Eyen Al Asad

This morning I had the opportunity to visit an oasis on the base known as "Abraham's Well." Actually, it's not a well, and clearly not the famous one in Beersheba that Abraham dug. A more accurate name would be "Abraham's Oasis." Actually, the local name is Eyen Al Asad which translates to "Spring of the Lion."

Located near the Euphrates, about halfway between the ancient cities of Ur and Haran, the oasis is mentioned by name in Islamic writings, although no specific stops on Abram's journey are referenced in the Bible or Quran. Still, it's one of the few stops for fresh water in an otherwise barren land, and it's reasonable to believe that Abraham stopped here to drink, bathe, and water his flocks.

There were no permanent settlements here until about 1920, although the site has been frequented by Bedoins for the last 4000 years. The local residents were "evicted" by Saddam in 1985 when he built the air base that the US now uses. Up until early this year, the area was littered with trash from visitors, but local soldiers, sailors, and marines conducted a cleanup of the area.

Standing down by the water, with the wind blowing the rushes, hearing the croaking of frogs and the chirping of birds, it was a brief moment of escape from the reality of the air base surrounding it. Too brief a moment, as choppers flew overhead. Still, it was an awesome feeling standing in an area that once may have been visited by the great patriarch.