Day 6: Exploring Masada...

The former palace, originally surrounded by 4,300 feet of 12-foot high casement walls, was built in 20 BC for King Herod on top of a hill overlooking the Dead Sea. In 70 AD, Jewish “zealots ” fought off the Roman forces for between 1-3 years; once the wall was finally breached, the approximately 1,000 Jews committed murder/suicide rather than becoming slaves. Previously, they were viewed as heroes, but now they are thought of as rebels. Archaeologists have gone to great efforts to mark the ruins with lines delineating original construction below the line and reconstruction above, which I really appreciated since so many ruins don’t mark reconstructions.

Apparently Even the Birds are Jewish--
This one Appears to be Wearing a Yarmulke

Original Thermal Bath House