Arad & Sunset

Exhausted from my early morning climb of Masada, I had little energy left in the afternoon but decided to make a quick stop by the ruins of Tel Arad, some 30 kilometers east of The Dead Sea and 10 kilometers east of the modern city of Arad.
Modern Arad is interesting in that it is one of the few cities settled in the Negev that can be considered a success. Many of the other cities in the desert failed to achieve any level of prosperity, but Arad continues to attract people. It's not that Arad has many interesting sites, but the elevation and air quality make it a desirable retirement destination for many elderly Israelis. The desert around Arad is has also been moderately in successful in being set up for farming.
Tel Arad is like many other archeolgical sites in Israel- it's the ruins of a city (or area) that was occupied by many different cultures, including the Canaanites, Israelites, Persians, Macabeans, Romans, and Muslims. The first Canaanite settlements date from 4,000 years before the time of Christ.
The highlight of the ruins is the reconstructed Israeli fortress located on the hill overlooking the ruins of the Canaanite city.
The fortress has been partially reconstructed from materials excavated from the site. The original fortress was built during the reigns of David and Solomon. The gates to the city are very similar to the ones found at Tel Megiddo, which was also built during the same time period.

Sacrificial Altar

The Holy of Holies

Inside the fortress are the ruins of a Judean Temple, the only one to have ever been excavated. I was specifically impressed with the reconstructed sacrificial altar, and the Holy of Holies, which offers a rare look into the religious life of the Israelites.
Below the Israeli fortress and encompassed by the ancient Canaanite walls is the ruins of that Canaanite city of Arad. As it was over 100 degrees and I was exhausted (and suffering from a little ruin fatige) I admired the ruins from the hill, and then headed back to Dimona and the camel ranch I was staying at.

The sunset photos above were taken from a hill overlooking the place I was staying, The Negev Camel Ranch, which was right next to Mamshit National Park and about 8km from Dimona. I'll be covering all the places I stayed in a post near the end of the trip.