Sunrise at Masada

The race to climb up the Roman Path and reach the cliff top in time to see the sunrise keeps the adrenaline pumping through your body. When you finally arrive, you’re sitting atop this rocky rise in the desert called Masada and it’s still dark. Before the sky begins to brighten, there’s just enough time to sense how isolated this refuge must have felt for the Jewish rebels who died here rather than be enslaved or killed by the Romans. Suddenly, streaks of gold and orange pierce the darkness, spreading light until the surrounding desert and the harsh blue of the Dead Sea slowly materialize as the sun tops the horizon. Once daylight breaks, it’s time to begin exploring.

Masada, which rises some 390m (1,300 ft.) above the desolate Judean Desert, about 48km (30 miles) from Jerusalem, was built as a walled palace fortress by Herod the Great in the First Century b.c. After the Romans conquered Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple was destroyed in a.d. 70, some 1,000 Jewish resistors and their families fled to remote Masada. Led by Eleazar ben Jair, the zealots withstood a 2-year siege by the Romans. In a.d. 73, the Roman Tenth Legion encircled the base of Masada with eight camps and constructed an earth and stone ramp leading up to the top of the cliff. In spring of the following year, the Romans carried a battering ram up this ramp and breached the fortress wall. Looking on, all but seven of the zealots chose to die by their own hands—they committed mass suicide—rather than surrender to the enemy.

Today a World Heritage Site, Masada is visited by members of all religions. Some hike up via the Roman Path or the steep zigzagging Snake Path, while others ride up in a cable car. At the top, there’s a vast complex of ruins to explore, ranging from Herod’s Northern Palace and the enormous storehouses to the cisterns and remains of the oldest synagogue in the world.

In 2007, a unique museum opened, which gives visitors a guided tour of the Story of Masada through a combination of archaeological artifacts set in a theatrical atmosphere, accompanied by radio play and audio explanations. Twice a week, a dramatic sound and light show tells the history of Masada by way of a performance at the Masada amphitheater.

Many visitors combine a visit to Masada with a float in the Dead Sea and a spa treatment featuring the mineral-rich Dead Sea black mud. Hiking in Ein Gedi Nature Preserve, where four springs create a haven in the desert for flora and fauna, is another popular stop after a visit to Masada.

Masada National Park, Dead Sea Hwy. (Rte. 90), 18km (11 miles) south of Ein Gedi ( 972/7/658-4207; www.parks.org.il).

When to Go: Year-round. In the summer morning is best because of the desert heat.

Jerusalem, 112km (70 miles).

$$$ Golden Tulip Dead Sea, Ein Bokek ( 972/8/662-9444; www.goldentulipclubdeadsea.com). $ Masada Youth Hostel, Masada National Park ( 972/8/995-3222; www.hihostels.com).