|
|
صفحة: 71
Masada Towering 1 , 000 feet above the Dead Sea is the ancient fortress of Masada . Built on a natural rock formation , Masada stands alone—isolated from other large hills and mountains . For this reason , it made an ideal fortress in earlier times . King Herod built a palace fortress on Masada more than 2 , 000 years ago . In 66 CE , as the Romans took control of the land , a group of Jews from Jerusalem escaped to Masada . They held out for several years , until the Romans finally broke down their defenses . Rather than be taken captive , the Jews killed themselves . King Herod , Master Builder Appointed by the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar , King Herod governed Israel from 37 BCE until his death in 5 BCE . During his reign , Herod went on a building spree . Many of his projects , including Masada , were reinforced palaces or fortresses designed to protect him from the people he ruled , for he treated them cruelly in his quest for power . Herod named one such fortress Herodion . He also renovated and enlarged the Second Temple in Jerusalem . Do you remember the name of the coastal city built by Herod ? Most people take a three-minute cable car ride to the top of Masada . I’d rather make the steep climb up the Snake Path . Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a complete Jewish village on Masada . Their findings include a luxurious palace , a synagogue , a ritual bath , and food and water-storage systems .
|
|