Peace Steemians,
The year is 1972. A group of archeologists work in the hot sun near Ein Gedi, Israel.
On this day, archeologists find an important discovery. It is a mosaic. This special stone design is made of many small pieces.
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Ein Gedi is an oasis near the Dead Sea in Israel. An oasis is a green and fertile place in a desert. Here, water rises out of the ground and trees provide shelter from the hot sun. For thousands of years, the oasis of Ein Gedi provided shelter for many communities.
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But the oasis was also open to attacks. Many times over thousands of years, raiders destroyed the village. Often, the village fell into ruin. But in the 3rd century, the town again began to grow. Builders built many new buildings, including a large synagogue.
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Archaeologists found the warning on the synagogue floor. The writing warned that bad things would happen to anyone who shared the secret of Ein Gedi with those outside the community.
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Some experts think they may have found the answer. And part of this answer may be found in a famous love story - the story of Antony and Cleopatra.
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Today, some experts are again trying to produce Ein Gedi’s ancient perfume recipe. Many people desire to make the perfume that Cleopatra once used. But no one is sure if the exact kind of balsam tree is still growing at Ein Gedi.
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Are the balsam trees today the same as those owned by Cleopatra -- or were they all destroyed by great fire? And can the people hoping to make the new perfume mix the ingredients in the same way as the people did in ancient Ein Gedi?
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One day someone may produce a beautiful perfume in Ein Gedi. But it may never smell like the ancient perfume. The people of Ein Gedi took the curse seriously. The secret recipe was lost when the old city was destroyed.
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What do you think? Would you want to smell Cleopatra’s perfume?
Share your thoughts in comment section.
Thank you for reading.
