Jun 15, 2010
By Lisa T. Bergren
After a visit to Qumran, site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found, we moved on along the shores of the ancient waterway (the Dead Sea is the lowest surface on Earth, at 1385 feet below sea level), to one of Herod’s desert palaces, a fortress on the iron-rich, red cliffs called Masada. Given the heat and the time, we elected not to hike the steep “snake path” and rode the gondola up to the top. (Visitors can hike one or both ways.)
Famous for its tri-level “hanging” palace that juts out from a northerly point, the site was one of Herod the Great’s favorite, luxurious desert palaces, with strategic views of the valley and nearly impenetrable walls, situated as it was on the very top of a mountain (1300 feet).
You can tour the sprawling grounds, in which you can still see the remains of fine frescoes, Roman columns, massive cisterns, an ancient synagogue (Herod was half Jewish), a calidarium (hot baths utilizing steam), and in the Western Palace, used for Herod’s guests, beautiful mosaic floors.
I loved climbing the stairs down to the hanging palace, imagining the rich lounging about, eating fine foods and enjoying the high desert breeze while they gazed down upon the salty sea below.
But Israelis are passionate about the location for more than the Herodian remains; during the Jewish revolt of 68 A.D., zealots left Jerusalem, took hold of the fortress, and kept the tenth Roman legion out during a two year siege. It infuriated the near-conquerors and they set everything they had against the Jews holed up inside. They were so close, that most days, those inside were likely able to see and hear their enemy. It took the Romans building eight camps (still visible) surrounding the mountain, a siege wall, and eventually, a massive, earthen ramp on the far side, to finally breach the fortress’ walls.
But the drama continued. Rather than be killed or enslaved by their enemies, and because suicide was expressly forbidden, they elected to kill one another; out of 960 people, only a couple of women and five children were found alive when the Romans broke down the gate with a battering ram. Men reportedly killed their families first, then one another. The last ten drew lots to decide who would be the last man alive on Masada, the only one to commit the dreaded suicide.
From Flavius Josephus’ history of the revolt, the Jewish rabbi’s last speech, as reported by one of the survivors: “Since we long ago resolved, never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God Himself…the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice…. We were the very first that revolted [against Rome], and we are the last that fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that God has granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a state of freedom…Let our wives die before they are abused, and our children before they have tasted of slavery, and after we have slain them, let us bestow that glorious benefit upon one another mutually.”
Even today, Israeli defenders take an oath: “Masada shall not fall again.” The visitor’s center shows a nationalistic film, and at the base of the mountain is a youth center where students come to contemplate past and future.
The visitor center’s film ends with an overly dramatic question: “What would you do?” I laughed at the time, because of the way it was presented. But it stuck with me.
Had you been in one of the Zealot’s shoes, what might you have done? Thoughts? Comment below.
Other posts in this series:
Arriving in Jerusalem
Ein Gedi and a Dip in the Dead Sea (coming soon)
Posted on Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tags: Dead Sea, Herod the Great, Herodian palace, Israel, Jewish Revolt, Masada, Masada shall not fall again, Roman siege
[...] those on their way to Masada or the shores of the Dead Sea, it’s worth a brief stop to watch the introductory film in the [...]
Wowww, what a trek. Gorgeous.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lisa Tawn Bergren, Lisa Bergren . Lisa Bergren said: What's the 2nd most visited site in Israel, outside of Jerusalem? It starts w an M… http://bit.ly/cW6QPL [...]
[...] a visit to Qumran, site where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Masada, ancient Herodian palace and stronghold for Jewish Zealots during the Great Revolt, we were ready [...]