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My Rock and My Fortress
MasadaHerod the Great built and impressive fortress at Masada to showcase his own power, but it is remembered today as a symbol of the Jewish desire for freedom.' The mountain of Masada stands tall in Israel's Judea Wilderness. On top of this spe...
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Sons of Light
Sons of LightIn Jesus' time, there were four major religious groups (or "philosophies," as Josephus, the Jewish historian of the time, called them). They were the Zealots, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. It is impossible t...
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The Jewish Revolts
The Jewish RevoltsJewish people of Jesus' day had a passionate desire for freedom from the domination of the pagan Romans and the oppressive Herod dynasty that had ruled them for many years. Revolt seethed continuously, mostly underground, for mor...
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Zealots-People of the Palm Branch
THE PEOPLE OF THE PALM BRANCHThe history of impassioned defense of freedom and the right to serve God alone was vivid in the collective memory of the people of Jesus' day. Only 150 years earlier, the deeply religious supporters of the Hasmonaeans ...
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Mosaics at Masada
The mosaic floor pictured here is from the private bathhouse in the Western Palace. The multicolored geometric designs are typical of Herod's construction. Some scholars think he chose not to use figures of animals, people, or gods, out of respect...
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Storehouses of Masada
This photograph shows the remains of the 15 storehouses on the eastern side of Masada. The one on the left is as it was found by archaeologists; the others have been reconstructed. In the background above the storehouses, you can see the Dead Sea,...
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The Fortress Masada
The plateau Masada is located in the remote Judean desert. Because this desert was bordered by the more fertile mountain ridge of the land of Israel, Masada was close to more hospitable areas.The attraction of the location for Herod was that he co...
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Masada Definition
A fortress expanded by Herod the Great to include a palace; on a mountain plateau on the Dead Sea's shore near Idumaea. David wrote, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress" (Ps. 18:2), a possible reference to this flat mountain plateau. Al...
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Masada Definition
A fortress expanded by Herod the Great to include a palace; on a mountain plateau on the Dead Sea's shore near Idumaea. David wrote, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress" (Ps. 18:2), a possible reference to this flat mountain plateau. Al...
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