Military Footprint 4

Despite its infamous history, or in many ways because of it, Masada really is a magical place on multiple levels. From seeing the sunrise over the Judaean desert to the sweeping rocky cliffs and desolate plains surrounding it, this location bombards the senses both physically and emotionally.

This series is an homage the momentous historical drama that played out here nearly 2000 years ago. All around the base of Masada you see these square patches of low stone walls, and my guide said that they were the remnants of Roman army camps from the famous siege.

When you're actually on top of the plateau, its easy to see why the Romans had such a hard time taking this place. The western side (the side that the Romans scaled) is certainly imposing, but the eastern side is very sheer and drops down hundreds of meters to a flat plain with the Dead Sea in the distance (took me almost an hour to walk down that side, compared to 20 minutes for the ascension on the west).