Masada Castle Ruin - Israel Editorial Photo

Masada (Modern Hebrew מצדה metzadá fortress) is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau (akin to a mesa) on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. According to Josephus, the Siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First Jewish–Roman War ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarri rebels and their families hiding there. Masada is located 20 kilometres east of Arad. Masada is one of Israel's most popular tourist attractions.