Masada: ruins
Aerial view of the ruins at Masada, Israel.
Masada
ancient fortress, Israel
Also known as: H̱orvot Meẕada
Masada, ancient mountaintop fortress in southeastern Israel, site of the Jews’ last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 ce. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001. Masada occupies the entire top of an isolated mesa near the southwest coast of the Dead Sea. The rhomboid-shaped mountain towers 1,424 feet (434 metres) above the level of the Dead Sea. It has a summit area of about 18 acres...