5 Places to Visit in Israel (When It’s Safe to Go Back): Part Two
In Part One, I told you a bit about Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. My mini-travelogue continues with an absolute must-see on any trip to Israel:
3. Masada
Each time I’ve visited Israel, we’ve combined a morning visit to Masada with an afternoon at a Dead Sea hotel spa, like the Lot or the Hod, which have private beaches and buffet luncheons.
First, some background on Masada:
Masada is a symbol of the ancient Jewish kingdom of Israel, of its violent destruction in the later 1st century CE, and of the subsequent Diaspora. The palace of Herod the Great at Masada is an outstanding example of a luxurious villa of the early Roman Empire, while the camps and other fortifications that encircle the hill constitute the finest and most complete Roman siege works to have survived to the present day. (…)
With the end of the Herodian dynasty in 6 BCE Judaea came under direct Roman rule, and a small garrison was installed at Masada. At the beginning of the Jewish Revolt in 66 a group of Zealots led by Menahem, one of the Jewish leaders, surprised and slaughtered the garrison. The Zealots held Masada throughout the revolt, and many Jews settled there, particularly after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple by Titus in 70. They occupied some of the Herodian palace buildings, and added more modest structures of their own, such as a synagogue, a ritual bath, and small houses.
Two years later Flavius Silva, the Roman Governor, decided to eliminate this last remaining centre of Jewish resistance. He sent the X Legion and a number of auxiliary units there, with many prisoners of war for manual duties. The Jews, led by Eleazar Ben Yair, prepared for a long siege as the Romans and their prisoners built camps and a long siege wall (circumvallation) at the base of the hill. On a rocky site near the western approach to Masada they constructed a massive ramp of stones and rammed earth. A giant siege tower with a battering ram was constructed and moved laboriously up the completed ramp. It succeeded in breaching the wall of the fortress in 73, allowing the Roman soldiers to enter.
The Zealots defended stoutly, but there was no hope of resisting the Roman attack for long. Josephus reports that Ben Yair talked to the 960 men, women, and children who survived, telling them that “a glorious death is preferable to a life of infamy.” All but two took their own lives on 2 May 73.
Masada is now a potent symbol of Jewish resistance to tyranny, but that wasn’t always the case.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that a poem about the siege reintroduced the story to the world. (That poem is said to have inspired the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.)
Today, Masada is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Israel.
One of our group bravely walked up the side of the mountain — in flipflops! — but most visitors elect to take the cable car to the top.
You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views and a stirring history lesson.
Bonus: the gift shop is amazing and they’ve just added a shiny new “food court.” (However, do NOT buy the AHAVA Dead Sea beauty products at Masada — there’s an AHAVA discount store in Eilat.)
Wear a hat and sunscreen, and carry lots of water. (I bought a lumbar pack with two water bottle holders for this trip.)
Looks great, Kaff. Never been there but I have seen porky Russians in tiny Speedos or to use the Australian term ‘budgie-smugglers’. Not pretty.
My family and I visited Israel about 1 1/2 years ago. If not for the high cost of living, and our families are in North America, we would happily live there, probably near Tel Aviv. Love it.
Been there done that. Watch out for the Beduin around the Dead Sea and the road to Eilat. They’ll steal you blind. Pretty sure the folks who run the Dead Sea bath house get a cut of what the Arabs steal from the cars in the parking lot each day. ( there is pretty much zero Israeli police presence East of Jerusaem ) Don’t stray far from the tourist worn path either. The litter everywhere is kind of a bring down. As well as their dumps visible from the roadways with no fences or even trees to block the view. And don’t expect much help from the police if you get robbed. They could not care less and if your passport gets stolen you will rot in East Jerusalem for days before you can leave. The airport is fun too. Cattle prod airways.
It’s safe to go back, right now. No waiting necessary.
It was difficult last month but generally Israel is safer than most American cities. Welcome to Israel.
I have been there many times. It is absolutely safe. Never had any trouble with car thieves, whether Arab or Bedouin or Jewish – because I went by Egged bus! It’s a great country to visit – and if you know how, it is not necessarily expensive.