One of the most awesome places to go in Israel is Massada. King Herod the Great was a man driven by the idea that every one was out to kill him so he built fortresses all over Israel. Massada was the most amazing of the lot. It was perched high up on this mountain with a twisting narrow trail that lead up to the top. He had three levels for his living spaces.
In 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem the Jews made this their last stand against the Roman army and held them off for three years. Using new Jewish slaves, captured at Jerusalem, the Romans built a ramp up the side and hauled siege engines up to shatter the wall. Rather than be captured the Jews killed their families and them selves.
Here I am in 1999 just before we went up Massada.
On the third floor of Herod's Palace at Massada is this room touted as the King's bed room. 
In the kings Private quarters at Massada is this private bathing room. It was pointed out to us that there was no plumbing to or from this bath tub. So all the water had to be brought up three flights of stairs to fill the tub for the kings bath. It would be emptied the same way.
Here is an interesting view of the Roman Bath Herod built at Massada. The lower level is where slaves kept a fire going to heat the pool of water above it. 
One of the most awesome places to go in Israel is Massada. King Herod the Great was a man driven by the idea that every one was out to kill him so he built fortresses all over Israel. Massada was the most amazing of the lot. It was perched high up on this mountain with a twisting narrow trail that lead up to the top. He had three levels for his living spaces.
Here I am in 1999 just before we went up Massada.
This is me in 1999 on the top of the mountain in front of a church build by Mussolini and is still funded by his endowment.
Walking toward the Caesarea dig site it is easy to see why King Herod picked it as a place to build the city.
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