Toe Jam Fam: Day 3:Masada, The Dead Sea, and Qumran

MASADA

Masada was a fortress built by Herod as a refuge in time of need against the two dangers he always envisioned. Those were: that he would be replaced as King by the Jewish people and his fear of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.

This fortress is 900 ft. high on three sides and 675 ft high on the west side.

To provide water, he carved out more than 12 cisterns, the largest of which held 80,000 gallons of water. They were filled by natural rain water.

Herod used this fortress to entertain, which is what the lower buildings were used for. He had saunas, etc. The finest of the fine. I can't imagine how many servants it took to supply this place. The man power to just get what they needed up the hill is amazing.
This fortress is really known for one of the saddest chapters in Jewish history. During the Jewish War against the Romans, many fled to Masada. The royal buildings were changed into homes and workshops. They supplied themselves with food and animals, and the cisterns could each hold water enough for 5 years. Every time it rained they were replenished. They lived there peacefully for 6 years until the Romans decided to make a point. They spent 7 months building a ramp on the West side so that they could bring up their battering ram and take out the western wall. When the leader of this people realized that no miracle was going to take place, he gave a speech urging suicide rather than surrender. They jumped, women, children and men, to their deaths. (all but two old women and five children) When the Romans arrived to finish their victory....their victory was taken from them.