Masada – The Desert Fortress, and the Dead Sea, Israel

Masada – The Desert Fortress, and the Dead Sea, Israel

On our last day in Israel, with Gate 1 tours, our vacation in Israel was going to climax with a trip to Masada (an Israeli national treasure and United Nations World Heritage site) and the Dead Sea. Masada and the Dead Sea are two of the most visited sites in Israel. The drive along the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point, 430 meters below sea level, was intriguing. As we passed a mélange of brown arid, bare, and dusty land as far as our eyes could see was interrupted by huge Judean date palm plantations, which are, apparently, native only to desert oases, and was amazing and unexpected. 

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 We were first headed to Masada, a fortress built by Herod the Great, and he also built two palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. It was one of the best historical sites that we had a chance to visit. There is a path to walk up to the fortress, but that was not an option for our group. We took a cable car to the top of the mountain fortress. An impressive sight for the whole complex and the aerial views below and way beyond. 

We ascended to the top to visit the archeological sites, including the remains of Herod’s Palaces, a synagogue, bathhouses, etc. A film of the brave tale of the Zealots who chose to perish rather than live under Roman rule. Watch the video below for information on the Masada fortress.

We ascended to the top to visit the archeological sites, including the remains of Herod’s Palace, a synagogue, bathhouses, etc. In the end, a visit to the Museum of Masada was worth it. After that, we left for the Dead Sea for a swim in its very buoyant waters.  As everyone who knows anything about the Dead Sea knows, the Dead Sea waters to be heavy with excessive amounts of salt. We were told that once you enter, you could just lie there as if on a recliner and read your paper, an alluring fact which turned out to be a myth for us. The day we were there, the sea was very rough. We didn’t even attempt to get into the water. But those who did found that it was not just the rough sea, but also the fact that they had to navigate slippery rocks, making it very difficult and dangerous to enter into the water, making the experience far from enjoyable. 

This image shows that even when the Sea is rough, one person is floating while others are hanging on the ropes.

After spending some time there and relaxing, we left to return to Jerusalem for our “Farewell Dinner” from Israel. We had a good meal with our great group. We feel lucky that we had this chance of vacationing and getting to know many wonderful people.

Everyone’s flight was scheduled, and many of the people were leaving at different times all through the night. Since we had another leg of the journey to Jordan, we were taken to the Allenby Bridge border. Our Israeli tour manager escorted us through the border crossing process, where we met our Jordanian tour manager, Omar. We traveled to the Marriott Hotel in the Dead Sea area, the lowest point on earth on the Jordanian side.

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