Water is a precious commodity in this part of the world.

Access to the Sea of Galilee was the sticking point in Israel’s negotiations with Syria several years ago.

Yet, the exterior of the building housing the Dead Sea Scrolls is constantly showered with water, to lower the temperature and preserve the documents inside.

The scrolls, portions of the Bible written on sheepskin, are the “deed to the land,” an Israel Museum official told us.

Today, as we were touring the ruins of a Roman city at Beit Shean, we came across someone hosing down the remains of an arch.

“We try to give a longer life to these stones,” he told us.

 But this a also a region where every piece of land is “strategicized,” said one member of our gtroup.

History, archaeology, and religion abound.