Last day in Israel- and we went out with a bang. We got up early and drove to Masada. I was very unfamiliar with what took place there, so in case you are, here's the story. 2000 years or so ago, King Herod decided he needed an additional palace (he already had 4), and wanted to build it somewhere isolated. So, he had someone build for him an ornate palace in the middle of the desert on a plateau. After he died, the palace was abandoned for 70 years until a group of Jewish settlers moved in, trying to escape Roman slavery.. This is the premise of the "Masada". While the people were living there, they were discovered by the Romans who then went to build a ramp up to the top. When the Jewish people saw was happening, they made a decision that they preferred to die than live as slaves. Thus, the men killed their entire families and themselves. When the Romans arrived, they were dead.
The ruins of the palace are really interesting. Herod had 2 palaces, in fact. He also had 2 bathhouses. They were well-decorated with frescos and mosaics. He also had a sauna, which i can't imagine, because it was Extremely hot.
We then went to the Dead Sea, where I learned for myself that you do, in fact, float without any effort. Actually, it's difficult NOT to float. Definitely a neat experience.
It's been a neat aspect of the trip experiencing some of the events and places significant in Jewish history as we work our way through the Holocaust. Tomorrow- leaving at 1 am actually- headed to Berlin!
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