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Cliffs of Masada as seen from the cable car |
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Masada
After the Dead Sea, we went to Masada. It is a standalone fortress that Herod built. We accessed it via a short cable car ride.
The story of Masada is a sad one. The Jews had seized the fortress from the Romans in AD 66. When the Romans approached the city to take it back, they built a small 3ft. high wall to let the Jews feel as though they were surrounded. Then they used stones, dirt, and logs to make a ramp up to the lowest part of the city - built for use with a battering ram. They cut off the water supply. The Jews were greatly outnumbered and, knowing they were doomed to death and their children to slavery, the men agreed to kill their own families and elect someone to kill them after the deeds were done. This is what they did, and a small handful of women and children were able to escape and tell the story.
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