Masada, Part 1, revised

The following photos were taken at Masada or from Masada. And, yes, you will see the Dead Sea again. I have suggested you Google Masada, that is if you want to know any more about it. I can tell you a few things.

Masada was built on a plateau in the Judean desert and overlooks the Dead Sea. Built by Herod the Great--you know, the one appointed by the Romans to be king of the Jews, the one who ordered the murder of boys under age two, hoping to kill Jesus--it is a spectacular place, even in ruins.

A word about Herod.
He was not Jewish, although he tried to claim he was. He was Idumean. He thought if he said he was a converted Jew, the Jews would like him better. They hated him.

He was a great builder: 1. Rebuilt Solomon's temple, hoping to win the favor of the Jews. 2. Built the beautiful port city of Caesarea, on the Mediterranean. 3. Built Masada, with its walls and baths and at least two palaces, as a fortified refuge for himself. But he was at the place only four times.

He was a murderous man, killing any he feared might try to take his power and place. His murders included his own--and beloved--wife, Mariamne, whom he mourned the rest of his life. He also killed two of her sons.

Masada.
I wish I had an aerial photo of Masada so you could see the size and grandness of the place. But I don't.

Here goes:

A model of the front view of Masada We went up via cable car. See the Dead Sea? See what I mean? That's the cable car. The square outlines are remains of sites of Roman regiment camps.

This is part of the sauna. See below. The sauna is in one of those buildings. Am I right? Masada was discovered in the 1840s, but most of the work of uncovering it was done 1963-1965. Some life in a dead place Enh. It is I. So I made a black line on the wall. So?  Just kidding. The black line marks the age of the wall, that is, below the black line was the original wall, Herod's time. Above the line was added later. Not sure when. To be continued. P.S. I forgot to buy sugar free lemon Kool Aid today.