Masada is a magnificently located fortress site in Israel's stark Judaean Desert, close to the Dead Sea. Masada, whose Hebrew name means "fortress", is on a breathtaking rock plateau with steep cliffs rising on all sides.

The last Jewish holdout to fall to Rome in 73 CE, Masada symbolizes the exile of the Jewish nation from the Holy Land. Its violent end has become a symbol of bravery and self-sacrifice since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been granted a special place in the heart of the Jewish nation. Though the actions of the Zealots are still debated, Masada has become synonymous with the tragic and much-mourned downfall of Jewish life in the Holy Land.

- Wikivoyage