Masada and the Dead Sea
Last Friday, NYU took us all to Masada and the Dead Sea for the day. Up bright and early at 7 AM, we headed out and arrived around 10 after winding through the barren Negev. A very brief background: Masada was build by King Herod as his winter palace, and also is the place of the end of the first Jewish-Roman war, where the Romans took Masada from 960 Jews. Stepping out of the bus, I was struck by the size of Masada -- a giant fortress built into the side of a cliff. The Romans must have been insane to hike up to break the siege. We hiked up to Masada, in 95 degree heat. By the end of the tour I had consumed five bottles of water, Being on top of it was amazing -- I could see for miles. If I looked out over the Dead Sea, I could see Jordan on the other side. Standing on something so old, filled with so much history, makes you stop and think about your role in the world. I managed to pick out some of my favorite pictures that I took...