Masada is perhaps the second most famous Jewish site in Israel after the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Built by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BCE, there were two immaculate palaces, fortified as a place of refuge for the monarch in times of crisis. During the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE, the fortress was seized by religious zealots (the Sicarii) who had fled from Jerusalem after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans. Not content with only near total victory, the Romans besieged Masada in order to crush the final resistance.
After many weeks preparing for our fateful climb of Masada, the day of our accent was finally here. Early Wednesday morning, the team awoke after our only semi-restful night at the Bedouin tent. Arriving at the entrance to the Masada park, the group exited the vehicle, got fresh water, and then began the trek up the Snake Path - while two in the group - Kelly and Anne - opted to take the cable car. From the base to the guard tower at the top is a very steep (and winding) climb. It took us all between 25 and 40 minutes to make the journey. Steve blazed up the hill with me hot on his heels. I finished second in a little under 30 minutes. Getting to the top (and out of the heat) was definitely a great feeling!
At the top, we toured the site and saw the many restored buildings and landmarks. We walked through the Western and Northern Palaces, as well as visiting the storehouses and private baths. It is an impressive and very large site. It's also very cool to see in person. One thing we did learn from our guide was that the site is no longer used as prominently by the military as it once was. At the end of the story, the zealots of Masada killed themselves and their families rather than surrender to the Romans. This had previously been regarded as an honor worthy in the IDF - but now has been minimized to a great degree.
After finishing our tour of the site, we returned to the entrance to the cable car for the descent back to the bus and then off to our remaining visits of the day. Masada was definitely all its cracked up to be and the hike was a surefire highlight of the trip.
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