Masada

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Introduction

 

​Welcome to Masada. Many events from the Bible and history took place here. Here are some of the highlights.

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1. After a confrontation between King Saul and David close to En Gedi, David likely hid out on top of Masada afterward. 

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2. Masada was one of three fortified fortresses King Herod built for pleasure purposes and to protect his territories. He built Masada in about 24 BC.

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3. In 73 AD, a total of 967 Jews, counting their families, had assembled at Masada. They were under the command of Eleazar Ben-Yair, a Jewish Zealot Freedom Fighter.

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4. In 73 AD, the 10th Roman Army Legion, totaling around 8,000 soldiers and 6,000 Jewish slaves under a commander named Silva, arrived at the base of Masada. 

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5. Masada was the last stronghold of the Israelites, and the Romans amassed their troops there in the fall of 73 AD.

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6. It would be here that this Jewish community chose to commit mass suicide rather than surrender to the Romans.

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7. It's a tragic story we'll see as we explore this site.

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Location

 

1. Masada is located at the Dead Sea's southern end, about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Jerusalem.

 

2. It's a natural flat mountain that rises from the valley floor some 1,000 ft. (305 m). It's like a huge column with sheer cliffs on every side, making it virtually unreachable.

 

3. Many believe ancient Gomorrah lies at the base of Masada, and ancient Sodom is about 14 miles (23 km) south of Masada.

 

4. The base of Masada is in a desert region, about 1,000 ft. (305 m.) below sea level.

 

5. The word Masada means fortress.

 

Historical Background 

 

1. Masada is a natural fortress most likely used throughout the area's history.

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2. David likely used it when fleeing from King Saul.

 

3. Masada first became a Jewish fortress under the Hasmoneans around 150–76 BC.

 

4. Later, King Herod upgraded Masada’s defenses (37–31 BC.

 

5. Masada was one of three fortified fortresses King Herod built for pleasure purposes and to protect his territories. It had double walls 20 feet (6 m) high surrounding the edge, with many lookout and defensive towers along the walls.

 

6. Masada was fortified with elaborate water cisterns fed by diverting water from the nearby mountains. It even had swimming pools and many of the luxuries of the time.

 

7. Besides ample water storage, Masada had 15 food storehouses for 10,000 people for 10 years.

 

8. In 66 BC, events began to unfold in Israel that caused the Jews to rebel against Roman rule. This revolt began in Caesarea Maritima.

 

9. In 66-70 AD, when the nation was in revolt, Jewish Zealots and a group called the Sicarii fled from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas and took the fortress of Masada from Roman occupation. They were national Freedom Fighters who opposed Roman rule. In their conquest, they gained possession of all the food and water stored in Masada. 

 

10. Between 66 and 70 AD, Rome conquered all the northern cities of Israel.

 

11. In 70 AD, under the command of Titus, the Romans totally destroyed Jerusalem in a bloody battle that lasted well over 4 months. Josephus (Jewish Historian) claims that 1.1 million Jews lost their lives in this battle, and another 97,000 were captured and enslaved. The siege also leveled the temple.

 

12. In 73 AD, a total of 967 Jews, counting their families, had assembled at Masada. They were under the command of Eleazar Ben-Yair, a Jewish Zealot Freedom Fighter.

 

13. After conquering Jerusalem and most of Israel, the Romans headed south to conquer the southern strongholds around the Dead Sea region and Masada.

 

14. Masada was the last Israelite stronghold that existed in the land, and the Romans amassed their troops there in the fall of 73 AD.

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15. We'll tell the rest of the story as we walk and see this site.

 

Places of Interest

 

1. Model of Masada

• Cable car access up to the top.

• Snake path access up to the top.

• Roman forts and walls.

• Roman fort headquarters.

• Siege Ramp

• Southern Palace

• Northern Palace

• Synogogue

• Lot Casting Room

• Bathhouse

• Storerooms (enough food for 10,000 people for 10 years)

 

2. Tram to the top of Masada

• Rise of around 1000 ft (300 m).

 

3. View from the tram ramp below.

• Roman Forts

• Roman Walls

• Gomorrah

• Dead Sea

 

4. Herod's Southern Palace

 

5. Byzantine Church

 

6. Roman Siege Ramp ~ Fall of Masada

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• In 66 BC, events in Israel began to unfold, leading the Jews to rebel against Roman rule. This revolt began in Caesarea Maritima.

 

• In 66-70 AD, during the revolt, Jewish Zealots and a group called the Sicarii fled from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas and took the fortress of Masada from Roman occupation. They were national Freedom Fighters who opposed Roman rule. In their conquest, they gained possession of all the food and water stored in Masada. 

 

• Between 66 and 70 AD, Rome conquered all the northern cities of Israel.

 

• In 70 AD, under the command of Titus, the Romans totally destroyed Jerusalem in a bloody battle that lasted well over 4 months. Josephus (Jewish Historian) claims that 1.1 million Jews lost their lives in this battle, and another 97,000 were captured and enslaved. The siege also leveled the temple.

 

• In 73 AD, a total of 967 Jews, counting their families, had assembled at Masada. They were under the command of Eleazar Ben-Yair, a Jewish Zealot Freedom Fighter.

 

• After conquering Jerusalem and most of Israel, the Romans headed south to conquer the southern strongholds around the Dead Sea region and Masada.

 

• Masada was the last Israelite stronghold in the land, and the Romans amassed troops there in the fall of 73 AD.

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• In 73 AD, the 10th Roman Army Legion, totaling around 8,000 soldiers and 6,000 Jewish slaves under a commander named Silva, arrived at the base of Masada. 

 

• This Roman legion first built a wall around the base of Masada, much of it using Jewish slave labor.

 

• Next, they built eight camps around the mountain's base. The remains of most of these camps are still visible today. Silva set up his headquarters at the northwest camp.

 

• After several months of unsuccessful engagement with the Jewish Zealots atop Masada, the Romans decided to build a massive siege ramp out of dirt on the west side of Masada, using Israelite slave labor to help in the process.

 

• As the siege ramp grew closer to the top of Masada, the Romans primarily used Jewish slave labor so that their fellow Jews on Masada wouldn’t shoot arrows and throw spears at their countrymen.

 

• After several months of building the siege ramp, the Romans finally reached the top of Masada and severely damaged the exterior wall.

 

• When the Jewish Zealots realized they were in grave danger of being conquered, they built another interior wall inside the exterior wall using wood beams from many of their buildings. They layered the beams with earth in between to fortify the new wall.

 

• The Romans set this inner wall on fire and were poised to enter. However, this happened late at night, so the Romans decided to wait until the next morning to attack.

 

• Realizing the Jews would be conquered the next morning, Eleazar Ben-Yair, the commander of the Zealots, gave an impassioned speech about how God had not created them to be slaves and about what would happen to them if they surrendered to the Romans.

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• We'll pick up the story at the synagogue, where it's believed the men met to discuss the matter.

 

7. Synagogue ~ Passionate Speech by Eleazar Ben-Yair

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Realizing the Jews would be conquered the next morning, Eleazar Ben-Yair, the commander of the Zealots, gave an impassioned speech about how God had not created them to be slaves and about what would happen to them if they surrendered to the Romans. This is what he proposed:

 

• The Romans are angry after the long battle and will kill most of us by torture. Those who are not killed will be mistreated and forced to be slaves. Our women will be raped before our eyes and violated, and our children will be tortured and forced to be slaves as well.

 

• The only option we have as free people is to take our own lives.

 

• In the synagogue, the men gathered for a special meeting and drew lots, picking out ten courageous men who knew about killing and understood how to die.

 

• Then, every father went home and killed their wives and children.

 

• Then, all the men gathered again together, and 10 of these men in the group killed the remaining men.  Then one man killed the other 9, and then the last man killed himself.

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• We'll end the story at the Casting of the Lots Room.

 

8. Viewing Area atop the Bathhouse

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9. Casting of the Lots Room ~ Final Account of the Mass Suicide

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At the synagogue we just visited. Eleazar Ben-Yair, the commander of the Zealots, realizing the Jews would be conquered the next morning, gave an impassioned speech about how God had not created them to be slaves and about what would happen to them if they surrendered to the Romans. This is what he proposed:

 

• The Romans are angry after the long battle and will kill most of us by torture. Those who are not killed will be mistreated and forced to be slaves. Our women will be raped before our eyes and violated, and our children will be tortured and forced to be slaves as well.

 

• The only option we have as free people is to take our own lives.

 

• In the synagogue, the men gathered for a special meeting and drew lots, picking out ten courageous men who knew about killing and understood how to die.

 

• Then, every father went home and killed their wives and children.

 

• Then, all the men gathered again together, and 10 of these men in the group killed the remaining men.  Then one man killed the other 9, and then the last man killed himself.

 

• The Jewish Zealots destroyed everything but the food supply to ensure the Romans knew they hadn’t run out of supplies. They had chosen death over Roman enslavement.

 

• On May 3, 74 AD, after 7 months or so of long, battle-weary siege, the Romans entered the top of Masada and stood in awe-stricken silence as they beheld the mass suicide of the Jews before them. The Zealots chose to die by suicide rather than be conquered by the Romans, to be abused or killed.

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• The Jewish historian Josephus says 960 men, women, and children died at Masada. Only two women and five children, who hid in a subterranean cavern, survived to tell the story.

 

10. Northern Palaces

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11. Store Rooms

 

12. Herod Bath House​

 

Masada in the Bible

 

1. After a confrontation between King Saul and David close to En Gedi, David likely hid out on top of Masada afterward. 
1 Samuel 24:22: And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold [fortress].

 

2. Because Israel rejected Christ as their Messiah, Christ foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. This destruction occurred between 66 and 70 AD.
Luke 19:41–44: And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.

 

3. Zechariah prophesied about Jerusalem’s destruction as well.
Zechariah 14:1–2: Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

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Faith Lesson from Masada

 

1. While we don’t endorse or believe the Jewish Zealots should have committed suicide, as it’s only God’s place to take a person’s life, we do understand these Zealots' decision. 

 

2. While some of the Zealots may have believed in Christ and were devoted servants to God, the Jewish nation as a whole and its leaders had largely rejected Christ as their Messiah. As a result, Christ spoke judgment upon the nation in Luke 19:41–44.

 

3. Almost every instance in which a country falls is due mainly to the decisions of its leaders. 

 

4. The sad reality is that the righteous always suffer at the hands of the wicked.

 

5. Today, it’s the same; while there may be many righteous people in a country, God will still judge it because of the sinful and immoral decisions its leaders and the majority of the people make. 

 

6. Israel didn’t return to being a nation until 1948, and this was due to God’s sovereign plan for them. God prophesied that He would bring them back again, and it’s a miracle that after almost 2,000 years, this has been fulfilled. This is unheard of in the history of any civilization.

 

7. However, the price Israel paid for their rejection of Christ cost them dearly and should be a warning to us today as well.