Fortress Masada (מצדה)

The origins of Masada Fortress date back to approximately 40 BC, when King Herod I (the Great) commissioned the construction of a fortress considered impregnable, built in three phases. After Herod's death, Masada served as a Roman garrison. In 66 AD, during the Jewish War, Sicarii rebels captured the fortress. Following the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, Masada became a refuge for Jewish rebels. In 73 AD, the 10th Roman Legion under Flavius Silva besieged the fortress. The Romans constructed a four-kilometer-long wall and a siege ramp to overcome the defenses. After months of siege, the besieged Jews, led by Eleazar ben-Ya'ir, chose collective suicide to avoid Roman captivity. Only a few women and children survived and reported the events. In the 5th and 6th centuries, Christian monks settled on the mountain and built a church. The fortress fell into oblivion until it was rediscovered in 1838 by Edward Robinson and E. Smith. Extensive excavations in the 1960s uncovered the ruins and confirmed the historical accounts.

Masada Fortress is located in the Southern (HaDarom) region of Israel, on a mesa approximately 40 m above sea level. It is part of a national park and is situated near the Dead Sea.

Visitors today can explore the well-preserved ruins of Masada Fortress. A cable car provides convenient access to the summit plateau, where one can explore the remains of Herodian palaces, storehouses, bathhouses, and the casemate wall. The site is an important destination for tourists and a symbol of Jewish will for freedom.

• Kerak Fortress Ruin (approx. 36.4 km away)
• Church of the Nativity (approx. 45.1 km away)
• Roman Fort Khirbet el-Fityan (approx. 48.6 km away)
• Ancient City of Be'er Sheva (approx. 49.5 km away)