour, for our souls have always loathed a slave's lot, even when slavery did not threaten us with such monstrous dangers. Let us not betray ourselves now voluntarily to slavery or to the terrible tortures that await us. Let us not disgrace ourselves before the Romans; let us not surrender to them alive! We were the first to rise against them and we will be the last to leave the battlefield. The Lord has granted us a great mercy, giving us the opportunity to die the death of heroes, to perish as free men, which our brothers, who were suddenly captured, could not do. It is clear to us what awaits us tomorrow, and we have the right to choose the glorious death of heroes — together with those who are dear to us. Let our wives die unashamed and our orphans not experience the bitterness of slavery. And then let us perform one last service for each other, grant one last mercy, and what could be better and dearer, brothers, than the honorable shroud of freedom? But before we die, let us set our property and the fortress on fire. I know for sure: the Romans will be saddened to see that they did not take us alive and were deceived in their hopes of profiting from the spoils. Only the food supplies will we leave untouched, so that they may testify after our death that we did not suffer from hunger or lack of sustenance, but preferred death to slavery — as we had previously resolved.”
Further, Flavius writes:
“The next day, the Romans ascended Masada, and when they found heaps of the dead, they did not rejoice at the sight of their fallen enemies, but stood in silence, struck by the greatness of spirit and indomitable contempt for death.”
When the Tenth Roman Legion arrived from Jerusalem and besieged the fortress of Masada, the members of the well-known Jewish community of Essenes living here fled, hiding their scrolls in nearby caves. They called themselves "the sons of Light." The Essenes were preparing for the imminent apocalyptic war, the end of the world, which was to be followed by a new divine covenant. They copied fragments of the Bible onto parchment, recorded various documents — the community's statutes and laws, psalms, interpretations of the sayings of the prophets, critical treatises, plans for the future organization of society. The desert kept this secret for almost two thousand years. The discovery of the scrolls made a tremendous impression on the entire Christian world. On the steep slope of the mountain, facing the Dead Sea, one and a half kilometers from the ruins of Qumran, two Bedouin shepherds discovered nine jars in a small cave. Eight were empty, and only one contained scrolls.
Since 1947, about eight hundred manuscripts written during the Second Temple period and the life of Jesus Christ have been discovered in the caves located in the sun-scorched surrounding mountains. Their study sheds light on many unknown periods of history. Archaeological excavations were conducted at Qumran. A monastery where the Essenes worked was discovered. It became known that the Qumranites took a vow of celibacy, lived in communities in tents, barracks, and caves, where special rooms equipped with tables and inkwells were excavated, proving the assumption that the scrolls were written right here, on the shores of the Dead Sea. A special building was constructed in Jerusalem for the storage of such valuable manuscripts. It is a white dome on the outside, resembling the lid of a clay jar, in which the scrolls were hidden. The building contrasts beautifully with the nearby wall of black basalt. The repository itself is located underground as a reminder of the caves where the scrolls were found.
And here again is Jerusalem and again the panorama of the Mount of Olives, illuminated by the piercing morning sun. One can look at this timeless picture as many times as one wants and for an infinite time.
Let us leave Old Jerusalem to history and this time dive into modern Jerusalem, where today beats the pulse of revived Israel.
New Jerusalem is a skyline of administrative and residential complexes, sports facilities, and theaters, magnificent parks, and hotels... New Jerusalem is not even a century old. Its heart is the Knesset building — the residence of the Israeli parliament. Interestingly, its sessions take place three times a week and are open to the public.
The architects of this pink marble building were Joseph Klarwein and Dov Karmi. Inside the building are many remarkable works of art. Three magnificent tapestries by Marc Chagall hang in the reception hall. He also created the mosaic on the floor and walls. Besides the main hall for 120 deputies, the Knesset has a synagogue, a reading room, a conference hall, a library, and a restaurant.
Opposite the parliament building stands a menorah crafted by Benno Elkan — a gift from Britain to the parliament of Israel. It resembles the seven-branched candelabrum that the exiled Jews brought with them to Rome. The menorah depicts 29 scenes from the history of Israel and Jewish life. The menorah is the official emblem of the State of Israel.
The next object of our attention is the historical museum of the Holocaust "Yad Vashem." This new historical museum tells the tragedy of the Jewish people against the backdrop of the events of the era. More than two and a half thousand exhibits narrate the tragedy of millions of murdered Jews. Here are household items belonging to the victims of the Holocaust, letters, diaries, photographs, paintings, and drawings...
The museum building is a prism carved into the rock, which pierces the top of the mountain in such a way that both its ends — the entrance and exit from the museum — seem to float in the air. The central part of the museum is a long tunnel, its sloping floor serves as the base of the prism, and the walls are the side faces that narrow towards the top and end with a glass peak protruding above the ground. On both sides of the central part are side compartments, also carved into the rock. The exhibition presented in each of them is a separate chapter in the history of the Holocaust. As the tragic events presented in the museum halls escalate, visitors descend deeper into the bowels of the mountain. And only at the very end, breaking free from the darkness of the Holocaust, they ascend and reach an observation deck, which offers a stunning view of New Jerusalem and its surroundings.
From my diary. Here, one must walk in silence; neither a guide nor a consultant is needed. Everything is painfully clear to the heart and soul. Everything that is located here — from photographs and documents to films and buttons, simple letters, and heaps of combs from the concentration camp — exudes pain and resentment for humanity, within which all this happened and continues to happen. I wandered silently through the corridors and rooms where, stripped naked, an endless stream of ordinary, innocent people walked to their death.
After an hour spent in this nightmare, the sun and light seem like true happiness.
Perhaps that is why, having gone through centuries of suffering, humiliation, and physical extermination, the Jews have a special love for life, order, and hard work.
If there is a paradise on Earth, it is here, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. A green oasis, free from heat and rocky mountains. Palm trees, bananas and dates, avocados and mangoes, grapes and various fruits... Birds sing, butterflies flutter. Everywhere are cacti and flowers of the most unexpected colors and scents. In any case, that was the first impression.
So, we are on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the very place where Jesus performed miracles, preached, and formed the team of apostles. This is the place from which Christianity began and spread throughout the world.
Nowadays, the Sea of Galilee is increasingly referred to as Lake Kinneret (in ancient Hebrew "kinor" means "harp"). According to geological concepts, this also corresponds more closely to reality, as its length is only 22 kilometers, and its width is 12.
Tiberias, where we arrived at noon, is the main city of Lower Galilee. And the biblical atmosphere of tranquility has now been replaced here by the noise and fun of a modern resort. The hot mineral springs of Hamat Tiberias are popular, just as they were in Roman times. However, in addition to the ancient swimming pools, another attraction has been added: crocodiles brought here from Florida now inhabit the ponds among the trees, basking in the sun while posing for cameras, and also keeping order.
In the evening, accompanied by seagulls, we took a boat ride. We admired the views of the city in the rays of sunset. An interesting moment stood out. Besides our small group, about a hundred pensioners arrived for the excursion, for whom the state organizes various trips around the country. The elderly are fully supported in Israel in special complexes that offer a level of service equivalent to a five-star hotel. All residents are under constant medical supervision. One of the participants in the boat tour, Vladimir Davidovich — a former resident of Kazakhstan who returned to the Promised Land at the end of the 1990s — told me all about this.
In Israel, pensioners are surrounded by care, have the opportunity to travel around the country, go abroad to visit relatives or as tourists. The expenses are covered by the state.
From my diary. When walking through the streets of Israeli cities, it outwardly seems that Israel is in a state of war. There are many armed people, not only military but also civilians who possess automatic weapons, pistols, and other armaments. Among the military, there are many girls and women, as all citizens of Israel, regardless of gender, serve in the army. However, this service does not take place in barracks; those called to serve often live at home. Overall, Israel is calm. Restaurants, bars, nightclubs operate at night, concerts, sporting events, and festivals take place. So, there is no tension or fear among the people. At least, that is how it seemed to us.
On the way from Tiberias to Tel Aviv, Anatoly suggested visiting the kibbutz "Dagonya."
A kibbutz is a utopia that has become a reality. The word translates from Hebrew as "community" — an association based on the principles of collective ownership of property. In other words, the idea is the same as that laid down in Soviet collective farms, with the only difference being that collective farms smoothly transitioned into state enterprises. The wave of pogroms that swept through Russia in the early 20th century forced many Jews to leave the country. Most went to America, while those who were close to the ideas of Zionism headed for the Promised Land. They had nothing but the desire to work and the understanding that they could only survive by uniting.
Jewish settlements that arose in Palestine were periodically attacked by Arabs. Kibbutzim had to divert forces and resources to create self-defense units and build fortifications.
“Dagonya” is one of the oldest kibbutzim in Israel. Documents from the local museum testify that the living conditions there were extremely harsh — tents, hard labor from dawn to dusk, and very modest food.
By 1922, there were already 19 kibbutzim in the territory of future Israel. Today, there are about two and a half hundred, and they produce 40% of the country's agricultural output.
A kibbutz fully supports its members. From the common fund, food, housing maintenance, kindergarten, laundry and dry cleaning, medical care, sports, cultural events, and tourist trips are paid for. Plus, there is also a salary. Education is also the kibbutz's concern.
We visited several kibbutzim and received somewhat contradictory impressions. Each kibbutz is a small state with its own traditions and views. Outside the kibbutz walls, a true paradise usually begins: beautiful houses, parks, alleys full of flowers and exotic birds... Each kibbutz specializes in some kind of production.
Some focus on growing wheat and dates; some have livestock farms; some have poultry farms. Some kibbutzim grow grapes and produce excellent wines and liqueurs known worldwide.
Currently, kibbutzim are experiencing what is called the third-generation syndrome, Anatoly tells. The generation of enthusiasts, ready to endure any hardships for the triumph of the idea, has been replaced by a generation that grew up in a consumer society, for whom the principles of collectivization no longer seem attractive. Kibbutzim have to take this into account.
For two thousand years, Jews dreamed of returning to the Promised Land, and I personally have no doubt that the kibbutzim have a future, and confidence is born when you look at what has been done and achieved.
We are heading to Tel Aviv — the first Jewish city founded in Israel in modern times. For some reason, I always thought that Tel Aviv was the capital of Israel. It was a surprise for me to learn that the capital is Jerusalem, while Tel Aviv is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of the country. Here is also the main international airport, headquarters of industrial and financial conglomerates, and political parties. There are many beautiful modern buildings. But especially beautiful is the Herbert Samuel promenade, stretching along the Mediterranean Sea.
Cultural life buzzes in this noisy and bustling city around the clock. It is home to the world-famous Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, universities, museums, hotels, restaurants, and cafes for all tastes and financial capabilities. Shopping centers do not lack visitors. In Tel Aviv, you can find any goods.
Our hotel is in the city center. From the terrace on the seventh floor, there is a charming panorama of the city, as if emerging from the sea.
Turning on the television and opening a bottle of beer, I was quite surprised that the first channel that opened was in Russian. Some high-ranking military officer was talking about the situation in the Middle East. On another channel, there was a program that closely resembled the popular "Blue Light" from the past. It was a repeat since 17 days had passed since the New Year. All the familiar hosts, Russian speech, but sometimes someone in the studio spoke in Hebrew.
Intrigued by this, I started switching television channels. At least five of them broadcast in Russian. So, I felt as if I were at home in Kyrgyzstan, not in distant Israel.
In the morning, I brought up the topic of the Russian language with Anatoly. Yes, Russian is not surprising in Israel. A lot of Russian-language newspapers, magazines, and books are published here. Many people have come to Israel and continue to arrive from Russia and the former Soviet countries: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia, and Ukraine. Therefore, Russian speech is heard everywhere. Our language, although it does not have any official status, is very widespread throughout the republic. There are cities where the Russian-speaking population constitutes a vast majority. So, if you want to ask something when entering a shop or cafe, ask first in Russian. And if you do not get a response, ask again in English.
Tel Aviv began to be built as a suburb of Jaffa in 1909. Now Jaffa is considered a suburb of Tel Aviv. Biblical Jaffa was named after Japheth, the son of Noah. It is an ancient city and port where, by order of King Solomon, Lebanese cedar was imported for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv and Jaffa merged in 1950. But Jaffa did not become old Tel Aviv; it remained Jaffa. Today it is a city of street artists and exhibitions, with neighborhoods that have preserved the charm of antiquity and absorbed the attractive force of modern cheerful nightlife. Every visitor to Jaffa will find entertainment to their taste and budget. One of the attractions of new Jaffa is the Bridge of Wishes, spanning a deep ravine. Each section of the bridge corresponds to a specific zodiac sign.
Finding your sign, you need to make a wish, and then find your sign on the old streets of Jaffa, after which the wishes will surely come true.
One hundred kilometers from Tel Aviv lies the city of Haifa. From the slopes of Mount Carmel, on which the city is located, a majestic panorama unfolds. Haifa is the third largest city in Israel after Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It began to develop thanks to the construction of the railway and a convenient harbor.
From Mount Carmel, an amazing panorama opens up. The Haifa port is always bustling, large and small ships at the pier await their turn to unload goods, and luxurious liners are busy preparing for distant voyages.
Haifa is home to several interesting museums, including a museum of ancient and modern art. Nearby Haifa, in the Carmel Heights, are picturesque villages of Druze, Daliyat al-Karmel and Isfiya, where residents offer tourists works of Druze folk crafts and art.
The main attraction of Haifa is the Bahá'í religious center. The Bahá'í faith is the most recent of the world religions. It originated in 1844. According to the World Encyclopedia of Christianity, in 2001 the Bahá'í religion ranked second in geographical distribution. The founder of the faith, Bahá'u'lláh, brought a message of the unity of God and the human race. He taught that all world religions are successive stages of the revelation of God's will and purpose concerning humanity.
Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed that the long-awaited maturity of humanity is approaching — an era when its unity will be recognized and established. He developed laws, principles, and institutions that should form the basis of a future world civilization.
Here are these principles:
Liberation from all forms of prejudice.
Complete equality of men and women.
Recognition of the common origin and deep unity of all the great religions of the world.
Eradication of extremes of poverty and wealth.
Mandatory universal education.
The right and duty of every person to seek the truth independently.
Establishment of a world federation.
Recognition that faith does not contradict reason. Science must be in harmony with religion.
The Bahá'ís have no priests.
All activities are governed by a system of elected consultative councils at local, national, and international levels. Currently, there are more than 180 such national councils and over 12,000 local ones in the world. The international governing body — the Universal House of Justice — is located at the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa. All expenses of the World Center are covered by voluntary donations from Bahá'ís around the world. Contributions from other sources are not accepted.
From my diary. Personally, the formulated principles defining the core values of the Bahá'í faith seem very appealing to me. In any case, it is impressive that there are neither prophets nor saviors like Jesus, Muhammad, or Buddha. There are no absurd teachings. Everything is built on beauty, mutual respect, unity, and equality of all people on Earth. There is something reminiscent of the principles of communism. So, the Promised Land has sheltered yet another rapidly developing world religion under its sky. And all this is not a coincidence. Apparently, the land of Israel truly possesses holiness and is of special account with the Supreme God.
The colonnade and gilded dome above the mausoleum is a true architectural wonder. It is neither a palace nor a temple. Its design is something new, soaring, filled with tranquility and confidence. This structure, which embodies Western proportions and Eastern styles, was conceived and created by Canadian architect William Maxwell.
However, the main treasure of the Bahá'í shrine is the garden terraces, which have their unique style, developed down to the smallest details. The combination of natural elements — light and water — constitutes the main decoration of the terraces.
To be honest, I have seen many palaces and similar structures in Europe, Southeast Asia, the USA, and South Africa, but what the Bahá'ís have done is beyond praise. Every blade of grass, every stone, and leaf lies exactly where it should be, ensuring the highest degree of harmony. There are all kinds of plants, flowers, shrubs, many vegetables and fruits here. Arbors, benches, bridges, streams, birds, insects — all live in unity and harmony. And most importantly: everything that is visible — the patterns, decorations, shapes both in the garden and inside the buildings — has no sacred meaning and serves only aesthetic purposes. One does not want to leave this place.
Our last stop is the city of Ashkelon. In Israel, it is a true spring with dandelions and red poppies, just like in our foothills of Fergana. We walked past the kibbutz fences among the date palms to the edge of the steep shore, where our long journey ended. The wonderful panorama of the open spaces — the last reward of the Holy Land. It dazzled and overwhelmed with its depth and brightness of colors. From edge to edge stretched the Mediterranean Sea. The blue expanse, fading beyond the visible horizon, was calm and uniform. From time to time, white crests of waves were born somewhere under the vertical cliff, gliding across the water. A huge ship was approaching from the shimmering distances of the horizon. It was sailing, heading for the Promised Land.