Masada 1

Masada

Masada *UNESCO World Heritage Site

Northern palace of Masada, overlooking the Dead Sea.Country Israel

Type Cultural

Criteria iii, iv, vi

Reference 1040 [1]

Region ** Europe and North Africa

Inscription historyInscription 2001 (25th Session)

* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List [2]

** Region as classified by UNESCO [3]

View of Masada

Masada (Hebrew מצדה, pronounced Metzada, from מצודה,metzuda, "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the SouthernDistrict of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau (akin to amesa) on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking theDead Sea. Herod the Great built palaces for himself on themountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. The Siegeof Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of theFirst Jewish–Roman War ended in the mass suicide of the 960Jewish rebels holed up there. Masada is located 20 kilometres(12 mi) east of Arad.

Masada is Israel's most popular paid tourist attraction.[4]

Geography

The cliffs on the east edge of Masada are about 1,300 feet (400 m)high and the cliffs on the west are about 300 feet (91 m) high; thenatural approaches to the cliff top are very difficult. The top of theplateau is flat and rhomboid-shaped, about 1,800 feet (550 m) by900 feet (270 m). There was a casemate wall around the top of the plateau totaling 4,300 feet (1.3 km) long and 12feet (3.7 m) high, with many towers, and the fortress included storehouses, barracks, an armory, the palace, andcisterns that were refilled by rainwater. Three narrow, winding paths led from below up to fortified gates.

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HistoryFurther information: Siege of Masada

Camp F, one of several legionary camps atMasada, just outside the circumvallation wall

According to Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish Roman historian, Herodthe Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge forhimself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, a group of Jewish extremists,the Sicarii, overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. After thedestruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, additional members of theSicarii and numerous Jewish families fled Jerusalem and settled on themountaintop. [5]

In 72, the Roman governor of Iudaea Lucius Flavius Silva headed theRoman legion X Fretensis and laid siege to Masada. The Romanlegion surrounded Masada, and built a circumvallation wall and then asiege embankment against the western face of the plateau, movingthousands of tons of stones and beaten earth to do so. Josephus does not record any attempts by the Sicarii tocounterattack the besiegers during this process, a significant difference from his accounts of other sieges againstJewish fortresses. He did record their raid before the siege on Ein-Gedi, a nearby Jewish settlement, where the Sicariiallegedly killed 700 of its inhabitants.

According to Dan Gill,[6] geological investigations in the early 1990s confirmed earlier observations that the375-foot (114 m) high assault ramp consisted mostly of a natural spur of bedrock that required a ramp only 30 feet(9.1 m) high built atop it in order to reach the Masada defenses. This discovery would diminish both the scope of theconstruction and of the conflict between the Sicarii and Romans, relative to the popular perspective in which theramp was an epic feat of construction. The rampart was complete in the spring of 73, after probably two to threemonths of siege, allowing the Romans to finally breach the wall of the fortress with a battering ram on April 16.[7]

According to Josephus, when Roman troops entered the fortress, they discovered that its 960 inhabitants had set allthe buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and committed mass suicide.

Archaeology

Thermal baths on Masada

The site of Masada was identified in 1842 and extensively excavatedbetween 1963 and 1965 by an expedition led by Israeli archeologistYigael Yadin. Due to the remoteness from human habitation and itsarid environment, the site remained largely untouched by humans ornature for two millennia. The Roman ramp still stands on the westernside and can be climbed on foot. Many of the ancient buildings havebeen restored from their remains, as have the wall-paintings of Herod'stwo main palaces, and the Roman-style bathhouses that he built. Thesynagogue, storehouses, and houses of the Jewish rebels have alsobeen identified and restored. The meter-high circumvallation wall thatthe Romans built around Masada can be seen, together with elevenbarracks for the Roman soldiers just outside this wall. Water cisternstwo-thirds of the way up the cliff drain the nearby wadis by anelaborate system of channels, which explains how the rebels managedto conserve enough water for such a long time.

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Inside the synagogue, an ostracon bearing the inscription me'aser cohen (tithe for the priest) was found, as werefragments of two scrolls; parts of Deuteronomy 33–34 and parts of Ezekiel 35–38 (including the vision of the "drybones"), found hidden in pits dug under the floor of a small room built inside the synagogue. In other loci fragmentswere found of the books of Genesis, Leviticus, Psalms, and Sirach, as well as of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice.In the area in front of the northern palace, eleven small ostraca were recovered, each bearing a single name. Onereads "ben Yair" and could be short for Eleazar ben Ya'ir, the commander of the fortress. It has been suggested thatthe other ten names are those of the men chosen by lot to kill the others and then themselves, as recounted byJosephus.

View facing east from Masada. The Dead Sea andLisan Peninsula are in the middle distance;

Jordan is in the background.

Archaeologist Yigael Yadin's excavations uncovered the skeletalremains of 28 people at Masada. The remains of a male 20–22 years ofage, a female 17–18 and a child approximately 12 years old werefound in the palace. The remains of two men and a full head of hairwith braids belonging to a woman were also found in the bath house.Forensic analysis showed the hair had been cut from the woman's headwith a sharp instrument while she was still alive (a Jewish practice forcaptured women) while the braids indicated that she was married.Based on the evidence, anthropologist Joe Zias believes the remainsmay have been Romans whom the rebels captured when they seizedthe garrison.[8] The remains of 25 people were found in a cave at thebase of the cliff. Carbon dating of textiles found with the remains in

the cave indicate they are contemporaneous with the period of the Revolt and it is believed that as they were buriedwith pig bones (a Roman practice); this indicates that the remains may belong to Romans who garrisoned Masadaafter its recapture. Others, nevertheless, still maintain that the remains are those of the Jewish Zealots whocommitted suicide during the siege of Masada, and all were reburied at Masada with full military honours on July 7,1969.[9][10]

The remnants of a Byzantine church dating from the 5th and 6th centuries have also been excavated on the top ofMasada.

Cable car heading down from Masada

The Masada story was the inspiration for the "Masada plan" devised bythe British during the Mandate era. The plan was to man defensivepositions on Mount Carmel with Palmach fighters, in order to stopErwin Rommel's expected drive through the region in 1942. The planwas abandoned following Rommel's defeat at El Alamein.

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Moshe Dayan,initiated the practice of holding the swearing-in ceremony of soldierswho have completed their Tironut (IDF basic training) on top ofMasada. The ceremony ends with the declaration: "Masada shall notfall again." The soldiers climb the Snake Path at night and are sworn inwith torches lighting the background.[11]

Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. An audiovisual light show is presented nightly on thewestern side of the mountain (access by car from the Arad road or by foot, down the mountain via the Roman ramppath). While a hike up the Snake Path on the eastern side of the mountain (access via the Dead Sea Highway) isconsidered part of the "Masada experience," a cable car operates at the site for those who wish to avoid the physicalexertion.In 2007, a new museum opened at the site in which archeological findings are displayed in a theatrical setting.[12]

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A 2,000-year-old seed discovered during archaeological excavations in the early 1960s was successfully germinatedinto a date plant. At the time it was the oldest known germination,[13] remaining so until a new record was set in2012.[14]

A panoramic photo taken from the top of Masada at sunrise

Layout

Map of Masada: 1. snake path gate. 2. rebel dwellings. 3. Byzantine monastic cave. 4. eastern water cistern. 5. rebel dwellings. 6. mikvah.7. southern gate. 8. rebel dwellings. 9. southern water cistern. 10. southern fort. 11. swimming pool. 12. small palace. 13. round columbarium tower.14. mosaic workshop. 15. small palace. 16. small palace. 17. public immersion pool.18–21. Western Palace: 18. service area. 19. residential area.

20. storerooms. 21. administrative area. 22. tanners' tower. 23. western Byzantine gate. 24. columbarium towers. 25. synagogue. 26. Byzantinechurch. 27. barracks.28–39. Northern Palace: 28. grand residence. 29. quarry. 30. commandant’s headquarters. 31. tower. 32. administration

building. 33. gate. 34. storerooms. 35. bathhouse. 36. water gate.37–39. Herod's Palace: 37. upper terrace. 38. middle terrace. 39. lower terrace.A. ostraca cache found in casemate. B. Herod's throne room. C. colorful mosaic. D. Roman breaching point. E. coin cache found. F. ostraca cache

found. G. three skeletons found.

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References[1] http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ en/ list/ 1040[2] http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ en/ list[3] http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ en/ list/ ?search=& search_by_country=& type=& media=& region=& order=region[4] "Masada tourists' favorite spot in Israel" (http:/ / www. ynetnews. com/ articles/ 0,7340,L-3698864,00. html). Ynetnews. . Retrieved

2009-04-08.[5] Jewish Virtual Library – Masada (http:/ / www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/ jsource/ Archaeology/ Masada1. html)[6] Gill, Dan. "A natural spur at Masada" (http:/ / www. nature. com/ nature/ journal/ v364/ n6438/ abs/ 364569a0. html), Nature 364, pp.

569–570 (12 August 1993); DOI 10.1038/364569a0[7] Duncan B. Campbell, "Capturing a desert fortress: Flavius Silva and the siege of Masada", Ancient Warfare Vol. IV, no. 2 (Spring 2010), pp.

28–35. The dating is explained on pp. 29 and 32.[8] Friedman, Matti (June 22, 2007). "Some Masada Remains Questioned by Study" (http:/ / www. washingtonpost. com/ wp-dyn/ content/

article/ 2007/ 06/ 22/ AR2007062201113. html). Washington Post. . Retrieved March 22, 2010.[9] Watzman, Haim (November 2007). "Masada Martyrs?" (http:/ / www. archaeology. org/ 9711/ newsbriefs/ masada. html). Archaeological

Institute of America. . Retrieved March 22, 2010.[10] "Israeli Scientists: Masada Bodies Are Roman, Not Jewish" (http:/ / www. foxnews. com/ story/ 0,2933,286607,00. html). Fox News. June

25, 2007. . Retrieved July 26, 2010.[11] Dan Bitan, Mesada the Symbol and the Legend (http:/ / lib. cet. ac. il/ Pages/ item. asp?item=13096), the Dead Sea and the Judean Desert,

1960, Yad Ben Zvi[12] "A new museum at Masada" (http:/ / www. ynetnews. com/ articles/ 0,7340,L-3396257,00. html). Ynetnews. 2007-05-06. . Retrieved

2007-05-06.[13] Connor, Steve (June 13, 2008). "2,000-year-old seed grows into 'tree of life' for scientists" (http:/ / www. independent. co. uk/ news/ science/

2000yearold-seed-grows-into-tree-of-life-for-scientists-846247. html). London: Independent News. . Retrieved 2008-06-17.[14] Wade, Nicholas (February 20, 2012). "Dead for 32,000 Years, an Arctic Plant Is Revived" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2012/ 02/ 21/

science/ new-life-from-an-arctic-flower-that-died-32000-years-ago. html). New York: New York Times. . Retrieved 2012-02-20.

Bibliography• Avi-Yonah, Michael; et al., Israel Exploration Journal 7, 1957, 1–160 (excavation report Masada)• Yadin, Yigael. Masada: Herod’s Fortress and the Zealot’s Last Stand. London, 1966.• Yadin, Yigael. Israel Exploration Journal 15, 1965 (excavation report Masada).• Netzer, E., Masada; The Yigael Yadin Excavations 1963–1965. Vol III. IES Jerusalem, 1991.• Ben-Yehuda, Nachman. The Masada Myth: Collective Memory and Mythmaking In Israel, University of

Wisconsin Press (December 8, 1995).• Ben-Yehuda, Nachman. Sacrificing Truth: Archaeology and the Myth of Masada, Humanity Books, 2002.• Bar-Nathan, R., Masada; The Yigael Yadin Excavations 1963–1965, Vol VII. IES Jerusalem, 2006.• Jacobson, David, "The Northern Palace at Masada – Herod's Ship of the Desert?" Palestine Exploration

Quarterly, 138,2 (2006), 99–117.

External links• Photographs & footage of the Yadin excavations (http:/ / www. yadinproductions. com/ yadin_archeology. html)• Nachman Ben-Yehooda on the construction of The Myth of Masada (http:/ / www. bibleinterp. com/ articles/

masadamyth1. htm)• Sacrificing Truth: Archaeology and The Myth of Masada (http:/ / www. bibleinterp. com/ articles/

ben-yehuda_masada. htm)• World Heritage Sites page (http:/ / whc. unesco. org/ sites/ 1040. htm)

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Article Sources and ContributorsMasada  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=521060508  Contributors: 2kinetik, A m1000, AdamRaizen, Aillema, Akanemoto, Alansohn, AlexiusHoratius, Altmany, Amoruso,Andonic, Andreas Kaganov, AnnaP, Apoorvbadami, ArnoldPettybone, Ashley kennedy3, Atlantas, Axxaer, BACbKA, BD2412, Baa, Bachrach44, Badagnani, Baldwinbean, Bantosh, Baristarim,Bart133, Beppi38, Berthold Werner, BillMaddock, Blue0ctane, Bobo192, BradBeattie, Brandmeister (old), Bryan Derksen, Bsadowski1, Cantiorix, Chenopodiaceous, Chmouel, Chrishmt0423,Christopher Mahan, Chuunen Baka, Cimon Avaro, Cityofsound, Cloaked Romulan, Cometstyles, Conversion script, Cornischong, Crazytales, Croat Canuck, Cst17, D. Recorder, D6, DBaba,DVD R W, DVdm, Dan100, Danel2012, Danfranklin, Danny, Darguz Parsilvan, Dave6, David Shankbone, DavidOaks, Daviddaniel37, Debresser, Decumanus, Deepocean9, Deor, DerHexer,Derild4921, Deror avi, Derwig, Dirtydetailer(), Discospinster, Doktordoris, Dommah, Dppowell, Droll, Dude1818, Dwo, Dysmorodrepanis, Editor2020, Edmargolis, Eigenlambda, El C,Electriccatfish2, Ellywa, Eloquence, Eoghanacht, Epbr123, Epeefleche, Eric1985, Ericoides, EunseokLee, Favonian, Fiddler7, Fiziker, Flying Hellfish, Flymeoutofhere, Frecklefoot, Funandtrvl,Gabr-el, Gaius Cornelius, GeorgeLouis, Gilabrand, Gilgamesh, Godardesque, Gold$tar, GraemeL, Grauesel, GreatWhiteNortherner, Greenshed, Greyshark09, Grudav, Gurch, Guy Peters,Happy138, Hede2000, Hertz1888, Hhcaas, Historical Dude Guy, Hmains, Hobartimus, Hockstein, Horkana, Howcheng, Humus sapiens, Hut 8.5, IZAK, Iateu, Ibbn, IdreamofJeanie, Igiffin,Isewell, JJ Nicholas, JMK, JaGa, JamesBWatson, Jameslwoodward, Jaraalbe, Jayjg, JeanJPoirier, Jeepday, Jewish-wargamer, Jfurr1981, JimVC3, Jiujitsuguy, Jmklooster, Joey80, John Hyams,JohnC, Jokes Free4Me, Josh a z, Jpbowen, Jpople, JustThatGuy2, KatherineOwen, Kazubon, Keebler, Kelly Martin, Kgf0, Kitabparast, Knowledge Seeker, Kordas, Kungming2, Kuratowski'sGhost, KyZan, L Kensington, Lampdresser, Laurencewilliamtidy, Lethargy, Lexicon, Lhademmor, Lisiate, LizardJr8, Local yokel, MBisanz, MER-C, MIKHEIL, Madmagic, Mag2k, Mahsmith3,Mailer diablo, Maktesh, Malkavsnyx, Mandarax, Marbehtorah-marbehchaim, Marek69, Marj Tiefert, Mark87, Marokwitz, Maskilka, MaxGreen, Maxhigbee, Mentisock, Metallurgist, Michalnas,MightyWarrior, Mike Selinker, MikeCapone, Mild Bill Hiccup, MilitaryTarget, Mittie777, Moblid, Moe Epsilon, Moleskiner, Monosig, MrDolomite, Mricht4, Mschel, Mslma, Mwinog2777,Nadyes, NawlinWiki, Neddyseagoon, Needsleep99, Neutrality, Neutrino15, Nev1, NewEnglandYankee, Nickholbrook, Nk, Noon, Noraft, Ohnoitsjamie, OldShul, Olivier, Orioane, Orlyyadin,Ostateczny Krach Systemu Korporacji, PFHLai, PT33Judistian, Pajfarmor, Panairjdde, Panarjedde, Patsw, Paul Rako, Pb30, Pen2paper, PetriFB, Peyre, Phantomsteve, Piano non troppo, Pol098,Poliocretes, Prof saxx, Protomaior, Qselby, Quadell, RK, Raul654, Raven in Orbit, Rayshade, RedMC, Remember Masada, Rettt, Rmky87, Rocastelo, Ronhjones, Rosswiki71, Rukyi,Russianname, SFH, SSCTMarine, Sam Korn, SaraMcMains, SchuminWeb, Schwartzberg, Scutfargus, Seamus54, Search4Lancer, Sha721, Shaihen, Shakujo, Shalom Yechiel, Shaun9876, Shuki,SidP, SiobhanHansa, Skier Dude, SmilesALot, Snodog331, Snowolf, Some jerk on the Internet, Spike0xFF, Squids and Chips, Sunborn, Superbeecat, Supershot10, Sushant gupta, SuzanneIAM,Synchronism, Tewfik, The PIPE, The Thing That Should Not Be, TheLeopard, TheStripèdOne, Thebestofall007, ThirteenthGreg, Thumperward, Tide rolls, Tommy2010, Tremewanbill, U5K0,Ulric1313, Uncle Milty, Unibrow1994, Unyoyega, Uriber, Versus22, Vidor, WLRoss, Webclient101, Weregerbil, Wereon, Wetman, WhisperToMe, Wiki alf, Wiki-uk, Willking1979, Wknight94,WolfgangRieger, Woohookitty, Wrp103, XX55XX, Y, Yamamoto Ichiro, Ynhockey, Yydl, Zyxw, ZzzrByte, Амартүвшин, 556 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:PikiWiki Israel 10475 Herod palace at Masada .jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:PikiWiki_Israel_10475_Herod_palace_at_Masada_.jpg  License: CreativeCommons Attribution 2.5  Contributors: אבינועם מיכאליFile:Masada03 ST 04.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Masada03_ST_04.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: Herzi Pinki, ST, WikipediaMasterFile:Masada Roman Ruins by David Shankbone.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Masada_Roman_Ruins_by_David_Shankbone.jpg  License: GNU FreeDocumentation License  Contributors: David ShankboneFile:Termas en Masada.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Termas_en_Masada.JPG  License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  Contributors: PpjaFile:Masada View from West.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Masada_View_from_West.jpg  License: Creative Commons Zero  Contributors: Unibrow1994File:Israel Aereal Ropeway Masada BW 1.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Israel_Aereal_Ropeway_Masada_BW_1.JPG  License: Public Domain  Contributors:Berthold WernerFile:Masada Panorama2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Masada_Panorama2.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Baruch Moskovits - Madison, WIFile:Magnify-clip.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Magnify-clip.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Erasoft24File:Masada.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Masada.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: Kordas, gracias a los inestimablesconsejos de Chabacano

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