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Masada

The isolated flattop rock of Masada commands the surrounding desert, its ancient remains bearing witness to long-ago power and conflict. One of Israel's most stunning archaeological sites, Masada earned fame and a place in history first as one of King Herod's palace-fortresses and later as the site of the last stand of Jewish rebels against the legions of Rome, almost 2,000 years ago.

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The Last Stand of Jewish Freedom Against Rome

Masada was first used by the Hasmoneans in the 2nd century BC, but it was Herod the Great—King of the Jews by the grace of Rome and his buddy

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Fodor's Essential Israel: with the West Bank and Petra

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