Masada

Masada. What an incredible story?

As you can see, our group reached the top of Masada by way of a tram (costing far less than the trams to Pill Hill). :)

Check out the pictures in the second album. You will see the siege ramp used by the Romans to actually breach Masada. The photograph doesn't really do the ramp justice. The ramp covers about 1000 feet of vertical distance and was constructed by carrying rocks and dirt by carts and baskets. It was rumored that Jewish slaves were used to build the ramp so that the Jews in Masada would not hurt them.

Masada marks the point in history where the Jews ceased being a nation. This started nearly 2000 years of the Jews being scattered over the world and persecuted in many ways and forms. It is interesting to note that when Masada was excavated, they found writings from Ezekiel 37 where it talks about the dry bones coming to life again. The Jews believe this symbolized the return of the Israel as a nation. So at the same point where the Jews were finally driven out, there were writings found that prophesied the re-forming of that nation.

For those that don't know the story, Herod the Great built Masada as a refuge are for himself (if he ever needed it). As it turns out, he probably never visited the site. When Jerusalem was leveled by the Romans in 70 AD, many of the Zealots fled to Masada. About 1000 of them held up in Masada until 73 AD when the Romans finally built the siege ramp and broke down the entry gate. The Romans retreated that night and planned to take Masada the next morning. Knowing that they would be killed or doomed to a life of slavery, the remnants of Masada committed suicide that night, so that when the Romans entered the city, there were only a couple women and children that remained alive in the fortress. Check out the video sometime. I plan to put “Masada” at the top of my movie list when I return.