This shot was taken from the walls of Masada, the last Jewish stronghold to fall to the Romans around 70 AD. The Romans laid siege to the place for several years, and when they finally finished the siege ramp to make a direct assault on the walls, the Jewish zealots all committed suicide. Afterwards, the Romans abandoned the area (it really is in the middle of nowhere), and it just sat here, out in the middle of the desert, for thousands of years. While many of the structures in the castle fell apart or were destroyed, the Roman camps themselves are still exactly where the Romans left them. This is one of the camps. Imagine--what would you think if you were holed up on the top of a mountain in the middle of a desert wilderness, with this view constantly in front of you? What would it be like to look at these guys in the camp, knowing that one day, they're going to break through and kill/enslave you? Pretty crazy.
2008-06-15 21:11:42 • 0 Comments • Categories: [Jordan Study Abroad]  [Landscape]  ancient desert Israel_Palestine mountains
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