MASADA

MASADA. — A fortress on a rocky hill in the Judean desert west of the Dead Sea. The original construction, according to Flavius Josephus (*Bell. Ind.*, VIII, 3), dates back to Jonathan (161–143 BC), though it is likely that David had already sought refuge in this place earlier (1 Sam. 24:1). The fortress served as a refuge for Herod the Great, along with 800 people besides the women, in 42 BC, when he was fighting against the Parthians (Flav. Josephus, *Antig. Ind.*, XIX, 14, 6). A few years later, Herod transformed the fortress into a fortified palace, making it more secure with a difficult access and a tower overseeing II.
In AD 66, Masada was occupied by the Sicarii, or extremist partisans against the Romans, who sowed terror in nearby localities: Engedi, Hebron, Thecua, and Herodion. After a memorable siege, meticulously prepared, Flavius Silva captured the fortress but found the 960 besieged had killed each other at the instigation of Eleazar, except for two women with their children (Flav. Josephus, *Bell. Ind.*, VII, 8, 2). Probably from then on, Masada was dismantled. Christianity gained a foothold there, and a single-naved church with narthexes was still found within the enclosure. It may have been built by St. Euthymius (v.): Cyril of Scythopolis, speaking of the saint’s retreat, calls it Marda, which some believe to be the Syriac word for Masada; but others identify Euthymius’ place with Hjbert el-Merd, also called Castellion, where later St. Sabas built a monastery. Today, Masada is known as Sebbah, and the remains of the great fortress are clearly visible, including two palaces, several houses, many cisterns, a dovecote, and remnants of the fortifications from AD 66: a circumvallation wall, eight camps (two main and four secondary), very well preserved, and the *agger* or earthwork for the assault.