After breakfast in our hotel on the Dead Sea (this was May 21, 2008), we packed up and headed up the road to Masada. Now, Masada is not covered in the bible, as its historical significance came into view after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., which is after most of the bible was written. But it is very significant in the unfolding of history, especially to the nation of Israel. The events which took place there made a permanent mark on the Jewish psyche that lasts to this day.
Wikipedia, once again, is a source of some good information on Masada and the events which took place there. There are many other resources on the web, which I will leave the reader to discover independently.
In recent years, the Israel National Parks Authority has built a modern cable car system that takes tourists up and down the mountain. Previously, the only way up was a long, arduous hike in the hot sun. I was thankful for the cable car, as we were looking at a very full day before us, Masada being only the first stop among several.
The sense one gets atop Masada can only be described as solemn. The site itself speaks of the mass suicide of the Jewish rebels, the Roman seige evidenced by the huge ramp on the western side, and the Roman encampments visible on the ground around the base of the mountain. As always, though, Mickey did full justice to telling the story and showing us the areas of the city on top of the mountain where these events happened in the first century. Jewish or not, you have to appreciate the hardiness of the Jewish spirit when you see Masada.
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