Masada

After the First Jewish-Roman War a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels, who preferred death to surrender.

Masada ( Modern Hebrew מצדה metzadá "fortress" ) is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau , akin to a mesa , on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert , overlooking the Dead Sea . Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. According to Josephus , the Siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First Jewish–Roman War ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarii rebels and their families hiding there. Masada is located 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Arad . Masada is one of Israel's most popular tourist attractions . pronunciation; ; the Hebrew term simply means "fortress"; in Biblical Hebrew מְצָד mĕtsad "mountain-fortress; stronghold" from a root meaning "to hunt, lie in wait for prey". Most popular during 2008; "Masada tourists' favorite spot in Israel" . During 2005 to 2007 and 2009 to 2012 the second-most popular, behind the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo .

Archaeological site in Israel Masada ( metsada , "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau , akin to a mesa . It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert , overlooking the Dead Sea 20 km (12 miles) east of Arad . Herod the Great built two palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. According to Josephus , the siege of Masada by Roman troops from 73 to 74 CE , at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War , ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarii rebels who were hiding there. Masada is one of Israel's most popular tourist attractions . pronunciation ; the term simply means "fortress" in Modern Hebrew ; in Biblical Hebrew מְצָד mĕtsad "mountain-fortress; stronghold" from a root meaning "to hunt, lie in wait for prey". Most popular during 2008; "Masada tourists' favorite spot in Israel" . During 2005 to 2007 and 2009 to 2012, it was the second-most popular, behind the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo .

Ancient hilltop fortification in Israel This article is about the Judean fortress. Masada ( məṣādā , "fortress"; ) is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau , akin to a mesa . It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert , overlooking the Dead Sea 20 km (12 miles) east of Arad . Herod the Great built two palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE . According to Josephus , the siege of Masada by Roman troops from 73 to 74 CE, at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War , ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarii rebels who were hiding there. However, the archaeological evidence relevant to a mass suicide event is ambiguous at best and rejected entirely by some scholars. Masada is one of Israel's most popular tourist attractions . During 2005 to 2007 and 2009 to 2012, it was the second-most popular, behind the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo . The site attracts around 750,000 visitors a year. pronunciation ; the term simply means "fortress" in Modern Hebrew ; in Biblical Hebrew מְצָד məṣād "mountain-fortress; stronghold" from a root meaning "to hunt, lie in wait for prey". The Bart Ehrman Blog . The Bart Ehrman Foundation . Making History: Josephus And Historical Method . Most popular during 2008; "Masada tourists' favorite spot in Israel" .

Ancient hilltop fortification in Israel This article is about the Judean fortress. Masada ( Hebrew : מְצָדָה məṣādā , 'fortress'; Arabic : جبل مسعدة ) is a mountain-top fortress complex in the Judaean Desert , overlooking the western shore of the Dead Sea in southeastern Israel . The fort, built in the first century BCE, was constructed atop a natural plateau rising over 400 m (1,300 ft) above the surrounding terrain, 20 km (12 miles) east of modern Arad . The most significant remains at the site date to the reign of Herod the Great , King of Judaea c. 37–4 BCE, who transformed Masada into a fortified desert refuge early in his rule. He enclosed the summit with a casemate wall and towers, and constructed storerooms, an advanced water system, and bathhouses, along with two elaborate palaces: one on the western side and another built across three terraces on the northern cliff. These palaces remain among the finest examples of Herodian architecture . Masada is most renowned for its role during the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), when it became the final holdout of Jewish rebels following the destruction of Jerusalem . A group known as the Sicarii , a radical faction led by Eleazar ben Ya'ir, defended the site against the Roman Tenth Legion under Lucius Flavius Silva . The Romans laid siege by building a circumvallation wall and a massive ramp. According to Josephus , when the walls were breached in 73/74 CE, the Romans found nearly 1,000 inhabitants had died by mass suicide —a claim that remains debated among historians. In modern times, the story of Masada was interpreted as a symbol of heroism that became influential in early Israeli national identity. Excavations led by archaeologist Yigael Yadin in the 1960s uncovered remarkably preserved remains, including Herod's palaces, storerooms with food remnants, ritual baths , a synagogue , chapel , columbaria , scrolls , and pottery shards bearing names, one inscribed "ben Ya'ir," possibly linked to the final days of the defenders. The surrounding Roman siege works and bases remain visible and are among the most intact examples of Roman military engineering . Today, Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Israel's most popular tourist attractions , drawing around 750,000 visitors a year. pronunciation ; the term simply means "fortress" in Modern Hebrew ; in Biblical Hebrew מְצָד məṣād "mountain-fortress; stronghold" from a root meaning "to hunt, lie in wait for prey". Most popular during 2008; Timor, Ilai (8 April 2009).