Aim for the Sky: Masada will not fall again!

War. Death. Destruction.

Moving along the banks of the Dead Sea, Jews ran from their homes to escape fighting between Romans and other Jews. A mountain loomed above them and a safe, fortified haven sat atop that mountain. But a Roman army occupied the region.

After a night of partying along the Dead Sea, I groggily climbed off the bus and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. It was still dark out and I could barely make out the top edge of this mountain called Masada. (I don't know if it technically counts as a mountain, it might be a plateau, but I'm counting it as a mountain!) With only a few hours of sleep, the barely-visible, winding path that traced up the mountainside looked insurmountable. "Where is breakfast?!" I asked our group leader. He pointed to the top of the mountain and, with a sigh, I started trudging up the path.

The group of Jews fled destruction in their home towns, overcame the Roman garrison, and took over the mountaintop. The Roman army tried to take back Masada. They built a stone ramp and spent 2 months besieging the small Jewish settlement.

I held my side as it cramped up and I paused to catch my breath. Looking out over the edge, I saw the great expanse of the Dead Sea, with an orange tinge just beginning to color the horizon. "Hurry up! Lets get moving... gotta get to the top before the sun rises!" The guide hurried the stragglers along the winding path up the mountainside.

Dark smoke began to rise from the top of Masada and the choking ashes blew into the fighters' faces. The Roman army broke through the barricades to the settlement atop Masada and raced inside. Buildings were ablaze and not a soul was in sight.

I crested the top embankment and looked around. Stone ruins adorned the top of the mountain, standing out white against the still-dark sky. I spun on my heel and my eyes widened as I took in the breathtaking view of the sun rising over the Dead Sea. Oranges and purples reflected in the still waters and, with each passing second, the sun rose higher and higher over the horizon.

The Romans, with weapons at the ready, rushed through the burning fortress. The found the Jews in one building, all together, all dead. Suicide. Mass suicide in the face of insurmountable odds against them. Mass suicide instead of becoming slaves and prisoners of war. Mass suicide to avoid defeat.

We walked through the stone ruins, explored a bath house and a temple, and admired the ceramic tiles that were still brightly colored, even after thousands of years. We leaned against the stone walls as we ate lunch and listened to the story of Masada.