Israel 2006

Masada - Dead Sea

Masada and the appraximate place where the Roman ramp terminated and the wall was breached after a 3-year siege, around the year 70 AD. While a tragedy and a testament to the bravery of the residents, they were known as the Sicarii zealots and known for their use of the knife in assassinations. From Masada they raided the surrounding Jewish villages mercilessly and brutally. Not a friendly bunch of people. When the Romans took Masada the Sicarii committed murder suicide, rather than to be taken alive. .

The easy way up from the visiting center is by cable car. I could not sink that low and raced school classes up to the top. I won easily, but nearly passed out when I crested the top. It was very hot and I had not much water with me. There is fresh water available at the top.

I blasted past them and left them so far behind. Their teachers handicapped them.

A pigeon house

One of at least two huge cisterns. This is the southern one.

The interiors of common buildings were colorfully and artfully painted.

Storehouses, watchtower, and bath houses of ancient Masada

Looking down onto the ramp as seen from the breached wall, and the impression of the Roman encampment . Those were the early days of the Roman Empire, when the Roman legions were still the best fighting force in the known world.

In the distance one can see the outline of the typical Roman encampments that were there for more than three years, 2000 years ago. In the foreground you can see the immense ramp the Romans built to reach the top of Masada in force. It was larger than this, because as you know, it terminated right at the wall, where you see all of the people at the top. WInds and weather, in the course of two millennia, reduced it to this.

This is where the ramp terminated and where the Roman legionares breached the wall

In spite of the numbers of visitors, the palace ruin was delightfully unpopulated, probably because of the stairs one needs to climb down to get there - and then back up.

As the palace once may have looked

View of the palace ruin, the new walkway for tourists to get there, and a distant view of the Dead Sea

One view up, from the old palace, and one view down, from the top of Masada onto the old palace ruins.