What Is Masada National Park?
Masada National Park houses the remains of Herod the Great’s winter palace on top of a grand plateau!
What Makes It Beautiful?
Rising high above the Judean Desert, this plateau had long been used as a defensive outpost, starting with the Hasmoneans in the early first century BC. When Herod the Great, a puppet king of the Roman Empire, married a Hasmonean princess, he adapted the old fortress of Masada into his own winter palace, where he could retreat and welcome important guests with splendid views! He installed grand baths and pools using water collected in 12 cisterns built into the plateau!
After Herod died in 4 BC, Rome annexed the Kingdom of Judea, and kept it until 66 AD when a Great Revolt broke out among the Jewish folks of Judea. A group called the Sicarii captured Masada and held it until 73 or 74 AD when a legion of 8,000 Roman soldiers spent several months besieging Masada! They eventually ground down their defenses until the last refugees committed mass suicide, so there was no one left alive when the Romans entered at last! The Romans had little to do up here after conquering it, but a few centuries later, Byzantine hermits set up a church on top of Masada, which lasted about two centuries.
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Donate to Israel Nature and Heritage Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
The entrance to Masada National Park is west of Road 90, about 13 miles north of the intersection with Road 31 in Israel’s Southern District!
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
Masada National Park is officially open daily at 8:00 AM, but Snake Path hikers can get in much earlier! From Saturday through Thursday, it’s open until 5:00 PM in the summer and 4:00 PM in the winter. It closes an hour earlier on Fridays and holidays.
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