Masada מצדה

The fortress of Masada was built in the year 30 BCE by King Herod the Great atop a high natural plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. At the beginning of the great revolt against Rome in the year 68 BCE, the site was conquered by a group of Jewish zealots, and Masada became their last stronghold. In the year 72 the Romans besieged Masada and succeeded in reaching the steep fortress after constructing a huge earthen ramp on its western side. In the year 73, the 960 Jewish zealots living at the top of Masada chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive.

The tourist center features a movie about the story of Masada, a model of the site, and an exhibit of the archeological findings.

Masada can be ascended on foot by the winding “snake path” or… by a cable car that runs from the tourist center at the feet of Masada to the top

We chose the cable car ! In the background you can see the Dead Sea

Waiting for the cable car

Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

UNESCO cited several aspects of Masada’s universal value: the site preserves a grand first-century Roman villa, the remains of the most complete Roman siege system in the world, and tells the story of the tragic events leading to the last chapter of the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans - the last stand of the rebels who became a symbol of the struggle fight for freedom from oppression.

King Herod's Residential Palace - the Northern Palace, which consists of three terraces.

Roman camp at the foot of the mountain

Water at Masada

The breaching point

November 13, / Music : Telemann. Suite in E minor for Flute, Strings and Basso Continuo Jean-Pierre Rampal