Mezada is an ancient fortress on top of a lone cliff in the east side of the Yehuda Desert. its peak reaches 63 meters above sea level and 450 meters over the level of the dead sea, which is underneath it.
The cliff was chosen by King Herod, to be used as a getaway and a royal fortress. On its flat top palaces and public buildings were built. Fortifications surrounded the compound and Water collection and storage systems were placed to ensure a steady and constant flow of water all year long. The dramatic historic events that occurred in Mezada during the great rebellion are described thoroughly in the book of Yosef Ben Matityahu,- “The war of the Jews”. according to Yosef Ben Matityahu, before The Second Temple, Jewish rebels took Mezada from the Sicari sect during the Great Rebellion and didn’t give in to the Roman rule. The Roman Emperor came and besieged Mezada in 8 separate besieging camps and after desperate battles on the walls of the fortress and when the hope of the rebels was broken and there was no escape, the rebels decided to commit suicide rather than end their lives as slaves.
Mezada, as a place of legacy, is a controversial place. In the Talmud Bavli we see that we are not to learn from the rebels ways, because of the suicide.
From afar we can see Mezada, which has been atop the pillar for thousands of years.
