Masada:Herod's Mountain Palace
Several of the rooms have remaining sections of the original plaster and wall paintings. Photograph by Doug Garner
Herod the Great had Masada built as a southern palace, though he only visited it one time. In A.D. 74 it became a last location of Jewish resistance to Roman authority, as the defenders took their own lives rather than be captured by the invading army. Much of the site remains for visitors today, including original wall paintings, dove cotes, and rampart sections.
An aerial view demonstrating the remote location of the site and the difficulties an invading army would have in reaching and conquering the site. Photograph by Rick Brumback.
There are two ways to get to the top of Masada. The easiest and quickest is ride the tram. For the adventurous, however, there is the "Snake Path," leading from the base to the top of the fortress. It will take about one hour walk the Snake Path.
The video to the left shows a quick journey up the Snake Path.
Explore the history and features of Masada in this short video.