Mountain Fortress

Masada, Israel

My eyes flew open as my alarm startled me awake. I didn’t have to squint at the bright red numbers on the clock to know that it was far too early to be awake. But I threw on my clothes, strapped on my knee brace and headed out anyway. The moon still shone brightly over the mountain fortress as our group assembled into smaller groups to head up the mountain.

I had heard about this Masada hike long before I ever set foot in Israel. It’s one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions because of the arduous trek to reach the top, the large ruins at that sit atop the fortress, and the account of its fall to the Romans. It’s also sort of a rite of passage for our class and our semester; coming nearing the end our time in Israel, it’s the last hike of the last field trip of the year. If you don’t climb Masada, I’m not sure if you actually went to Israel or not.

Atop the plateau is the goal: an ancient fortification overlooking the Dead Sea to the east. The fortress was built by Herod the Great but its most notable occupants were the rebels that fell to the Romans in dramatic fashion. Nearly all of the historical information about the story of Masada comes from the Roman Jewish historian Josephus

Atop the plateau is an ancient fortification overlooking the Dead Sea to the east. It was built by Herod the Great in 31 BC but the fort is most famous for its fall to the Romans in the First Jewish Revolt. Josephus the Historian is responsible for penning the fall of Masada and keeping the fortress in the history books. In 73 AD, the First Jewish Revolt was nearly at its end—the Temple had been destroyed and Rome was mopping up the rest of the resistance. However there was a sect of Zealots that fled Jerusalem and took residence in this fortress after defeating the Roman garrison that was stationed there.

The path up the face of the plateau was winding and steep; for this reason it is known as the “Snake”. We climbed the Snake by the light of the moon as the stars twinkled in the sky. It was fairly cold but the physical strain of walking the arduous path kept me warm. My knee injury began to burn under the knee brace and I gritted my teeth to keep going. I tried to keep the history of this place in mind as I continued to struggle up the face of the plateau.

In 73 AD, the Romans sent 15,000 men to take Masada and put down the Jewish revolt for good. Because of the fortress’s position on top of the plateau, it is extremely difficult to approach, as I was learning firsthand. I couldn’t imagine trying to carry 80 lbs. of gear up the face of this mountain. Neither could the Romans. They built a massive siege ramp of earth on the backside of the plateau as they camped at the base. The remains of the Roman camps can still be seen at ground level surrounding Masada.

I had to stop and rest for a few minutes; my muscles were aching and my knee was in real pain. The dark sky was showing hints of pink daylight at the horizon. With the dark fortress looming in front of us, and dawn approaching behind us, we continued on. We were nearly at the top.

The Roman siege lasted a couple months. As the siege ramp steadily grew taller and the Romans neared the top of the plateau, the rebels knew the end was near; they had nowhere to run. Outnumbered 15 to 1, Josephus writes that the leader of the rebels named Elazer ben Yair made a famous speech atop the plateau in which he spoke of their resolve to fight for freedom. As the Romans approached, he urged the rebels to do what needed to be done.

When we climbed the final staircase into the fortress, we were greeted by other brave souls from the group who had run the Snake to get to the top. One by one, the rest of our group ascended the mountain and we sat to await the sunrise. About twenty minutes later, the sun crept over the Jordanian mountains and glistened off the Dead Sea below in beautiful hues of orange and pink. I was glad I’d made it; the pain was worth the view.

The ruins of the fortress were enormous. There were two palaces, a massive bathhouse, a synagogue, and one of the largest ancient cisterns ever found. We spent another hour exploring the fortress before descending back to the bottom.

When the Romans reached the top however, the fortress was as lifeless is it as today. The Romans entered the fortress to find a “citadel of death”. The rebels has set all the buildings on fire and committed mass suicide to keep from disgracing themselves and falling into Roman hands. Josephus writes that the rebels casted lots and killed each other and their families (because suicide is forbidden in Judaism) with the last man killing himself. Only a few women and children survived.

Masada now stands as a symbol of Jewish heroism to many people, although others would disagree. Masada was the most memorable hike for me because of hype surrounding it and the history that accompanies it. The beauty of the sunrise, the pain in the climb and company of my companions made the trek worth it. I climbed Masada to find it just as dead as the Romans, but I wasn’t here to conquer; I was here just to see.

I came, I saw, I climbed.

Masada.