Masada, Part 2

I'm providing a link to Wikipedia's article on Masada. There you will read the story we heard as we walked around the ruins of that fortress. It's about the siege of the place by the Romans in 73 AD (or CE, as we now say). Josephus, the Jewish historian whose name you have no doubt heard before, took part in the First Jewish War, about 63 AD. He provides a first-hand account of what happened here in 73 AD. Hollywood made a movie called Masada in 1981. Peter O'Toole and such were in it.

Oh, I'd love to tell about what happened in 73 AD, about the 800 people (the Sicarii, who lived at Masada then, and refugees from Jerusalem. Remember, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its inhabitants in 70 AD, leaving not one stone upon another of the temple). Those 800 took their own lives rather than be killed or taken captive by the Romans. Actually, they allowed their lives to be taken by the 10 who drew the lots to carry out that assignment. And there was an 11th. But just go here.

There's Ann amid the ruins. You had no idea how big this place was, did you.

The Dead Sea, of course, in the background.

Desolate

Have you thought about water? How to get water to Masada? Well they built cisterns to catch the rain water, but I can't imagine much rainfall there.

The view of the desert from the other side of Masada. Notice another Roman encampment, preparing for the siege.

Yes, this is still at Masada. Because I've been able to show you only a small part of what we saw, you really ought to read about Masada. Oh yes, Ann and I are in this picture. Can you find us?

The end.