Masada

Masada was dramatic in every way, beginning with an excellent audio-visual presentation of its history.  Then we took the cable car to the top and explored the site here almost 1000 Jews held out against a siege by the Romans in AD73-74.     Day after day the 960 inhabitants watched the Romans building a huge ramp up to the fortress.  Finally the Romans breached the walls with a battering ram.  The Jews decided to die with honour in a mass suicide pact rather than surrender to the Romans. But most poignant for me was being in the actual room where the people drew lots to decide how the killing would take place.  Once the Romans went into Masada they found only a couple of women and 5 children alive – they had hidden in the cisterns.