Masada - how the impregnable fortress of King Herod fell. Mossada fortress: history, modernity, interesting facts Masada fortress in Israel history

This was the last line of defense, where the rebellious Jews under the command of Elazar Ben-Yair, completely isolated from the rest of the world, opposed the powerful Tenth Roman Legion, led by Flavius Silva.

80 kilometers from Jerusalem is the Ein Gedi nature reserve, and 20 kilometers from it is the Masada fortress, which is associated with one of the most heroic pages in the history of the Jewish people. Masada is a powerful fortress located on top of a huge rock that rises close to the coast. Dead Sea.

The geographical position of the fortress in the zone of a waterless desert, far from settlements, and natural inaccessibility made it a safe haven. The Roman historian Josephus Flavius reports that the fortress was built by the high priest Jonathan, and then King Herod fortified it even more by building 37 high towers. Josephus put it this way:

He erected a wall around the top of the mountain and built thirty-seven towers on top of the wall. AND royal palace he erected for himself in a fortress, on the western slope of the mountain - under the wall, closing on the top of the mountain. And everywhere in the rock he carved pools for reservoirs, thanks to which he managed to provide water to the inhabitants of the fortress ... Thus, the fortress was erected by God and people to protect against the enemy who would rise against it with war ...

The word "metzad" or "metzada", in the Greek pronunciation "masada", used to designate a fortress in general, and at the end of the Second Temple period - the name given to a certain fortress, are found in Holy Scripture. Massada is a diamond-shaped rocky plateau that rises grandiosely above the surrounding area to a height of about 450 meters above the Dead Sea (and about 50 meters above the absolute sea level).The length of the Massada Plateau is about 600 meters, the maximum width is about 300 meters.

This is a very strong fortress, and here are its features: on all sides of a very high and wide rock there are steep slopes that descend into such abysses that they cannot be measured. No living being has set foot here. Only in two places there is a slight slope in the rock and there are paths going up, but they are very narrow.

The slopes of the cliff are really very steep: on the eastern side, their height reaches 300 meters, and the height of the lowest cliff on the western side even reaches almost 100 meters.

Masada and its history are repeatedly and in detail mentioned in the world-famous writings of the Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus (Joseph ben-Matatiyahu, 37-100 AD), but also in the books of other ancient chroniclers. Flavius reports that the first ruler who made Massada a fortified point was the Great Cohen (high priest) Jonathan Hasmonean, and there is an opinion that Flavius meant Alexander I Jannaus, the king and high priest of Judea from the Hasmonean dynasty, whose Hebrew name was also Jonathan, and coins from the reign of which (103 - 76 BC) were found in the fortress. Then, in 37 BC, King Herod the Great, newly appointed in the same year (by the decision of the Roman Senate), fled to Massada, pursued by the last Hasmonean king and high priest Mattathia Antigonus II (Matityahu Antigonus, who ruled from 40 to 37 AD). BC.).

King Herod (aka: in Hebrew Hordos, and in Latin Herodus) also sheltered his entire clan and 800 people of his retinue and guards here. After some time, Herod managed, leaving his family in Massada, to slip through the barriers and sail to his Roman patrons. Meanwhile, the relentless blockade carried out by the Jewish king almost led the people who had taken refuge in the fortress to death from dehydration. However, at the most critical moment, saving rains began, again filling the reservoirs arranged in Massada. Herod, who then returned from Rome, went up with his squad to Massada and lifted the blockade from it. After these events, Herod turned Massada into a completely autonomous and exceptionally fortified refuge castle, filling it with all sorts of palace sophistication and comfort, such as, for example, a bath complex, panoramic terraces, huge warehouses, etc., and quartering numerous servants and guards here.

Under King Herod, the fortress was surrounded by a double wall, the interior of which was divided into casemates. There were four gates in the wall, designed as square rooms with two entrances, a paved floor, and seating along the frescoed walls.

Anticipating the possibility of a long siege, he ordered the construction of a whole complex of food warehouses in the northern part of the rock and next to them a large public bath. To the west of the Dead Sea there were two canyons: from them, with the help of open plastered channels, water was diverted into 12 drainage systems carved in two parallel rows in the northwest of the rock. Of these, water was manually delivered to the top of the cliff already in other tanks.

After the death of Herod the Great, Massada received a Roman garrison until 66 AD, the year in which the Great Revolt against the Romans broke out (1st Jewish War). Zealot zealots, led by Menachem Ben-Yehuda of Galilee, burst into the fortress and killed its entire garrison. After the murder of Menahem ben-Yehuda by ideological opponents in Jerusalem, in Massada, Menahem's nephew El'azar Ben-Yair found refuge for himself, in the 67th year he led a detachment of the defenders of the fortress, consisting of the most extremist-minded Zealots, the so-called. the Sicarii, who fortified themselves and actually locked themselves up here, the 73rd year, which turned out to be fatal for them.

In 66, from the beginning of the Jewish War, Menachem (son of Judah the Galilean), at the head of a detachment of Zealots, captured Masada. They beat the Roman garrison and seized weapons that had been laid down by King Herod.

In the spring of 70, the Roman army under the command of Emperor Titus laid siege to Jerusalem, but here they were met with fierce resistance from the inhabitants of the city. Every meter the Romans had to take with. fight. Only after Emperor Titus surrounded Jerusalem with a ring of trenches, his army could resume attacks without hindrance. In August, the legionnaires captured the Second Jerusalem Temple, and in September captured the entire city.

But even after the fall of Jerusalem, the last fighters for the independence of Israel defended themselves with such stubborn bitterness, as if their cause had not yet been lost. The fortresses of Mahero and Masada and the castle of King Herod still remained in the hands of those who resisted. The latter was simply a fortified palace and therefore was taken without much difficulty by Lucius Bass. But the Romans did not manage to take possession of the Mahero fortress so easily, after which the beatings and the sale of Jews into slavery began again.

In the year 72, after all of Judea had already been conquered, plundered and destroyed by the Romans, including Jerusalem, the 10th Roman legion, led by the procurator Flavius Silva, settled around Massada and blocked it from all sides. The siege continued for many months and was very difficult for Silva with logistical difficulties in transporting food and water for his people. At least nine thousand Jewish slaves laid roads, carried earth and dragged tree trunks for the construction of a siege rampart, poured into the gorge from the west of the fortress. On this embankment, raised, according to Flavius, by 100 m, the Romans built a 25-meter siege tower with a powerful ram, which leveled it with the fortress wall, which allowed them, in the end, to loosen it and make a breach. As already mentioned, the siege rampart has been perfectly preserved to this day, and along the path laid through it, you can climb to the fortress in the west.

On the night before the breaking of the wall, El'azar Ben-Yair persuaded the Zealots not to surrender to the mercy of the victor and to die as free people, laying hands on both themselves and their wives and children. Flavius Josephus eloquently describes a dramatic speech delivered to his associates by El'azar Ben-Yair, witnessed, according to Flavius, by two women and five children who hid in one of the reservoirs and then surrendered to the Romans, who rose from the dawn to the plateau. A terrifying and chilling story, in its scope, perhaps, has no analogues in the world chronicle: each warrior cut the throat of his wife and children with his own hands ...

Then ten performers were chosen by lot, who cut the throats of all the men - the defenders of the fortress ... The total number of all those killed was about 960 people. Then they burned all the jewels and everything of any value or usefulness, except food, so that the Romans would not think that hunger had spurred them to commit suicide. Finally, one of the ten, also chosen by lot, killed the rest, set fire to the fortress and fell on his sword.

So on April 15, 72, the last defenders of Masada died. Only two women with five children escaped, who took refuge in one of the caves.

Here it is appropriate to clarify that Judaism regards suicide as the gravest sin and, therefore, the “tactics” of killing chosen by the Zealots actually reduced the number of suicides among them to one single person. Flavius Josephus also tells that the Roman soldiers, who finally ascended Massada and prepared for a fierce battle, suddenly realized that they had no one to capture and nothing to rob (looting was a familiar and desired trophy and a reward for valor) and were amazed at what they saw, strength of mind, steadfastness and devotion to their ideals of the defenders of the fortress...

And yet, despite the seemingly obvious fact of unparalleled courage and heroism, in Judaism, suicide cannot be justified in any way and cannot be branded as a “brave” or “noble” act, especially since the defenders of Massada killed their wives and children without asking their consent, breaking Jewish law with this act.

Following the events described, the Roman garrison again settled in Massada for several years, then, after centuries of complete desolation, in the 5th-6th centuries. here, in the caves, several Byzantine Christian monks settled, who also set up cells both inside and next to the destroyed buildings. They also built a Byzantine church in Massada and stayed here for more than a hundred years. With the departure of the monks, Massada again became uninhabited and was abandoned until the present day. Interest in Massada and its legendary history was renewed in modern times by two American researchers, A. Robinson and A. Smith, who in 1839 saw this archaeological site from Ein Gedi, who identified him with Massada and associated him with the narratives of Josephus Flavius ...

In Masada, a lot of food and weapons stocks were preserved, a skillful system of water supply, baths, according to the Roman model, was arranged. The fortress was also used to store royal gold.

Sheer cliffs surround Masada from all sides. Only from the side of the sea, a narrow, so-called snake path leads up. The top of the cliff is crowned by an almost flat trapezoidal plateau, the dimensions of which are approximately 600x300 m.

The plateau is surrounded by powerful fortress walls with a total length of 1400 m and a thickness of about 4 m in which 37 towers are arranged.

On the plateau, palaces, a synagogue, armories, pits for collecting and storing rainwater, and other auxiliary buildings were built.

The fortress has now preserved the palace of King Herod, a synagogue, fragments of mosaics, water reservoirs carved into the rocks, cold and hot baths, and much more.

One of the most striking finds is the synagogue. It was believed that the Jews had no need for synagogues as long as they had the Temple. Masada was reconstructed during the existence of the Second Temple, but the synagogue in it, nevertheless, was created.

In addition, the synagogue was also found in the ruins of the Gamla fortress. This proved that among the ancient Jews, the existence of synagogues did not depend on the existence of the Temple.

In 66 AD e. Masada was taken by the rebellious Zealots, the Roman garrison was slaughtered.

In 67 AD, representatives of the radical party settled in Masada, leading an uprising against the Romans, which resulted in a long Jewish war.

In 70 AD, after the capture of Jerusalem by the Roman legions, Masada was the last stronghold of the rebels. The defenders of the fortress barely numbered about 1 thousand people, including women and children, but they held Masada for another 3 years.

About 9 thousand slaves built roads and carried earth for the construction of a siege rampart around the fortress and platforms for throwing machines and a battering ram.

When the Romans managed to set fire to the internal defensive wall, which was additionally built by the sicarii, consisting of wooden beams, the fate of Masada was decided.

“Unwilling to surrender to the Romans, the Sicarii decided to commit suicide. A lot was cast, ten executors of the last will were chosen, who stabbed all the defenders of the fortress, women and children, and then one of them, chosen by lot, killed the rest and committed suicide. The story of the massacre in the fortress was told by a woman who hid in a water tank and therefore survived. Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War

For a time, the story of the defense of Masada was considered a legend, but a comparison of Jewish and Roman historical chronicles, including the book of Josephus Flavius "Jewish War", and archaeological finds on the territory of the fortress, including stone tablets with names used as a lot by ten executors of the last will, convince of the opposite.

There is also a version that when the Romans broke through the fortress wall, the defenders of the fortress set fire to all the buildings.

However, no human remains and/or graves have ever been found on the territory of the fortress (it is worth recalling that we are talking about about a thousand people, which is quite a lot for such a relatively small area), so not a single version has yet found a sufficiently strong confirmation.

The ruins of the fortress were first discovered in 1862. Extensive excavations were carried out in 1963-65.

Since 1971, a funicular has been operating on Masada connecting the foot of the cliff with its top. You can also climb on foot to the gates of the fortress along the "serpentine path" winding along the eastern side of the cliff.

How to get there

1. To the Eastern entrance to Massada from Jerusalem. We arrive in Jerusalem along Highway No. 1 before entering the city. Then, using road signs, we move towards the Dead Sea. Having passed the intersection of HaGiva HaTzorfatit (Tzomet haGiva haTzorfatit), we will follow, without turning, along a section of the highway for about 30 km and descend to the Dead Sea. At the crossroads of Beyt haArava (Tzomet Beyt haArava) turn south and follow straight to Massada. On this section of the road we pass kibbutzim (a kibbutz is an agricultural or economic and industrial commune) Almog, KALIYA, Mitzpe Shalem, Ein Gedi.

2. To the Eastern entrance to Massada from the side of Arad. Arriving in Massada from northern regions Israelis take the general direction to Beer Sheva and, having reached the Lehavim intersection (Tzomet Lehavim), turn east, onto Highway No. , which preserves the cultural layers of the Talmudic period), until they reach the Zohar (Tzomet Zohar) crossroads, directly adjacent to the shore of the Dead Sea. Here you should turn north and, after driving about 20 km, turn left at the sign for Massada.

3. From Arad to the place of light and sound performance and the siege rampart (Western entrance). The descent to the place of light and sound performance, as well as to the western passage to Massada (ascent along a short path through the siege rampart) is carried out from the side of Arad, from where a highway was laid especially for this purpose. On this road, from the very entrance to Arad, there are clearly placed signs.

Central attractions of Massada

1. Fortress wall. Herod surrounded Massada with the so-called casemate (escarp) wall 1400 meters long, i.e. double wall, with a flat top ceiling (roof). Walls were placed inside the wall, forming premises for the garrison (casemates), weapons and food depots, etc., and 7 gates were arranged in it. The only object not taken into the wall was the Northern Palace, due to the fact that, thanks to the sheer cliff, it was impossible to get to it from the outside.

2. Northernpalace (haArmon haTzfoni). It is one of the most impressive surviving relics from the period of King Herod. This palace is one of the most luxurious of the many built by Herod, and it is described in great detail and vividly in the book of Josephus. The northern palace was considered the most important object of Massada. On the territory of the palace there is a wall separating private apartments from public areas and premises.

Why did Herod build the main palace in this place? There were a number of good reasons for this:

A. This side of Massada is not exposed to the sun.

B. This sector of the fortress is its most strategic element. reservoirs are located under the Palace.

V. This is the northern tip of the mountain, even on the hottest days it is blown by a breeze.

However, the builders of the palace would have faced serious difficulties in its construction in such a topographically narrow place in Massada, if the architects of Herod had not offered a very original solution to the task assigned to them. The palace was erected in three tiers, but broken down into three rocky levels with a total height spread of 30 meters. The upper tier is located on the top of the cliff, the middle one is 18 meters below the upper one, and the lower one is 12 meters below the middle one. In the upper tier was the actual entrance to the Northern Palace. It housed guard rooms, bedrooms, a central hall (front or reception hall) and a semicircular panoramic balcony-terrace. From here you have an overview of the lower levels of the Palace, as well as a view of the streams Tzeelim, Mishmar and Haver. The balcony also overlooks the Roman road that connected the sources of the Tseelim stream with the Roman camps.

An internal staircase leads from the area adjacent to the bath complex to the middle tier. Going down it, we pass by an underground reservoir, as well as a step carved into the rock, which served as a mikveh (pool for ritual ablution) for the inhabitants of the Palace and reach a flat space, apparently a round hall, surrounded by two rows of columns along the perimeter, of which only grounds. To the south, under the rock wall, there are flights of stairs and additional premises. From here we go down to the lower tier, in which there was a rectangular hall (hall) framed by columns and painted with frescoes. On the east side, in the basement, a typical Roman-style bath complex was discovered. Outside there is a font for washing feet, and inside there are two pools: one for cold and the other for hot water.

To the south of the territory of the Northern Palace, in the same place near the wall of the baths, on the site that served as a gathering place for the rebels, eleven clay shards (ostracons) were found, each containing only one name, inscribed in one handwriting and ink alone. One of the names is Ben-Yair, the name of the leader of the defenders of Massada. It is possible that these are the same fatal ostraca that were used for the drawing of lots by the last ten executors of the oath. In any case, that was the expert opinion of Prof. Yigal Yadin, whose excavations and research, in fact, opened Massada to the general public ...

3.Western Palace (haArmon haMaaravi). The largest structure on the territory of Massada, as one would expect, was also erected by Herod I the Great. Its area is about 4 thousand square meters. m and consists of the remains of residential premises, a reception hall, bathing premises lined with mosaics, toilets (royal!), Workshops and storage facilities.

4.Food warehouses. About 15 separate warehouses were built in Massada, and some of them underwent a sound restoration. The rest of the warehouses were left in a pre-restoration state in anticipation of a possible restoration by the hands of our descendants. The warehouses of Massada were mainly used to store wine, oil, flour and ammunition.

5. Mikvah. The pool for ritual washing, located in the eastern part of the plateau, was built according to all the rules of Halakha (the most demanding Jewish religious law). Correspondence to Halakha was established by one of the most prominent Hasidic rabbis, our contemporary.

6. Synagogue. This is one of the oldest synagogues in the world, and comparable to it in antiquity was found only in Gamla, on the Golan Heights. Prior to these discoveries, it was believed that the Jews had no need for synagogues as long as they had the Temple. But the confirmed fact of the construction of synagogues, which existed before the destruction of the Second Temple (by Titus in 70 AD), proves that the ancient Jews used synagogues, regardless of the existence of the Temple.

Roman siege deployment at Massada

Along with insurmountable fortifications of natural origin - especially steep slopes and sheer cliffs that perfectly replaced the fortress walls, King Herod erected a plateau around the top of the plateau and a man-made wall 5 meters high and about 1400 meters in perimeter. The fortress wall, as already mentioned, itself consisted of two parallel walls: from the outer, 1.4 m thick and the inner, 1 m thick. The gap between the walls was about 4 meters, and all this space with a total area of about 9 These dunams were covered with a powerful ceiling, and inside they were divided by piers into numerous rooms. Watch towers were erected every 40 meters of the wall, between which guards patrolled along the wall ceiling. Gates were built against each of the four paths that climbed the mountain: the Eastern Gate - against the "Serpent Path" (Shvil a-Nakhash), the Western Gate - against the Western Path (Shvil Ha-Maarav), the Northern Gate - against the Water Path (Shvil a-Maim) and the Cave Gate (Shaar a-Mearot) - against the Southern Path (Shvil a-Darom).

Thanks to such a multifaceted fortification, the Romans got stuck under Massada for many months until they managed to break through the wall, and only in the autumn of 73 AD. they managed to defeat an extremely small squad of Zealots. To do this, they had to set up at least 8 siege camps around Massada. The siege was commanded by the Roman governor Flavius Silva, who had at his disposal about 10 to 15 thousand people. Starting the blockade, the Romans surrounded the entire mountain with a siege wall about 5 km long. In the last stages of the siege, the Romans also erected a grandiose siege rampart against the western fortress wall. The siege rampart was built in alternating layers from trees and soil layers delivered from the nearby Tseelim stream.

While the Romans were constructing a siege rampart, the Zealots did everything in their power to prevent their engineering plan, turning it into a nightmare. Arrows, sling stones were constantly raining down on the Romans, and huge stone circles were rolling from the wall, which forced the besiegers to work with one hand and squeeze the handle of the shield with the other. However, despite fierce resistance, the construction of the rampart was completed, a siege tower with a battering ram was built on it, and the wall in the western part was finally breached. However, the story did not end there: the Zealots did not even think of giving up, but “under the guise” of the Roman initiative, behind the rammed wall, they managed to build a second - even more powerful - of two parallel rows of logs, the space between which was filled with earth.

The material for this fortification was the dismantled wooden roofs of the palaces, the ceilings of the escarpment wall and other wooden elements of the Massada structures. The paradox was that the Romans failed to make a breach in this impromptu wall, because. a battering ram, designed to destroy stone walls, in a soft material just ... got stuck! But the Romans also found an operational solution to this surprise: they threw torches and incendiary arrows at the wooden frame, the base caught fire and began to crumble, and the soil filling began to crumble, which predetermined the fate of the defenders of Massada.

On top of one of the rocks, rising 450 m above the Dead Sea, in 25 BC. e. the king, a descendant of the Edomites who converted to Judaism, built a shelter for himself and his family, significantly strengthening and completing the fortress built on this site built in 37-31 years. BC.

In Masada, a lot of food and weapons stocks were preserved, a skillful system of water supply, baths, according to the Roman model, was arranged. The fortress was also used to store royal gold.

Sheer cliffs surround Masada from all sides. Only from the side of the sea, a narrow, so-called snake path leads up. The top of the rock is crowned by an almost flat trapezoidal plateau, the dimensions of which are approximately 600 × 300 m.

The plateau is surrounded by powerful fortress walls with a total length of 1400 m and a thickness of about 4 m in which 37 towers are arranged.

On the plateau, palaces, a synagogue, armories, pits for collecting and storing rainwater, and other auxiliary buildings were built.

The palace of the king, a synagogue, fragments of mosaics, water reservoirs carved into the rocks, cold and hot baths and much more have been preserved in the fortress.

In addition, the synagogue was also found in the ruins of the Gamla fortress. This proved that among the ancient Jews, the existence of synagogues did not depend on the existence of the Temple.

In 66 AD e. Masada was taken by the rebellious Zealots, the Roman garrison was slaughtered.

In 67 AD, representatives of the radical party settled in Masada, leading an uprising against the Romans, which resulted in a long Jewish war.

About 9 thousand slaves built roads and carried earth for the construction of a siege rampart around the fortress and platforms for throwing machines and a battering ram.

When the Romans managed to set fire to the internal defensive wall, which was additionally built by the sicarii, consisting of wooden beams, the fate of Masada was decided.

“Unwilling to surrender to the Romans, the Sicarii decided to commit suicide. A lot was cast, ten executors of the last will were chosen, who stabbed all the defenders of the fortress, women and children, and then one of them, chosen by lot, killed the rest and committed suicide. The story of the massacre in the fortress was told by a woman who hid in a water tank and therefore survived. Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War

For some time, the history of the defense of Masada was considered a legend, but a comparison of Jewish and Roman historical chronicles, including the book "Jewish War", and archaeological finds on the territory of the fortress, including stone tablets with names used as a lot by ten performers of the latter will, convince of the contrary.

There is also a version that when the Romans broke through the fortress wall, the defenders of the fortress set fire to all the buildings.

The ruins of the fortress were first discovered in 1862. Extensive excavations were carried out in 1963-65.

Photo gallery

There was a lot in the history of the Jewish people, but what was always lacking in it was heroic deeds. The same resistance in the ghetto during the Great Patriotic War, although it is described differently in different sources, the closer the author was to the events, the less he mentions heroism. And yet, there is something to talk about.

Masada is a legendary ancient fortress located almost on the shores of the Dead Sea. It is in the list of objects world heritage.

As soon as they don’t write the familiar word “Masada” from an unfamiliar language - massada, mossada, mossada ... And the Israeli foreign intelligence service is called mossad, mossad, massad, masad. The correct spelling and pronunciation is Masada, with an emphasis on the second "a". These names are consonant not by chance. The name of the fortress formed the basis of the name of the intelligence agency.

The fortress of Masada in Israel was built in 25 BC by King Herod the Great, who left a memory of himself as a cruel villain who, fearing to lose his throne, ordered to kill all the babies of Bethlehem in order to get rid of the newborn Jesus.

However, he left a mark in history as a builder king. He expanded the Temple Mount, reconstructed the Second Temple, built an Amphitheater in the suburbs of Jerusalem, where gladiatorial fights and horse races were held. In honor of the deceased brother, he built a mausoleum with a tower. He rebuilt Samaria, built the port of Caesar, a temple on the island of Rhodes, founded Herodium and Esebon (now it is the territory of Jordan).

Built on top of an impregnable rock in the waterless and desolate wilderness of Israel, the fortress of Masada served several purposes. She was a refuge for Herod and his family during the endless wars, it kept gold and weapons supplies.

The fortress walls of four meters thick, almost one and a half kilometers long, with numerous defensive towers, King Herod's palace, synagogue.

Masada had a well-organized system for collecting rainwater into huge storage tanks. Stocks of food and drinking water helped the defenders of the fortress to keep the defense for three years.

History of Masada

In the 66th year of the first century AD, historical events begin to unfold in the Middle East, which, without exaggeration, seriously influenced the course of human history. It is about the uprising of the Jews against the oppression of the Roman Empire. At this time, Masada was taken by the rebellious Zealots - irreconcilable and militant opponents of the Romans, who decided to fight them to the bitter end and destroyed the Roman garrison.

In 67 AD Sicarii settled in Masada - representatives of the radical wing of the Zealot movement. It was they who led the uprising against the Romans, which then resulted in a long Jewish war.

In the summer of 70 AD The Roman general Titus captures Holy Jerusalem, fiercely defended by the rebels, and destroys the First Jerusalem Temple. Soon the only stronghold of the rebels remains Masada. The defenders of the fortress barely numbered a thousand people, including women and children, but they managed to hold Masada for another three years.

Having studied Mount Masada from all sides, Flavius Silva, the commander of the legion, gives the order to pour a 70-meter stone shaft (ramp) from the western, more weak side fortresses. With the help of this shaft, the Romans planned to bring the ram as close as possible to the fortress wall.

About 9 thousand slaves built roads and carried earth for the construction of a siege rampart around the fortress and platforms for throwing machines and a battering ram.

When the Romans managed to set fire to the internal defensive wall, which was additionally built by the sicarii, consisting of wooden beams, the fate of Masada was decided.

One of the leaders of the uprising, Elazar Ben Yair, realizing that all those besieged in the fortress will be destroyed, and the survivors will be subjected to cruel torture and humiliation, during the night he convinces his comrades to prefer death rather than slavery.

“A long time ago, brave men, we decided not to obey either the Romans or anyone else, except only G-d, for He alone is the true and just King over people. I look at it as the mercy of God that he gave us the opportunity to die a beautiful death and free people, which is not destined for others who were unexpectedly captured.”

A lot was cast, ten executors of the last will were chosen, who stabbed all the defenders of the fortress, women and children, with swords, after which one of them, also chosen by lot, killed the rest and committed suicide.

In those days, 960 besieged Jewish rebels gave their lives for freedom in Masada. The Romans, ready for battle, were amazed at the terrible sight that appeared before them. Thus ended the Jewish War of 66-73. n. e.

The remains of the legendary fortress were searched for many centuries, but they were discovered only in 1842. Serious study of this place and excavations began only in the sixties of the twentieth century. Restoration work lasted for more than a dozen years, and only by the beginning of this century, scientists and restorers restored the fortress in the form in which it was under King Herod.

In the heart of the fortress, behind a glass door, a rabbi rewrites the Torah. He reacts quite favorably to attempts to photograph him.

For some time, the history of the defense of Masada was considered a legend, but a comparison of Jewish and Roman historical chronicles, including the book of Josephus Flavius "Jewish War", and archaeological finds on the territory of the fortress, including stone tablets with names used as lots by ten executors of the last will, convince of the opposite.

Today the fortress is a real ancient city with streets and all the infrastructure of that distant time. You can go up there in two ways: by funicular, which will take you to the top of the cliff in two or three minutes, or along the Snake Path - the same one used by the defenders of the fortress.

This path is not easy and takes about an hour. However, enthusiasts who venture on a difficult hike on foot will be truly rewarded: from every point of this winding path, amazing beautiful view to the Dead Sea and picturesque surroundings.

Grandiose concerts and festivals with the participation of world-famous stars are sometimes held at the foot of the mountain. The fortress is firmly among the ten must-see sights of the country.

For modern Israel, Masada is not only historical monument, but also a synonym for national courage, heroism and the desire for freedom, on which more than one generation of the country's inhabitants has been brought up.

Masada. If list iconic places in Israel, which are definitely worth a visit, Masada can safely be placed in the top ten. Why? We will try to tell you about this in this article.

The only source of knowledge

There are events and plots in history that we know about only from one source, moreover, he himself miraculously survived in dusty archives over the past two thousand years. We are talking about the book "The Jewish War" by the Jewish historian of the Roman period Josephus Flavius, written a few years after the uprising of the Jews against the Roman Empire. This book– the only source of knowledge about the bloody and heroic events in the fortress of Masada in 73 AD. BC, with the exception, of course, of modern archaeological discoveries. In it, Josephus Flavius surprisingly accurately describes the fortress of Masada and the region where it is located.

“... A rocky cliff of insignificant volume and great height is surrounded on all sides by steep abysses of impenetrable depth, inaccessible either to people or animals; only in two places, and then with difficulty, can one approach the cliff: one of these roads lies east of Asphalt Lake(Dead Sea in those days - author's pr.) , and another, more passable, in the west.

Masada on top of the cliff

Once in place, we will understand that since Josephus was in Masada, little has changed here. Located on the top of a 450-meter cliff, on the eastern outskirts of the Judean Desert, the fortress has the only connection with the outside world - the narrow Serpentine Path rising from the Dead Sea. The mountain we're talking about a giant fragment of the western edge of the Syrian-African Rift, which makes it inaccessible, especially from the Dead Sea. From above, it is flat and has the shape of a rhombus measuring 600 by 300 meters.

In the 30s. BC. King Herod the Great, a descendant of the Idumeans who converted to Judaism, unfolds rapid construction on this site. Possessing a clear architectural talent, but suffering from paranoid suspicion, Herod comes to the conclusion that it is an inaccessible fortress in the wild desert that will save him from the conspiracies of enemies and become an ideal refuge. A double fortress wall with four gates was built along the entire perimeter of the mountain (1400 m). A magnificent three-tiered royal palace was erected on the northern cliff, not far from it was built the official residence of important guests and three smaller palaces for members of Herod's family, as well as a synagogue, armories, pits for collecting and storing rainwater, and other ancillary buildings.

Rebellion against the oppression of the Roman Empire

In the 66th year of the first century AD, historical events begin to unfold in the Middle East, which, without exaggeration, seriously influenced the course of human history. It is about the uprising of the Jews against the oppression of the Roman Empire. At this time, Masada was taken by the rebels. Zealots- irreconcilable and militant opponents of the Romans, who decided to fight them to the bitter end and destroyed the Roman garrison. In 67 AD Sicarii settled in Masada - representatives of the radical wing of the Zealot movement. It was they who led the uprising against the Romans, which then resulted in a long Jewish war.

Around the impregnable, at first glance, the fortress, the legionnaires set up eight military camps, the outlines of which have survived to this day. The military campaign to capture the last stronghold of the Jewish rebels was led by the legendary Tenth Legion of the Roman army. Having studied Mount Masada from all sides, the legion commander Flavius Silva gives the order to pour a 70-meter stone shaft (ramp) from the western, weaker side of the fortress. With the help of this shaft, the Romans planned to bring the ram as close as possible to the fortress wall. After a long resistance, the Romans make a breach in the wall, but the capture of the fortress is left for the next day. Masada's fate was sealed.

Death but not slavery

ABOUT One of the leaders of the uprising, Elazar Ben Yair, realizing that all those besieged in the fortress will be destroyed, and the survivors will be subjected to cruel torture and humiliation, during the night he convinces his comrades to prefer death rather than slavery. “For a long time, brave men, we have decided not to obey either the Romans or anyone else, except only G-d, for He alone is the true and just King over people. I look at it as the mercy of God that he gave us the opportunity to die a beautiful death and free people, which is not destined to others who were unexpectedly captured».

Masada - a symbol of national courage

For modern Israel, Masada is not only a historical monument, but also a synonym for national courage, heroism and the desire for freedom, on which more than one generation of the country's inhabitants has been brought up. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit this place every year. Today the fortress is a real ancient city.with streets and all the infrastructure of that distant time. You can go up there in two ways: by funicular, which will take you to the top of the cliff in two or three minutes, or along the Snake Path - the same one used by the defenders of the fortress. This path is not easy and takes about an hour. However, enthusiasts who venture on a difficult hike on foot will be truly rewarded: from every point of this winding path, an amazingly beautiful view of the Dead Sea and the picturesque surroundings opens up.

Every year, various cultural events take place at the foot of Masada, as well as international opera festivals, during which Israelis and guests from all over the world get a great opportunity to fully enjoy the art of opera right in the open air.

Particularly admires and fascinates the dawn over Masada

Due to the high content of bromine vapors, with the first rays of the sun, the air turns into the most bizarre shades, and the morning dawn turns into an amazing play of colors that truly stagger the imagination. Always a cloudless sky, a pale turquoise sea in the white edge of salt, the mountains of Jordan on east coast, the desert around with its special silence and unnaturally clean air and a sense of belonging to historical events those distant times... Masada is worth visiting here, seeing it all with your own eyes and getting new, unforgettable emotions.

It remains only to arm yourself with a volume of the "Jewish War" and go to explore the ancient fortress.

The geographical position of the fortress in the waterless desert zone, far from populated areas, and natural impregnability made it a safe haven. The Roman historian Josephus Flavius reports that the fortress was built by the high priest Jonathan, and then King Herod fortified it even more by building 37 high towers. Josephus put it this way:

He erected a wall around the top of the mountain and built thirty-seven towers on top of the wall. And he erected the royal palace for himself in a fortress, on the western slope of the mountain - under the wall, closing on the top of the mountain. And everywhere in the rock he carved pools for reservoirs, thanks to which he managed to provide water to the inhabitants of the fortress ... Thus, the fortress was erected by God and people to protect against the enemy who would rise against it with war ...

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The word "metzad" or "metzada", in the Greek pronunciation "masada", used to designate a fortress in general, and at the end of the Second Temple period - the name given to a certain fortress, are found in Holy Scripture. Massada is a diamond-shaped rocky plateau rising grandiosely above the surrounding area to a height of about 450 meters above the Dead Sea (and about 50 meters above absolute sea level). The length of the Massada Plateau is approx. 600 meters, maximum width approx. 300 meters.

The slopes of the cliff are really very steep: on the eastern side, their height reaches 300 meters, and the height of the lowest cliff on the western side even reaches almost 100 meters.

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So on April 15, 72, the last defenders of Masada died. Only two women with five children escaped, who took refuge in one of the caves.

Following the events described, the Roman garrison again settled in Massada for several years, then, after centuries of complete desolation, in the 5th-6th centuries. here, in the caves, several Byzantine Christian monks settled, who also set up cells both inside and next to the destroyed buildings. They also built a Byzantine church in Massada and stayed here for more than a hundred years. With the departure of the monks, Massada again became uninhabited and was abandoned until the present day. Interest in Massada and its legendary history was renewed in modern times by two American researchers, A. Robinson and A. Smith, who in 1839 saw this archaeological object from the side of Ein Gedi, identified it with Massada and associated it with the stories of Josephus Flavius ...

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Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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In Masada, a lot of food and weapons stocks were preserved, a skillful system of water supply, baths, according to the Roman model, was arranged. The fortress was also used to store royal gold.

The plateau is surrounded by powerful fortress walls with a total length of 1400 m and a thickness of about 4 m in which 37 towers are arranged.

On the plateau, palaces, a synagogue, armories, pits for collecting and storing rainwater, and other auxiliary buildings were built.

The fortress has now preserved the palace of King Herod, a synagogue, fragments of mosaics, water reservoirs carved into the rocks, cold and hot baths, and much more.

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The bottom of the most striking finds is the synagogue. It was believed that the Jews had no need for synagogues as long as they had the Temple. Masada was reconstructed during the existence of the Second Temple, but the synagogue in it, nevertheless, was created.

In addition, the synagogue was also found in the ruins of the Gamla fortress. This proved that among the ancient Jews, the existence of synagogues did not depend on the existence of the Temple.

In 66 AD e. Masada was taken by the rebellious Zealots, the Roman garrison was slaughtered.

In 67 AD, representatives of the radical party settled in Masada, leading an uprising against the Romans, which resulted in a long Jewish war.

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About 9 thousand slaves built roads and carried earth for the construction of a siege rampart around the fortress and platforms for throwing machines and a battering ram.

When the Romans managed to set fire to the internal defensive wall, which was additionally built by the sicarii, consisting of wooden beams, the fate of Masada was decided.

“Unwilling to surrender to the Romans, the Sicarii decided to commit suicide. A lot was cast, ten executors of the last will were chosen, who stabbed all the defenders of the fortress, women and children, and then one of them, chosen by lot, killed the rest and committed suicide. The story of the massacre in the fortress was told by a woman who hid in a water tank and therefore survived. Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War

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For some time, the history of the defense of Masada was considered a legend, but a comparison of Jewish and Roman historical chronicles, including the book of Josephus Flavius "The Jewish War", and archaeological finds on the territory of the fortress, including stone tablets with names used as lots by ten executors of the last will, convince of the opposite.

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There is also a version that when the Romans broke through the fortress wall, the defenders of the fortress set fire to all the buildings.

The ruins of the fortress were first discovered in 1862. Extensive excavations were carried out in 1963-65.

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How to get there

2. To the Eastern entrance to Massada from the side of Arad. Those arriving in Massada from the northern regions of Israel take the general direction to Beer Sheva and, having reached the Lehavim intersection (Tzomet Lehavim), turn east, onto highway No. also Tel Arad - an archaeological mound containing cultural layers of the Talmudic period) until they reach the Zohar (Tzomet Zohar) crossroads, directly adjacent to the shore of the Dead Sea. Here you should turn north and, after driving about 20 km, turn left at the sign for Massada.

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Central attractions of Massada

Why did Herod build the main palace in this place? There were a number of good reasons for this:

A. This side of Massada is not exposed to the sun.

B. This sector of the fortress is its most strategic element. reservoirs are located under the Palace.

V. This is the northern tip of the mountain, even on the hottest days it is blown by a breeze.

An internal staircase leads from the area adjacent to the bath complex to the middle tier. Going down it, we pass by an underground reservoir, as well as a step carved into the rock, which served as a mikveh (pool for ritual ablution) for the inhabitants of the Palace and reach a flat space, apparently a round hall, surrounded by two rows of columns along the perimeter, of which only grounds. To the south, under the rock wall, there are flights of stairs and additional rooms. From here we go down to the lower tier, in which there was a rectangular hall (hall) framed by columns and painted with frescoes. On the east side, in the basement, a typical Roman-style bath complex was discovered. Outside there is a font for washing feet, and inside there are two pools: one for cold and the other for hot water.

4.Food warehouses. About 15 separate storage facilities were built in Massada, and some of them underwent a sound restoration. The rest of the warehouses were left in a pre-restoration state in anticipation of a possible restoration by the hands of our descendants. The warehouses of Massada were mainly used to store wine, oil, flour and ammunition.

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Roman siege deployment at Massada

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sources

http://guide-israel.ru/attractions/1772-masada/

http://saba34.narod.ru/MASA.htm

http://www.tiuli.com/track_info.asp?lng=rus&track_id=50

http://kezling.ru/travels/israel-2013-3/

http://www.bibliotekar.ru/100zamkov/8.htm

Let me remind you about some of the historical sights of Israel: here is the famous, but no less famous. Here we tried to answer the question and studied The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -