Masada

Today we spent the morning at Masada. For those who don't know the story, it really is something to behold. Masada is a place that the people of Israel hold close to their hearts. The cry of the modern nation of Israel is "Masada will never happen again." The year was 67 AD, a few decades after the death of Christ and just as the early church was getting their feet underneath them. The story of Masada shows the lengths that Rome was willing to go to in order to control the Jewish population.

Masada was a fortress that was originally built up by Herod the Great. Herod was a psychotic, brilliant and prolific personality in ancient times. His imagination for building was second to none. Masada was one of several great fortresses that he built. However, over time, this fortress fell into hands of others, including a group of Jewish rebels.

These rebels secured themselves at the fortress of Masada. The Romans moved heaven and earth to penetrate the fortress and finally, around the year 73 AD, they gained entrance to the stronghold only to find that all of the inhabitants had committed suicide or killed each other. This ancient site is evidence of the lengths that Rome was willing to go and the extreme opposition that Jews were willing to offer to resist Roman rule.Read more