To be honest, it also provides me an excuse to take a short break from the editorial work in Jerusalem. As our regular readers are aware, I love the desert. This is where I come to rest and find harmony with God.

My friend Bart accompanied me. In the vineyard, we tasted the young grapes. They are already ripe, and so delicious. We searched for a shaded spot and found a lonely acacia tree. We scared away three small animals and took their place in the cool shade. We brewed some strong coffee on a small gas cooker. It was quiet around us, the only sound being soft afternoon breeze. In the desert heat, the horizon blurred before our eyes. Suddenly, two wild mules appeared before us. This animal, known in Hebrew as a pered, is a cross between a horse and a donkey. Absalom rode a pered when his hair caught in the dense branches of an oak tree (2 Sam. 18:9).

At the beginning of...

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