January 4-14, 1999
Photo 71
This is the Masada, site of a mass suicide by 960 Jewish defenders, who rather than be captured by the Romans in 73 AD, committed a mass suicide just before the Romans entered the site at the top of a 1,000 foot high mesa on the west side through a meticulously built ramp which required two years to build. After this period for many years, there were no organized Jewish settlements in this land. The Masada was originally built by the Hasmonean ruler, Alexander Jannaeus, then improved by Herod the Great who built luxurious accomodations for his "summer home" high above the Dead Sea. Today, a cable car takes visitors to the top, or one can walk. The site from the top is breathtaking! See the next thumbnails!