Massada - מצדה

One of my last big adventures in 2011 took me up to Massada, probably the earliest site symbolizing Judaic nationalism and today a UNESCO world heritage site. In the first century BC  Herod the Great built a fort ('Massada' in Hebrew) on top of a mountain next to the dead see. It was here, that the las rebels stood up agains the the huge Roman army in the First Jewish–Roman War. The rebels lived in the fort (a rather harsh word for the huge grounds that contained a hanging palace and a royal spa!) for three years, collecting rainwater and  sustaining their own agriculture and livestock, before the Romans gave up waiting out on the Jews and built a huge ramp up the mountain. When they reached the top, it took them another full day to ram/burn the main gate, after which they were so exhausted that they called it a night (really?). When they woke up the next day and marched into the fort to enslave the Jewish inhabitants, they discovered a mass suicide of close to 1000 Jews, which preferred death over slavery. Only 2 woman and five children stayed alive through hiding, the story goes. The event and site was long forgotten until an accidental discovery in the 18hundreds. Today the story is glorified and the fort became a heroic site of pilgrimage for Jews, undermined by the famous oath "Massada shall never fall again!".

With that story in mind, Massada is a beautiful place to visit. Throw an ancient luxurious fort on top of a hill and combine it with a splendid view - if that doesn't make your day, nothing will! What a trip! Check out my photos here: