The Rock Fortress of Masada

Down in the Judean Desert, on the shores of the Dead Sea, lies the Fortress of Masada. This isolated desert retreat was constructed by King Herod as a venue of escape from his enemies. During the Great Revolt, with the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans (70) Masada became the final bastion of Jewish resistance against Rome. In the year 73, the Roman General Silva led two Legions against the 967 Jewish zealots, men, women and children that found shelter on Masada and wished only to live freely as Jews. After 8 months of siege, the Roman forces stormed up the mountain, only to find over 900 corpses of Jews that took their own lives. Masada remains a symbol of Jewish determination and the will to return to the Land of Israel.