In 1838, Edward Robinson and Eli Smith first used a telescope to observe the ruins of this site, which is said to have first been built up by Alexander Janaeus.
In 1838, Edward Robinson and Eli Smith first used a telescope to observe the ruins of this site, which is said to have first been built up by Alexander Janaeus. Alfred Domaszewski and Adolf Schulten led early 20th Century archaeological expeditions here. A "Snake Path" serves as the primary means of access to this site, which was most thoroughly excavated by Yigael Yadin. Controversy exists over whether it was captured by Menahem and used by the Sicarii as a base for violent raids on Ein Gedi, but it was eventually besieged by the armies of Lucius Flavius Silva while under the command of Eleazar ben Yair. Once the site of a palace of Herod, this is, FTP, what Israeli mountain fortress, where in 73 AD, hundreds of Jewish Zealots killed themselves to avoid capture by the Romans?
In 1838, Edward Robinson and Eli Smith first used a telescope to observe the ruins of this site, which is said to have first been built up by Alexander Janaeus.
{Masada}