Our break for lunch came in the form of an hour-long stop at the Dead Sea. Now incredulous at the thought- I had been vacillating all morning about whether the logistical inconvenience of being wet was worth the plunge. Luckily when we arrived I was seized by the festive spirit and made up my mind. Oddly the most fun part was deciding how to change without paying 2 shek
els (only ~60 cents) to use the changing room. (Solution: pretend not to care about onlookers and change, at least mostly obscured, between two beach towels held by friends. The result was a hilarious mini-adventure the four of us enjoyed immensely, incidentally one seemingly unnoticed by potential onlookers.) As our professor noted, floating in the Dead Sea is a must-do, although only once. It was predictably indescribable, and a vital part of our experience here. On the other hand, I think our twenty minute dip sufficed, and I feel pretty contented not to start planning my next trip. As a perfect end to the visit, 
we enjoyed popsicles in the shade while dusting salt chunks off our ears.
The last major visit for the day was to Masada, the site of the Jews’ last stand against the Romans. Heavily mythologized in Israeli culture, the battle represents the pinnacle of Jewish resistance. Masada is a palace/fortress built by Herod on an isolated rock-plateau near the Dead Sea. At some point in the course of the war, the Jewish extremists (fighting the Romans in control of Judea), took control of Masada and made it a base for their fight. At a decisive point in the Roman siege of the fortress, the Jews realized that they could not win. In response, they decided it would be most honorable to commit mass suicide rather than submit to defeat and slavery. The scene that follows as described by Josephus (a
Jewish Roman historian- our main source about the event) is as poignant as it is dramatic, with the population drawing lots to determine which ten men would kill the rest of the population, and then which of those would kill the remaining, down to the last one. No one objected, and the act was carried out in complete dignity. Josephus’ proclaimed source is the only two women who hid under the floorboards to escape death. Of course, the Romans were completely confused, and unable to take full pleasure in their victory upon finally penetrating the fortress and discovering what had happened.
els (only ~60 cents) to use the changing room. (Solution: pretend not to care about onlookers and change, at least mostly obscured, between two beach towels held by friends. The result was a hilarious mini-adventure the four of us enjoyed immensely, incidentally one seemingly unnoticed by potential onlookers.) As our professor noted, floating in the Dead Sea is a must-do, although only once. It was predictably indescribable, and a vital part of our experience here. On the other hand, I think our twenty minute dip sufficed, and I feel pretty contented not to start planning my next trip. As a perfect end to the visit, 
we enjoyed popsicles in the shade while dusting salt chunks off our ears.The last major visit for the day was to Masada, the site of the Jews’ last stand against the Romans. Heavily mythologized in Israeli culture, the battle represents the pinnacle of Jewish resistance. Masada is a palace/fortress built by Herod on an isolated rock-plateau near the Dead Sea. At some point in the course of the war, the Jewish extremists (fighting the Romans in control of Judea), took control of Masada and made it a base for their fight. At a decisive point in the Roman siege of the fortress, the Jews realized that they could not win. In response, they decided it would be most honorable to commit mass suicide rather than submit to defeat and slavery. The scene that follows as described by Josephus (a
Jewish Roman historian- our main source about the event) is as poignant as it is dramatic, with the population drawing lots to determine which ten men would kill the rest of the population, and then which of those would kill the remaining, down to the last one. No one objected, and the act was carried out in complete dignity. Josephus’ proclaimed source is the only two women who hid under the floorboards to escape death. Of course, the Romans were completely confused, and unable to take full pleasure in their victory upon finally penetrating the fortress and discovering what had happened.It’s really a fantastic story, and although having read Josephus’ account, I was still completely unprepared for visiting the site. I think I imagined your typical heap of rocks on a hill that characterizes some historical sites- the ones that demand a lot of filling in the blanks to envision the original site. 
Additionally, I deflated the rock-plateau considerably in my mind. Having never seen such a huge formation that rises so precipitously and so high from the ground, I did not at all comprehend the scale until we were in the cable car to the top. Between that surprise, how incredible the view, and my sun/heat delirium, I was completely dumbfounded by Masada. That and I think this was my first encounter with real Roman remains – I was extremely surprised and pleased with myself that I was able to identify, name, and describe the frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium without prompting (evidently my tenth-grade Latin study habits far outstrip my current ability to memorize information). We had a whirlwind tour of the atypically well-preserved ruins (being a national symbol results in the best possible treatment) and then exhilaratingly scuttled down the “snake trail” back to the bus. What I imagine would be too taxing of a hike going up was a slightly less taxing, 
if more terrifying, descent. The steepness of the steps and the occasional lack of handrail caused me some anxiety, but were well worth it. It also filled to the maximum my physical exertion quota for the day, leaving me completely and blissfully drained when I collapsed onto the bus.
Additionally, I deflated the rock-plateau considerably in my mind. Having never seen such a huge formation that rises so precipitously and so high from the ground, I did not at all comprehend the scale until we were in the cable car to the top. Between that surprise, how incredible the view, and my sun/heat delirium, I was completely dumbfounded by Masada. That and I think this was my first encounter with real Roman remains – I was extremely surprised and pleased with myself that I was able to identify, name, and describe the frigidarium, tepidarium, and caldarium without prompting (evidently my tenth-grade Latin study habits far outstrip my current ability to memorize information). We had a whirlwind tour of the atypically well-preserved ruins (being a national symbol results in the best possible treatment) and then exhilaratingly scuttled down the “snake trail” back to the bus. What I imagine would be too taxing of a hike going up was a slightly less taxing, 
if more terrifying, descent. The steepness of the steps and the occasional lack of handrail caused me some anxiety, but were well worth it. It also filled to the maximum my physical exertion quota for the day, leaving me completely and blissfully drained when I collapsed onto the bus.
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