Engedi
The oasis on the edge of the Dead Sea, near sources of Water hot water.
Inhabitants or natives
Abraham, the synagogue leader, Colombe, his woman, Confessiongle and dumb cured, Elisha his son, leper healed.
Description
“Even more miraculous is the sight of a fertile plain of one hundred to one hundred and fifty meters that overlooks the sea with splendid palm trees, vineyards, and trees of all kinds, crossed by azure Waters and where a beautiful town stretches surrounded by lush countryside. They descend by a well-maintained road towards the shore which is reached after crossing successive terraces all cultivated, from which descend, in joyful cascades, the beneficent Waters that irrigate all the crops down to the plain that ends on the shore. Halfway down they enter the white city where the palm groves rustle, perfumed by rose bushes and the thousand flowers of its gardens.”[1]
“The streets are narrow and seem even narrower because of the gutters and eaves of the houses that jut out widely, so that when looking up one only sees a narrow band of sky, of a violent azure. The houses are tall, almost all two stories.”[2]
Notable facts
Healing of the leper Elisha: example of hope maintained in the trial.
Its name
Engedi, En Gedi, Hazazon Tamar, En Gedi - Eyn-Guédi - En-Guédi - Engedi - Ein-Guèdi. עין גדי, the ancient Asason Tamar.
Engedi means “spring of the goat”.
Where is it mentioned in the work?
EMV 389 EMV 390 EMV 391
EMV 566
Learn more about this place
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Its numerous caves in the Judean desert historically made it a place of refuge. Saul, pursuing David in this region, relieved himself in a cave near the sheep park. David, taking refuge in this cave, took the opportunity to secretly cut off a piece of his mantle to demonstrate his good faith.[3]
Later, Jehoshaphat, reforming king of Religion and the State, faced because of this a significant coalition of Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites. They took Engedi as their base. Jahaziel then prophesied divine intervention, which took place.[4]
An abundant and inexhaustible source of hot water springs from a fountain about 100 m above the base of a huge cliff. The hot Water has created an oasis, with lush semi-tropical vegetation, renowned for its palm trees, vineyards, and balsamic plants. Because of this, Engedi has been sung by many poets: Song of Songs 1:14, Ezekiel 47:10, Sirach 24:14.
Excerpt from the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel Salton Maria Valtorta, by Jean-François Lavère:“The enclosed garden, the spring of the garden”Maria Valtorta’s description of the Engedi site is full of authentic details, many unknown in 1946. It is indisputably to be credited to the authenticity of her visions and deserves serious attention. The apostolic group coming from the Judean desert reaches the oasis via the Wadi David and the ancient Roman road. “They have before them the complete panorama (Judea) of both banks of the Dead Sea”[5], as Maria Valtorta notes, as now proven by many photos taken by hikers.
Jesus states: “It is the ancient Asason Tamar, whose name evokes the beautiful palm groves”[6]. This “hypothesis” was officially formulated only in 1969[7] and it took several more decades to become generally accepted. Jesus presents “the gem of Israel” to his Apostles: “Engedi, (...) from which came the Enemies Against King Jehoshaphat and the sons of his people”, (…) “the one Solomon sang about”, (…) “the one Ezekiel named as one fed by the Waters of the Lord”[6]. This is the evocation of the main biblical passages[8] concerning Engedi.
Then, Jesus “almost runs down a dizzying path full of twists and zigzags in the reddish limestone rock (…) “A path that makes even the most skilled mountaineers dizzy”[6]. It is with almost the same words that the famous archaeologist De Saucy describes his arrival at Engedi: “an incredible path named Nakb Aïn Dejedi" ('the hole of Engedi')... it is a very steep descent where one jumps rather than walks from rock to rock (...) this path, almost impassable, is the only one leading to Engedi today”[9]. Is it necessary to specify that the cliff is indeed made of “reddish limestone!”
Maria Valtorta marvels on seeing the caves. “Their openings are strange, elongated or wide, some straight, others slanting, some round at mid-slope, others just a simple crack”[10]. Today, photos prove the extraordinary accuracy of this description!
Similarly, when the seer describes the waterfalls: “The springs and streams are waterfalls and diamond necklaces”[10]
Then, when Jesus leaves Engedi and heads toward Masada, he does not take “the lower road that runs along the Dead Sea and which I hear is unhealthy and dangerous to travel at night”[11]. The danger of this road is still due today to the crevices caused by erosion of the salt layers.
Much further in the work, the words of an Essene of En Gaddi may surprise: “On these lands, we live pure”[12]. Indeed, few authors in 1946 would have made this link between Engedi and the Essenes, except by consulting some rare 19th-century writings.
Before 1950, the site was known only by a few scholars thanks to brief biblical mentions and the scant information provided by Pliny, Flavius Josephus, Eusebius of Caesarea, Saint Jerome, and some archaeologists. Forgotten in Byzantine times, Engedi regained notoriety only after 1948/1950, following the discovery of the famous Qumran manuscripts.
Oasis of the Judean desert, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. Its numerous caves historically made it a place of refuge. An abundant and inexhaustible source of hot Water springs from a fountain about 100 m above the base of a huge cliff.
Gallery
Ein geddi, descent from the plain to the wadi arugot (photo 2023)
Ein geddi, limestone cliffs (photo 2023)
Ein Geddi, the Chalcolithic Temple (photo 2023)
Ein Geddi, entrance to wadi david (photo 2023)
Ein Geddi, small waterfall (photo 2023)
Explore
• 31° 28' N / 35° 23' E
• -230m
Notes and references
Article partially written from the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel Salton Maria Valtorta, by Jean-François Lavère.
- ↑ EMV 389.
- ↑ EMV 390.
- ↑ 1 Samuel 24:1-8.
- ↑ 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.
- ↑ EMV 389.1
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 EMV 389.2
- ↑ Z. W. Falk, Journal of Semitic Studies 1969 14, pp. 39-44.
- ↑ Gen 14:7; 1 Sam 24:1-8; 2 Chr 20:2; Song of Songs 1:14; Ezek 47:10; Sir 24:14.
- ↑ De Saucy Dictionary of Biblical Antiquities 1859 p. 66.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 EMV 391.1.
- ↑ EMV 391.8.
- ↑ EMV 464.2.