Masada, Dead Sea & Jerusalem

Masada is a big fortress built by the Romans but occupied by about 1000 rebel Jews nearly 2000 years ago. The Romans surrounded the fortresses for a year and then attacked, and with the luck of a strong wind changing direction that burned the massive gate, the fort would fall the next day. Rather than surrendering, the men killed their wives and children, and drew lots for the last ten men to finish the final suicide, leaving an anticlimax for the Romans. They had huge store rooms of food, weapons and a very elaborate city up on the top plateau of the mountain. Instead of taking the tram up, Grant and I joined half of our group who climbed up the “snake path” which took 45 minutes, a very hard and steep hike. After that we went to the Dead Sea, but since we swam in the Dead Sea in Jordan, we just hung around where the few people new to our group, swam. We drove to the Mount of Olives where we had our first view of old Jerusalem, with the setting sun.Read more