Advertisement
Published: June 26th 2017
Edit Blog Post
Geo: 31.7738, 35.2252
Today was one of the best days so far on the trip. In my reading about Roman HIstory I had learnt about the Jewish Revolt against the Romans in 66 AD during the reign of Vespasian.Some Zealots had holed up on top of a mountain in Masada near the Dead Sea. The Romans came there to lay siege to the place from 73-74AD. Led by Flavius Silva the Romans took many months to finally enter the fortress.
This is now a National Park and a Unesco Heritage listed site. To get there a ride in the cable car is the preferred option. There is what is called The Snake Path which "snakes" up the side of the mountain and was originally used as a supply path for donkeys. Some people were walking this but the cable car provided an easy ascent and breathtaking views.At the top we could visit the site of the Palaces originally built by King Herod the Great in the time of Augustus. He had constructed two main palaces here, one for himself and one for his guests along with a Roman Bath House and a Hareem for the women kept to entertain the visitors. These have
all been excavated and partly reconstructed and contain original mosaics and frescoes.
From the top you can also see the outlines of the Roman encampment and the huge ramp that was built using Jewish slave labour to gain access for the Roman siege tower to attack the outside walls. The views from the top are amazing as is the dry desert that surrounds it. This is a must see for anyone visiting Israel. It has also become a symbol of heroism for young Israelis. When the Zealots realised that the Romans would break through on the next day they drew lots and 10 men were selected to kill everyone else. They would rather die than submit themselves and their wives and children to the brutality and slavery that awaited them. The last 10 men also drew lots to see who would be the last man after he had killed everyone. When Flavius Silva, ( Peter O'Toole in the movie) arrived the next morning everyone was dead except for two women and five children who were found hiding but spared and taken to Rome where they told the tale to Josephus Flavius, a Jewish Historian, who wrote his book and therefore recorded
the incident for posterity.. A tragic tale.
After our visit we then went to Mineral Beach, a site where you can bathe in the Dead Sea.We were prepared with bathers and towels so went to the "beach" which is covered with mineral salts. This is 422 metres below sea level the lowest point on the earth. It was a weird sensation to float on the water and have great resistance to standing up again. I had to get Fletcher to help me push my legs down so I could stand and it was almost impossible to turn onto the front and try to swim normally. We bobbed around for a few minutes which was enough. Some people covered themselves in mud first which is supposed to help skin diseases like Eczema and Psorisis. Once showered and dressed we could still feel the salt on our hands and feet.
All this was an hour's drive from Jerusalem, past Jericho and parts of the West Bank. The weather was a pleasant 19 degrees and we had a small group consisting of a mother and son from Belgium, a couple from Peru and a man from Paraguay. Quite a mini United Nations. A great day
Advertisement
Tot: 0.352s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 6; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0703s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb