Masada...always wanted to see it.

It is amazing to drive down the road and see signs like this. 

It is also amazing to drive down the road and just as you are settling into your lunch of trail mix the bus pulls off the road. They tell us we need to get off to see something. Up on that hill are some caves. That is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Shepard. And if you look the other direction you see...the Dead Sea! This is Judean wilderness and a desert but I thought it was all beautiful. 

I have been fascinated for a long time about Masada. Masada  It was really an amazing place to see. 1000 people were killed or committed suicide to escape being taken captive and become slaves. The husbands and fathers first killed their families. Then they drew "stones" to see who killed the remaining ten people. The final one had to kill himself. The top of the plateau has the remains of the city they lived in. Herod had a palace up their also. 

Below is a picture of the stones they found at Masada believed to be the ones drawn to see who would die in which order. 

A couple of "tourists" looking at the surrounding area from the top of Masada. 

Some of the original paint is still on the walls. Below is what is left of King Herod's place. 

They even had a thermal pool area that is still partly in tact. They had an ingenious system to get water to the city on top of the plateau. 

To get to the top you can walk up a long trail or ride up on a cable car. I would have preferred to walk but our time was limited. 

 In my quest to read about Masada I ran onto this picture of Michael Jackson visiting there. Couldn't resist adding it to this entry. 

An aerial view of Masada. King Herod's palace is in the front of the picture.