Palestine: Jabel Montar & Biblical Azazel
The highest point in the Judean Desert is Jabel Montar, offering panoramic views in all direction and especially toward the Dead Sea glimmering in far distance. This mountain top is thought to be the location of the biblical Azazel. Azazel, appearing in the Talmud (the Hebrew Bible), is often translated as “scapegoat,” and refers to a goat that was used in a sacrificial ritual for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). In the ritual, the high priest would confess the sins of the Israelites over the goat, which would then be sent into the wilderness (or thrown of the cliff, which is more likely here) as a symbol of the removal of the sins from the people. According to the Talmud, Azazel was located 12 miles east from Jerusalem True or not, the mountaintop was clearly historically important as you can find ruins of the ancient Byzantine monastery and even some mosaic pieces.
