Masada is an ancient site with a number of fortifications, to the south of Israel, it is a rough natural fortress that is located along the edge of the Judean Desert that overlooks the Dead Sea. It also stands as a fine example of Israel’s ancient kingdom and the site of a violent destruction of Jewish patriots in the hands of Roman Army around 73 AD.
The cliffs located to the east measures 400 meters and the cliffs located to the west measures 90 meters high. The area on the top of the plateau is almost flat and looks in the shape of a rhomboid that measures 4300 feet. It features a number of towers and fortress that consisted of cisterns, palace, barracks, storehouses and armory for the storage of weapons.
Masada is famous for the ancient ruins which are:
Masada Storehouses
These storehouses were built by King Herod. It consists of 15 massive storerooms, jars and wine bottles were stored here.
Herod’s Bathhouse
It was the private bathhouse of King Herod. It featured a massive floor with 200 pillars and featured a furnace where hot air was sent below the floor and water was spilled on the floor, steam was produced. In addition the room also featured pipes inside the walls that heated the room.
Siege Camp
It is a massive wall that bounds Masada and the Roman camps. The wall measures about 7 miles long and 6 feet thick.
1st century Synagogue
This site was discovered as a part of Yadin’s excavations. Also at this site, a temple and coins belonging to the Jewish Revolt were iscovered.
Masada is a major tourist spot in the world and it was also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2001.