Thinking about Masada
I have had the distinct pleasure of visiting Masada twice now; it is, without a doubt, one of the most touching places I have ever visited in my life. The first time was really the first time that the story of Masada truly hit home.
This is the view from the top of Masada looking over the Dead Sea...
According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Jewish extremists called the Sicarii overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. After the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish rebels and their families fled Jerusalem and settled on the mountain top, using it as a base for raiding Roman settlements.
The current access to the top of the mountain is called 'the Snake Path', which is one of three trails leading to the top. My friend Beverly and I decided, on my second visit, to climb the Snake Path...phew, it's kinda tough (and hot, and dry...I'm not that used to that much exercise in the heat!) But it was so exhilarating to make it to the top! The rest of the group was waiting for us, as they had taken the tram car that effortlessly lifts visitors to the ruins.
We saw this Ibex as we set out - this is a view that visitors don't get from the tram!
Up, up, up! Along the way, we took advantage of every bit of shade there was, and took water bottles to help. I'm so glad I did it!
Anyway, my favorite part of the visit was when our guide, Doron, painted the picture of the last stand of the Jewish rebels and their families against the Roman invasion army. They had gathered in the synagogue and were discussing their plans. They hid all the scrolls of Scripture that they had in a locked room and then decided to take their lives instead of watching their wives and families being tortured, raped and killed. Just sitting in that same place hearing the story moved me to tears; it was hard not to feel the ghosts...
Masada is a very special place to me and I long to return.
Masada shall not fall again!
This is the view from the top of Masada looking over the Dead Sea...
According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Jewish extremists called the Sicarii overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. After the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish rebels and their families fled Jerusalem and settled on the mountain top, using it as a base for raiding Roman settlements.
The current access to the top of the mountain is called 'the Snake Path', which is one of three trails leading to the top. My friend Beverly and I decided, on my second visit, to climb the Snake Path...phew, it's kinda tough (and hot, and dry...I'm not that used to that much exercise in the heat!) But it was so exhilarating to make it to the top! The rest of the group was waiting for us, as they had taken the tram car that effortlessly lifts visitors to the ruins.
We saw this Ibex as we set out - this is a view that visitors don't get from the tram!
Up, up, up! Along the way, we took advantage of every bit of shade there was, and took water bottles to help. I'm so glad I did it!
Anyway, my favorite part of the visit was when our guide, Doron, painted the picture of the last stand of the Jewish rebels and their families against the Roman invasion army. They had gathered in the synagogue and were discussing their plans. They hid all the scrolls of Scripture that they had in a locked room and then decided to take their lives instead of watching their wives and families being tortured, raped and killed. Just sitting in that same place hearing the story moved me to tears; it was hard not to feel the ghosts...
Masada is a very special place to me and I long to return.
Masada shall not fall again!
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