Masada

 

This is Masada.

It is an Ancient Fortification on the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea in Israel.

Herod the Great built two Palaces for himself on the Mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE.

The Siege of Masada by Roman Troops from 72 to 73 AD, at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War, ended in the Mass Suicide of the 960 Sicarii (Men, Women and Children) who were hiding there.

The Sicarii were a group of Jews fighting against Roman Rule in Israel.

Flavius Josephus (a Jewish Historian) recounted what happened at Masada.

As the Romans surrounded Masada and kept expanding its grip over the Siege by building a Siege Ramp going up Masada the Jewish Men, Women and Children saw the ever-increasing danger coming closer and closer to them for 2 months.

The Jewish Men, Women and Children on Masada believed it would be better to die then to be tortured, butchered or turned into Slaves at the hands of the Romans.

Since Suicide is illegal in Judaism they decided that a handful of Men would kill the willing Men, Women and Children until there was 1 Man left who would then have to kil himself.

When the Romans broke the Siege they found only dead bodies everywhere.

Masada is Israel’s most popular Tourist Destination with 750,000 people visiting it every year.

Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001

Access to Masada is either by a very steep and long Hiking Trail or by a Cable Car (opened in 1998.)

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Moshe Dayan, initiated the practice of holding the Swearing-In Ceremony of Israeli Armored Corps Soldiers who had completed their Basic Training on top of Masada.

The Soldiers climb the Snake Path at night and are sworn in with torches lighting the background.

The Ceremony ends with the Declaration: "Masada shall not fall again."

The Siege of Masada is often revered in Modern Israel as "a Symbol of Jewish Heroism.”

Masada became a Symbol for a Heroic “Last Stand” for the State of Israel – symbolizing the courage of the Warriors of Masada, the strength they showed when they were able to keep hold of Masada for almost 3 years, and their choice of death over Slavery in their struggle against an Aggressive Empire.

Pictures: I took when I visited Masada in October 2017.