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Masada is a majestic, massive rock column that rises up around 1000 feet or 300 meters from the valley floor. It was here the Jews had their last stand against the Roman Empire. However, something tragic happened here. Instead of fighting the Romans, around 1000 of them committed massive suicide. Learn all about this site and what happened in this video.<br />
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Location<br />
1. Masada is located at the Dead Sea's southern end, about 40 miles (64 km.) southeast of Jerusalem.<br />
2. It's a natural flat mountain that rises up from the valley floor some 1,000 ft. (305 m.). It's like a huge column with sheer cliffs on every side that makes it virtually unreachable.<br />
3. Ancient Gomorrah lies at the base of Masada and ancient Sodom is south of Masada about 14 miles (23 km).<br />
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Historical Background Leading up to the Fall of Masada<br />
1. Masada was one of 3 fortified fortresses King Herod built for pleasure purposes and from which to protect his territories. He built Masada in about 24 BC.<br />
2. 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 life afforded at that time.<br />
3. Besides ample water storage, Masada had 15 food storehouses, enough for 10,000 people for 10 years.<br />
4. In 66 BC, events began to unfold in Israel that caused the Jews to rebel against Roman rule. <br />
5. In 66-70 AD, when the nation was in revolt, Jewish Zealots who had fled from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas 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 at Masada. <br />
6. Between 66–70 AD, Rome conquered all the northern cities of Israel.<br />
7. In 70 AD, under Titus's command, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in a bloody battle that lasted well over 4 months. <br />
8. In 73 AD, there had amassed a total of 967 Jews, counting their families, at Masada. They were under the command of Eleazar Ben-Yair, a Jewish Zealot Freedom Fighter.<br />
9. After conquering Jerusalem and most of Israel, the Romans headed south to conquer the southern strongholds around the Dead Sea region and Masada.<br />
10. Masada was the last stronghold of the Israelites, and the Romans amassed their troops there in the fall of 73 AD.<br />
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The Fall of Masada<br />
1. In 73 AD, the 10th Roman Army Legion, totaling around 8,000 soldiers and 6,000 Jewish slaves under Commander Silva, arrived at the base of Masada. <br />
2. This Roman legion first built a wall around the base of Masada, much of it by using Jewish slave labor.<br />
3. Next, they built 8 camps around the mountain's base. The remains of most of these camps can still be seen today. Silva set up his headquarters at the northwest camp.<br />
4. After several months, 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.<br />
5. 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 own countrymen.<br />
6. After several months of building the siege ramp, the Romans finally reached the top of Masada and severely damaged the exterior wall.<br />
7. 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. <br />
8. The Romans set this inner wall on fire and decided to attack the next morning.<br />
9. 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. <br />
10. In the synagogue, the men gathered for a special meeting and drew lots, picking out 10 courageous men who knew about killing and understood how to die. <br />
11. Then, every father went home and killed their wives and children. <br />
12. 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.<br />
13. On May 3, 74 AD, after 7 months or so of long battled weariness, 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.