Masada

Masada ( '''', 'fortress'; ) is a mountain-top fortress complex in the Judaean Desert, overlooking the western shore of the Dead Sea in southeastern Israel. The fort, built in the first century BC, was constructed atop a natural plateau rising over above the surrounding terrain, east of modern Arad.

AI overview

Masada is a mountain-top fortress located in the Judaean Desert near the Dead Sea in southeastern Israel, built in the first century BC on a naturally elevated plateau. The site is significant as an ancient fortification that survives as a notable archaeological landmark in the region.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Ancient site.name: Masada
Ancient site.image: Israel-2013-Aerial 21-Masada.jpg
Ancient site.caption: An aerial view of Masada, from the north
Ancient site.map_type: Israel
Ancient site.map_size: 150
Ancient site.location: Southern District, Israel
Ancient site.type: Fortification
Ancient site.builder: Alexander Jannaeus (?)Herod the Great
Ancient site.built: 1st century BC
Ancient site.event: Siege of Masada
Ancient site.excavations: 1963–1965
Ancient site.archaeologists: Yigael Yadin
Ancient site.region: Judaean Desert
UNESCO World Heritage Site.child: yes
UNESCO World Heritage Site.ID: 1040
UNESCO World Heritage Site.Criteria: Cultural: iii, iv, vi
UNESCO World Heritage Site.Year: 2001
UNESCO World Heritage Site.Area: 276 ha

via Wikipedia infobox

~27 min read

Encyclopedic overview

35 sections

Contents

Geography
History
Hasmonean fortress
Herodian palace-fortress
First Jewish–Roman War
Byzantine monastery of Marda
Archaeology
Chalcolithic period
Identification and initial digs
Yigael Yadin expedition
Epigraphic findings
Human remains
Roman-period palm seed
Byzantine monastery
Archaeology vs. Josephus
No Hasmonean buildings found
Inaccurate description
Historicity of mass suicide
Phases and layout
Phase I: Western Palace etc.
Phase II: Northern Palace etc.
Phase III: casemate wall etc.
Modern tourism
Legacy and symbolism
Masada myth
World War II
Israeli army
In popular culture
Gallery
See also
References
Further reading
History
Archeological reports
External links

The most significant remains at the site date to the reign of Herod the Great, King of Judaea , who transformed Masada into a fortified desert refuge early in his rule. He enclosed the summit with a casemate wall and towers, and constructed storerooms, an advanced water system, and bathhouses, along with two elaborate palaces: one on the western side and another built across three terraces on the northern cliff. These palaces remain among the finest examples of Herodian architecture.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Masada” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.