Masada, a monument set on a mountain

 

Masada is one of the most majestic and impressive places in Israel. Built into the side of a mountain, the ancient fortress still stands today as a symbol of perseverance, faith, and determination. It is a battle ground, a piece of history, and a work of art. It's no wonder the fortress is one of the most toured places in Israel.

Masada perches over edge of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea valley on the top of a rocky mesa. With steep mountain walls on all sides, a low, flat top, and impressive walls built to overlook the valley below, Masada looks every bit the unassailable fortress it was meant to be. There is something majestic about it, resembling something out of Tolkien than the squat, square, and pragmatic strongholds we typically picture from the era. 

The large fortification is separated into three separate areas ringed with a casement wall protecting the installation. Narrow, winding paths lead between a series of storehouses, barracks, an armory, and a palace, connecting the sprawling fortress. In ancient times, Masada was only accessible through the "snake path,” a winding, steep, and difficult path up the mountain, or by climbing the sheer walls of the mountain on the western side. Thankfully, today there is a cable car for tourists who don't feel like reenacting the famous march up the mountain (although the snake path is still open if you feel up to it).

It is a breathtaking work of human ingenuity. In 2001, Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of it's historic and cultural importance.

The history of Masada is a tragic one. Built in 30 BC by King Herod, it became an important site in the Jewish revolt against the Romans. In 66 AD, a group of Jewish rebels managed to take the fortress from Roman forces occupying the location and establish it as a Jewish stronghold, the last place of fortified resistance and refuge from the encroaching Romans after the fall of Jerusalem.

In 73 AD, the Romans began laying siege to Masada, constructing a massive ramp of stone and spur on the west side of the mountain. Although the Jewish defenders resisted, the walls were soon assailed by battering rams and it was clear it was only a matter of time before the Romans would breech them. 

Elazar ben Yair, the leader of the hold-outs considered the issue gravely and came to the conclusion that it would be better to die than to fall into the hands of the enemy.

"Since we long ago resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God Himself, Who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice ...We were the very first that revolted, and we are the last to fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that God has granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a state of freedom."

In a horrifying and tragic display, the 960 Jewish defenders elected to kill each other in mutual suicide than be taken as prisoners and slaves. They set fire to the buildings in the fort to leave as little as possible of use for the Roman invaders. In the end, there were only seven survivors of the siege.

Masada sat empty and forgotten for centuries after that, a remote and unsettling place. When archeologists rediscovered the site in the 1950s, it was remarkably well-preserved. Explorers could still walk the makeshift seige ramp the Romans employed nearly 2000 years ago. 

Today Masada is a symbol of Jewish strength to the people of Israel. A reminder of how much as been lost and the sacrifices required to stand against oppression and tyranny. Allusions to it in popular culture are made much in the same way Americans lionize the failed resistance at the Alamo, and the IDF has used the site for swearing-in soldiers after completing basic training in their military graduation ceremony.

It is also one of the nation's most popular tourist destinations, a perfectly preserved and restored monument to the past. The impressive sight of the fortress atop the mountain, and the sobering story of what happened in combine to make a location that can't be missed by travelers visiting the Holy Land.