In This Post

Location
History
Masada National Park
How to Ascend Masada
Bottom Line

Masada is a really fascinating ancient castle complex that has deep meaning and historical significance. Translated from Hebrew as “strong foundation or fortress”, Masada is a natural fortress built on top of a barren mountainous desert plateau thousands of feet above the Dead Sea. An Israeli national park since 1966, it holds well-preserved ruins which authenticates the history of the ancient kingdom of Israel and the courage of its people in the face of a Roman siege.

The plateau at the top of Masada is massive in size.

Location

Masada is located on the edge of the Judean desert, about an hour and a half south of Jerusalem. It towers around 1,300 feet above the nearby Dead Sea. Because of the desert climate, the surrounding area is virtually uninhabited.

History of Masada

King Herod the Great, who ruled Judea from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C., originally built Masada as a castle complex. Recognizing the defensive advantages of the mountain, Herod built his fortress there as an escape and shelter from enemies, complete with palace, storerooms, cisterns, synagogue, bathhouse and fortress wall. It was furnished as a retreat for himself, but Herod died without ever using it.

A model of the northern palace built by Herod.

After Herod’s death and the annexation of Judea, the Romans built a command post at Masada. When the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans broke out in 66 A.D., a group of Jewish rebels took over Masada. There, they held out for several years, raiding and harassing the Romans.

However, in 70 A.D., with Jerusalem in ruins, the Romans turned their attention to taking down Masada. At this point in time, only about 960 rebels lived on Masada, many women and children. A legion of 8,000 Romans built camps at the base, a siege wall, and a ramp on a slope of the mountain.

After several months of siege without success, the Romans built a tower on the ramp to try and take out the fortress’s wall. When it became clear that the Romans were going to take Masada, the rebels set most of the buildings on fire and committed mass suicide rather than live as Roman slaves. Only two women and five children were found alive.

Masada National Park

Starting in the 1950s, archeologists started to excavate the site and found many well-preserved structures. In 1966, the site was declared a national park and ever since, has been a favorite pilgrimage site for Jewish youth groups. It’s important as a symbol of determination and heroism which continues to this day, as many Israeli soldiers are sworn in there.

The remains of the fortress were reconstructed in an effort to pay homage to the site and its heroic inhabitants. The most impressive structure is King Herod’s northern palace, built on three rock terraces overlooking the gorge below.

Ruins of the castle complex – King Herod’s palace.

Also preserved at Masada, you’ll find many buildings that served to sustain the people living on Masada, including:

a large Roman bathhouse with a colorful mosaic floor and mural-decorated walls
a mikveh (Jewish ritual bath)
a storeroom complex of 29 rooms that held food and weapons
a western palace with several rooms surrounding a courtyard and water cistern
a synagogue built during Herod’s time

How to Ascend Masada

Visitors have two options to ascend Masada. If you like hiking, you have the option to climb more than 700 steps up the so-called Snake Path to reach the summit. If you opt for this method, you need to begin early in the morning—when it’s still dark—in order to beat the oppressive heat.

The view of Masada from the cable car at ground level.

The other option is by cable-car. This gets visitors to the top in a matter of minutes. In the summer, it’s often the only option as officials will close the hiking path for safety reasons.

You can see the barren land surrounding the complex as you descend in the cable car.

Bottom Line

Visiting Masada is one of my 7 Must Do Activities in Israel and is really amazing in so many ways. The first thing is the structure itself. How did they climb the mountain, build all the structures and live there for so many years? Even without modern technology, they figured out how to survive and bring essentials, like food and water to Masada. The other amazing aspect that really hits you as you walk around the complex, is the history. It’s over 2,000 years old and although the story doesn’t end well for the Jewish rebels, it’s a real source of pride for the Israeli people.