Our first day in Israel was delightfully cool. I gather that it will be hotter tomorrow. We spent the better part of the day climbing the man-made hill which was Herod's summer palace and a defensive position in both the First Jewish Revolt (66 ad +-) and the Bar-Kochba Rebellion (135+-).

The first thing one encounters before climbing the last bit to the summit of the man-made hill is the pile of missiles which were rolled down the hill at the Romans from the heights. Each one of these weighs between 700 lbs and a full ton and would have done a fair bit of damage to those who weren't able to get out of the way in the time. Examples of the missles tossed in the other direction with the aid of catapults are apparently much smaller. Defense has always been an easier job!

Health and Safety in the UK would have thought they'd died and gone to hell at the site of Herod's Summer Palace high atop this hill. There were so many things to regulate and none of them regulated! It was delightful - toppled stones, secret passages and all of them treacherous and difficult to navigate.