The description of Josephus, in whose histories Ma- sada plays a conspicuous part, is as follows ; A lofty rock of considerable extent, surrounded on all sides b}^ pre- cipitous valleys of frightfid depth, afforded difficult ac- cess only in two parts — one on the east, towards the Lake Asphaltis, by a zigzag path, scarcely practicable, and extremely dangerous, called " the Serpent," from its sinuosities ; the other more easy, towards the west, on which side the isolated rock was more nearly ap- proached by the hills. The summit of the rock was not pointed, but a plain of 7 stadia in circumference, sur- romided by a waU of white stone, 12 cubits high and
MASADA
856
MASALOTH
'1 he Rock ot Masada.
8 cubits thick, fortified with 37 towers of 50 cubits iu height. The wall was joined within by large buildings connected with the towers, designed for barracks and magazines for the enormous stores and munitions of war which were laid up in this fortress. The remainder of the area, not occupied by buildings, was arable, the soil being richer and more genial than that of the plain be- low ; and a further provision was thus made for the garrison in case of a failure of supplies from without. The rain-water was preserved in large cisterns excavated in the solid rock. A jialacc, on a grand scale, occupied the north-west ascent, on a lower level than the fortress, but connected with it by covered passages cut in the rock. This was adorned Avithin with porticoes and baths, supported by monolithic columns; the walls and tioors were covered with tessellated work. At the dis- tance of 1000 cubits from the fortress, a massive tower guarded the western approach at its narrowest and most difficult point, and thus completed the artificial de- fences of this most remarkable site, which nature had rendered almost impregnable. In attacking the fortress, the first act of the Roman general was to surround the fortress with a wall, to prevent the escape of the garri- son. Having distributed sentries along this line of cir- cumvallation, he pitched his own camp on the west, where the rock was most nearly approached by the mountains, and was therefore more open to assault ; for the difficulty of procuring provisions and water for his soldiers did not allow him to attempt a protracted block- ade, which the enormous stores of provisions and water still found there by Eleazar would have enabled the garrison better to endure. Behind the tower which guarded the ascent was a prominent rock of considerable size and height, though .300 cubits lower than the wall of the fortress, called the White Cliff. On this a bank of 200 cubits' height was raised, whicli formed a base for a platform Qii'n.ia) of solid masonry, 50 cubits in width and height, and on this was placed a tower similar in construction to those invented and employed iii sieges by Vespasian and Titus, covered with plates of iron, which reached an additional fiO cubits, so as to domi- nate the wall of the castle, which was quickly cleared of its defenders by the showers of missiles discharged from the scorpions and balistw. The outer wall soon
yielded to the ram, when an inner Avail Avas discovered to ha\'e been constructed by the garrison — aframcAvork of tim- ber filled Avith soil, Avhich be- came more solid and compact by the concussions of the ram. This, however, Avas speedily fired. The assault Avas fixed for the morroAv,Avhen the gar- rison anticipated the SAvords of the IJomans by one of the most cold-blooded and atro- cious massacres on record. At the instigation of Eleazar, they first slew CA'ery man his Avife and children ; then, haA'- ing collected the property into one heap, and destroyed it all by fire, they cast lots for ten men, Avho shoidd act as exe- cutioners of the others Avhile they lay in the embrace of their slaughtered families. One Avas then selected by lot to slay the other nine sur- AUA'ors; and he at last, haA-ing set fire to the palace, Avith a desperate effort drove his sword completely through his OAvn body, and so perished. The total number, including Avomen and cliildren, Avas 9G0. An old Avoman, Avith a female relatiA'e of Eleazar, and five children, who had contrived to conceal them- selves in the reservoirs Avhile the massacre Avas being perpetrated, survived, and narrated these facts to the astonished Eomans Avhen they entered the fortress the folloAving morning, and had ocular demonstration of the frightful tragedy. On the present ruined site the ground-plan of the storehouses and barracks can still be traced in the foundations of the buildings on the summit, and the cisterns, excaA'ated in the nat- ural rock, are of enormous dimensions. One is men- tioned as nearly 50 feet deep, 100 long, and 45 broad. The foundations of a round toAver, 40 or 50 feet below the northern summit, may haA'e been connected Avith the palace, and the AvindoAvs cut in the rock near by, which Mr. Woolcot conjectures to haA-e belonged to some large cistern, noAV coA'ered up, may possibly baA-e light- ed the rock-hewn gaUerj' bj^ Avhich the palace commu- nicated Avith the fortress. From the summit of the rock every part of the Avail of circumvallation could be traced, carried along the Ioav ground, and, Avherever it met a precipice, commencing again on the high sum- mit above, thus making the entire circuit of the place. Connected Avith it, at interA-als, Avcre the Avails of the Roman camps, opposite the north-Avest and south-east corners, the former being the spot where Josephus places that of the Roman general. A third may be traced on the IcA'el near the shore. The outline of the Avorks, as seen from the heights above, is as complete as if they had been but recently abandoned. The Roman Avail is six feet broad, built, like the fortress A\-alls and buildings above, Avith rough stones laid loosely together, and tlie interstices filled in Avith small pieces of stone. The Avail is half a mile or more distant from the rock, so as to be Avithout range of the stones discharged by the gar- rison. No Avater Avas to be found in the neighborhood but such as the recent rains had left in the IioHoavs of the rocks, confirming the remark of Josephus that Ava- ter, as avcU as food, aams brought thither to the Roman army from a distance. Its position is exactly opposite to the peninsula that runs into the Dead Sea from its eastern shore, towards its southern extremity. See Smitl). 7)icf. of Class. Gcoff. s. a-.