1995 Israel: Masada (12/24/1995)

Sunday, December 24, 1995
Christmas Eve Day! It is hard to remember it is Christmas time in this climate! Another sunny day! Before 8:00, Kent called the Egged Tour company and was able to reserve the Nazareth-Sea of Galilee tour for tomorrow. We were set to go at 8:00, but Brynne was tired and grumpy. We made her at least take some cough medicine. Then all five of us trekked down to the parking garage for our outing to Masada and the Dead Sea. We had to first head in the direction of Jericho, and we all tried to help keep a lookout for signs pointing the way to Route 1. Drove into the barren hills of the desert, and began to see Bedouin encampments with large squared-off tents, wandering donkeys, and occasional herds of sheep and/or goats. We noticed some of the encampments had cars or tractors, or TV antennas (on generators). Where the road crested on red limestone was not obvious, at this area called Ma’aleh Adumin/Red Ascent. This spot marked the border between the Biblical Israelite tribes of Benjamin to the north and Judah to the south. It is also the point of the last view back to Jerusalem. We realized we had passed the Inn of the Good Samaritan, but the next right turn brought us back to it. The Ls had never stopped here before.

Good Samaritan Inn

The one-story building, with a front courtyard was surrounded by a stone wall, was once a Turkish police fort in the early 1900s, at the halfway point between Jerusalem and Jericho. Traditionally the site of the inn is where a man ambushed on the road to Jericho was aided by a Samaritan and left to be cared for at an inn. Now a camel sat out front for a photo op, and a Bedouin tent was set up for tourists. We walked around to the back of the building where we could see a nearby Bedouin encampment. A man was standing at the back corner of the building wearing street clothes and a yarmulke, and holding a sub-machine gun.

Bedouin camp, with an Israeli guard?

Soldiers?

He was joined by two others dressed like him and they wandered down the road.

Sheep

A couple sheep came to drink at a trough, and Dot stepped in perhaps their droppings. We entered the building, which is now a gift shop and coffee bar. Across the road and up the hill were the ruins of a small 12th century Crusader fort of Maldoim.
We drove on, and decided we did not have time to drive into the Wadi Kelt to see St George’s Monastery perched on the cliffs. As we continued through the mountains we passed a sign indicating we were at sea level! Came down out of the mountains into a flat valley and ahead we could see the Dead Sea, the lowest land elevation on earth. It is at about 1,310 feet below sea level and is another 1,312 feet deep at its deepest. To our left was a greenish area, the city of Jericho. We continued to the right to follow the western shore of the Dead Sea southward. The Dead Sea has shrunk. We could not distinguish what were the heaps of potash, but perhaps that was the grayish stuff, as we were expecting pillars of white salt! Potash is the primary product of the Dead Sea region, as well as bromine and magnesium, all extracted from the brine. Most of the work is done at the southern end of the sea in Sodom. As we drove along, Brynne coughed, gagged, and threw up into a plastic bag we had at the ready. Her stomach was empty, so she only brought up some stomach juices. When she was done, she asked to eat her bagel! I took her out of her seat in the middle to sit on my lap and look out the window, to be sure motion sickness was not figuring into the upset stomach. But after eating the bagel, she seemed fine except for a slight fever. We saw signs with a skull and crossbones saying “Do Not Swim/Danger.” Kent found a paragraph in the guide book explaining the do-nots of swimming in the Dead Sea, and read them aloud. Any cuts or sores would sting. Do not get the water in your eyes or nose as it will sting. Do not get it in your mouth as it is very bitter with minerals. Do not get it on your hair as it will leave it sticky and smelling badly. It will make your skin feel oily and slick. Etc. After that recitation, Brynne was totally turned off to the idea of swimming in the Dead Sea.

Mountains and cliffs of the Hills of Judea

We continued with the mountains and cliffs to our right and the Dead Sea and the mountains of Jordan to our left. We arrived at Masada, a flat-topped mountain with evidence of ruins on top, and a cable car going up to it. From afar, you could not distinguish it from any other of the red hills.
We thought Brynne might want to stay with Dot & Tom who were going to wait below at the lower cable car station. Because of collapsed veins, Tom had a lot of pain in his legs when he walked. Getting up to the station from the parking lot was enough of a climb. Besides, they had been here before. I realized I had forgotten to bring extra film, and ran back to the car. I decided to bring the whole backpack for Brynne. When I got back, Brynne had decided to go up on Masada with us.
We paid for the cable car tickets, 38 NIS per adult and 20 NIS per child. The cable car was scheduled for every half hour, or whenever the car filled up (about 40 people). We did not have to wait long as we crowded into the Swiss-made cable car, being able to be right up front.

Masada Cable Car

Tom & Dot at the cable car station

Reached the top of Masada about 11:00. Herod built a fortress here in the 1st century BC to which he could escape if necessary as he knew he was hated by his subjects and was threatened by Cleopatra. In the grand palatial style was evidence of his paranoia and sense of grandeur. Herod died in 4 BC, and 10 years later his son, Archelaus was exiled, so the area came under Roman rule. Oppression and misrule led to the Great Revolt of 66 AD spearheaded by the ultranationalist Zealots. Masada fell early to the rebels, a group of Zealots called Sicarii (named for the sica, a dagger, they carried) under Menachem Ben-Yehuda of Galilee. He was murdered in Jerusalem, and his nephew, Elazar Ben-Yair, became commander of the fortress. The Jews built a synagogue, public hall, and ritual baths in the Roman palace. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Masada became the last refuge of about 967 men, women, and children. The new Roman governor, Flavius Silva, came to Masada to set up a thorough siege, in hopes the people would surrender due to hunger and thirst. Silva’s camp numbered 10-15 thousand men. You could see the siege wall around the base of the mountain, along which messengers would run camp to camp, and some of the eight square Roman camps located around the mountain.

View of the siege wall and a Roman camp below Masada

The story of Masada is known through the 1st century historian, Flavius Josephus, but he is suspect because he was a Jewish historian and once a leader of the Great Revolt, only to surrender and join the Roman forces. The siege lasted seven months, while the Romans worked on building a massive earthen assault ramp (imagine building a ramp that would reach the top of the Empire State Building!) from the western plateau to the summit. Archaeological evidence verifies Josephus’ version of events. Once the wall was breached, the Zealots improvised wood and soil walls. But the Romans set fire to these. Realizing there was no hope, they decided to take their own lives rather than be captured by the Romans, as exhorted by the Ben-Yair Speech. The men dispatched their own families, then drew lots for 10 men to execute the rest of the men. The remaining 10 men drew lots for a final executioner to kill the last of the men, set fires in all corners of the fortress, and then take his own life. They left untouched their water and food provisions to show the Romans they did not die of want, but for honor. The Romans took over Masada for a few years, then abandoned it. In the 5th and 6th centuries, a few Christian monks settled here, adapting caves as dwellings and erecting a church; this being the Byzantine period. After 100 years, Masada was left desolate once again. Masada was identified in 1838 by American explorers, but it was not until 1963-1965 when it was extensively excavated under Israeli Professor Yigael Yadin. In 1989, Ehud Netzer conducted an archaeological study. Masada is an important symbol of heroism for political and religious independence, and is a chapter in Israel’s struggle for freedom.
The cable car supposedly takes only three minutes to ascend, versus the 45-60 minutes needed to walk up the snaking path below the cable car route. One can also access Masada by climbing the Roman siege ramp on the other side. At the top cable car station, we still had 85-90 steps to climb. The cliff is 440 m/, 444 feet above the Dead Sea (50 m/164 feet above sea level). The flat peak is 650 x 300 m/2,133 x 984 feet, or about 20 hectares/48 acres. Partway up the stairs we could peek into one of 12 cisterns carved into the rock, which supplied the fortress with an incredible 40 million liters/over 10 million gallons of water. Dams in nearby wadis diverted winter season flood waters to built-up channels into these cisterns on two levels on the northwest flank. From here water was taken to an upper reservoir by hand. We could see a channel cut into the rock leading to this cistern.

Channel to take water to a cistern

We came through the Snake Path Gate and first peeked over the wall at the view of the Dead Sea below.

View of the Dead Sea from Masada

We could see the peninsula that cuts the Dead Sea into two parts, and the hazy mountains of Jordan. Here there was the spot where the Ben-Yair inscribed pottery shard was found. We followed a recommended route proceeding to the eastern casemate wall. The mountain top is surrounded by a 4,600 foot casemate, a double wall enclosing living quarters and guardrooms. Went in a room where stones prepared by warriors to roll over the wall to defend the fortress. Walked past a quarry, then into the remains of a residence and villa, with frescoed walls and a tub or water container.

Commandant's Residence with wall frescoes

Went to Snake Point Lookout for a view down on the Roman camps and siege wall. Passed by many storerooms, where jars of seeds of grain, dried fruit, and pits were found to support Josephus’ account that the Zealots did not burn their food supply. Next was a state-of-the art bathhouse built in Roman style including a courtyard surrounded by pillars, which served as a gymnasium, a dressing room (apodyterium), a cold room (frigidarium) to the right and a hot room (caldarium) to the left with a double floor through which hot air flowed.

Caldarium with evidence of a double floor

Opulence was seen in the floor tiles and frescoes. Benches and a pool were Zealot alterations. The caldarium was heated from below as well as through wall pipes by hot air pumped in from an outside furnace.
We ascended to a plastered outer wall and upper semicircular terrace of the Northern Palace, which seems to hang off the mountain.

Northern Palace

Middle and lower terraces of the Northern Palace

Another view of Roman camps and runners’ path for communication between camps. We could also see Ein Gedi, where Silva had to get water. There were steps down to the middle and lower terraces, but we decided not to subject Brynne to going up and down stairs, especially on the side of a cliff! This palace was built for privacy and for the reception of special guests.
We passed the Lottery Area where ostraca bearing 11 names were found, supposedly the lots for choosing the executioners. (Why did the Romans leave all this stuff after they took over?) We climbed to the roof of the bathhouse for a view down on the storehouses. At the administration building, I used a restroom. Next we went to the synagogue, one of the four from this period, oriented towards Jerusalem with stone benches and a pit (geniza) for damaged scrolls.

Synagogue

Then to the casemate of the scrolls where many items were found.

Room in the casemate, where the Ben-Zura scroll was found

We went to Break Point where a modern winch is set up at a break in the wall. This is where the Romans broke into the fortress. The assault ramp was immediately below (the top part has collapsed).

Roman assault ramp

We headed toward the middle of the mountain top to the ruins of a Byzantine church or chapel, with floor mosaics, built in the 5th century by monks.

Byzantine chapel

Brynne and Kent

Next we went to the Western Palace. The largest structure for residential and administrative purposes, with a royal wing, service quarters, and storerooms. We could look down on a couple colorful Herodian floor mosaics with geometric and fruit motifs.

Herodian mosaic

We incorporated the extended route by going next to the swimming pool built by the Zealots with semicircular stairs/tiers.

Steps to Zealots' pool (PBB)

Passed a couple residences and arrived at the Columbarium, a Herodian building for raising pigeons!

Columbarium

A Great Pool was intended to be a swimming pool.

Brynne and Kent by the Great Pool

We did not descend into the water cistern at the southern end, but checked out a part of the southern wall with a bakery. We bypassed the gate leading to caves, another eastern cistern, and a mikveh/ritual bath pool (another at the lower terrace in the Northern Palace). On our way back, we stopped at the ruins of a Byzantine dwelling in front of caves that were used as part of the dwelling. I ran up to the Storerooms Lookout, the highest point on Masada for a look around.

View SE from Storerooms Lookout toward the Dead Sea

View E over the vast storerooms

View N from Storerooms Lookout

Israeli flag

Masada vineyard

Kent and Brynne rested on a bench, then we went to wait of the cable car. This time we were squished in the middle of the car, and I lifted up Brynne so she could at least see over heads. I did not want motion sickness in this crowd!
We were impressed with Masada, the view, and could understand the Jewish pride in such a place. “Masada shall not fall again” is the rally cry. We met the Ls who suggested we just snack rather than have lunch, to leave room for a big dinner. So we snacked in the back of the car and Brynne had the rest of her bagel. Kent and I had the last of his mom’s cookies, and we had lemonade and water.

Next: Ein Gedi.