Page 6 - Holyland Magazine - 2023 Edition

rather than fall prisoner to the Romans. The
book was written around the time of Masada’s
fall, in 73 BCE.
The story of Masada could have simply faded
away had the Christian Church not copied and
preserved Josephus’ book, out of the belief
that the story of Jerusalem’s destruction and
the failure of the revolt against the Romans
was the realization of Jesus’ prophesy. And
there you have history’s convoluted ways.
Frescoes in Herod’s Palace - ancient art.
The Jews who survived the destruction of the Photos: Avinoam Michaeli
Second Temple, headed by Rabban Yochanan
Ben Zakai, apparently wanted to discard the
story of Masada, which was not compatible The corporeal Masada became a coveted In its genizah (repository for old religious
with their worldview. Masada was not even designation. Journeys to it are complex, items), scroll segments and Chapter 37 of
mentioned in books such as the Mishna and perilous and last many days. The flow of the Book of Ezekiel, which is the Dry Bones
the Talmud. It appears only once in a letter prophesy were discovered.
from the days of the Bar Kochva revolt. people ascending the mountain increases,
and the myth of Masada continues to entrench
The story of the mass suicide at Masada itself into people’s hearts. The motto is that of A moving nighttime audiovisual show is
takes a turn in the book Yosifun, written during a war of freedom, not suicide. screened in an open theater at the foot of the
the tenth century by a Jew under the alias mountain and depicts the story of Masada with
Joseph Ben Gurion, and extracted from the Life comes back to the mountain lights and sounds at sunset. Visitors arriving
Latin translations of Flavius’ book, adapted to A current tour of Masada enables you to touch from the east (Road 90) can enjoy a gallery and
the worldview of the Jewish sages. While the times of yore. You cannot remain indifferent to display of the history of Masada. From here,
physical Masada was forgotten, it lived on in the history and the plethora of buildings and you can ride the cable car to the top.
the annals of history. findings on and around the mountain plateau:
palaces, mosaics and murals, mikvehs (Jewish Just a few years ago, the Yigael Yadin Masada
In the nineteenth century, with the birth of ritual baths), sophisticated water systems, a Museum was opened. It houses findings from
research and intense interest in the Holy Land synagogue and beit midrash (Jewish house of archaeological excavations. The visit offers
and the Dead Sea area, American researcher learning), monks’ caves and a church, baths a unique and innovative type of time travel,
Edward Robinson identified the Masada rock and a Roman blockade that survived intact by presenting the archaeological findings in
(1838), which until then was called something and is the only one of its type in the world. A their historical context on a three dimensional
completely different by the Bedouins living in history of two millennia, covered in dust and theatrical background, which adds depth to
the area. rubble. the evidence and an exciting experience for
the visitor.
In the early twentieth century, Masada was In recent history however, Masada has been
restored to consciousness by two literary experiencing a rebirth. Mosaics and frescoes In the middle of 2011, a spacious and modern
articles: Jacob Naphtali Simchoni’s Hebrew that were preserved are being restored, and entertainment and shopping complex was
translation of Josephus Flavius’ The Wars of three dimensional models and signs are being launched, the largest in the Dead Sea area.
the Jews, and Yitzhak Lamdan’s heroic poem placed on the mountain, helping the average It is designed in an old world style and has a
Masada. The story of Masada evoked in the tourist understand. Torah scrolls have been huge restaurant that seats more than 1,000,
poem reignites the imagination. The most returned to the guardroom in the ancient a wide variety of food vendors, shops for
quoted line from his poem, “Masada shall not synagogue on the mountain. Many Bar camping and sports equipment, souvenirs,
fall again!” nearly became an anthem. Mitzvah boys read their Torah portions there. photography, and a foreign currency exchange
service.
Air view of Masada. Photo: Itamar Grinberg The complex also has a unique concept shop
called Masada Memories – entirely devoted to
Masada and to the experiences that you can
take home at the end of your thrilling visit to
the mountain.

Because of its universal value, Masada was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2001. Thousands of visitors from Israel and
worldwide flock to the mountain and despite
the “craze” and the hordes of visitors – the
magic still remains.

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