01. MASADA—NORTHERN FACE
The direction of sight is here south-east. A portion of the Dead Sea appears on the left hand, and the distant mountains, therefore, are those of Gebal.
Near to the sharp summit of the hill, as seen in this view, there are traces of what may be regarded as the defences which the desperate company under Eleazar either availed themselves of, or constructed, with the hope of maintaining their position against the Roman legions.
The terrific catastrophe of the Jewish War or its last awful suicidal slaughter—was transacted, as related by Josephus, upon the summit of a rocky pile, situated on the western shore of the Asphaltic lake. This almost inaccessible height had been rendered, as it was thought, impregnable by Herod: who had not only fortified, but had furnished it also, at a vast cost, as a last retreat for himself, should the turbulence of the Jewish people, or rather his own ferocious treatment of them, drive him, like the hunted tiger, to his lair. Josephus describes this steep with unusual particularity. This remarkable spot, as thus described and delineated, may now with advantage be thought of as bearing out those statements and those descriptions of Masada which we find in THE JEWISH WAR. Confidently it may be affirmed that in few instances where topographical identity is in question, have modern researches better sustained the testimony of an ancient writer than they do in this instance. It is manifest that Josephus must personally, and at leisure, have made himself acquainted with this spot; and in this case, as in others which have come before us, he proves himself to have been conversant with the facts he has to do with observant of details, and quite as trustworthy in his reports of them as ancient writers generally are. COMPLETE WORKS
OF
JOSEPHUS
ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS
THE WARS OF THE JEWS
AGAINST APION, ETC., ETC.
A NEW AND REVISED EDITION
BASED ON HAVERCAMP'S TRANSLATION
WITH NOTES, COMMENTS AND REFERENCES FROM
WHISTON, Dr. HUDSON, RELAND, Dr. BERNARD, PRIDEAUX,
LE CLERC, DEAN ALDRICH, GROTIUS, PHILO, SPANHEIM,
HERODOTUS AND MANY OTHERS ANCIENT AND MODERN.
IN FOUR VOLUMES
VOLUME THREE
BIGELOW, BROWN & CO., Inc.
NEW YORK
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOLUME THREE.
| Masada | PAGE |
| --- | --- |
| Hot Baths of Tiberias | Frontispiece 300 |
| Taricheæ | 314 |
| Sepphoris | 352 |
| Excavation City Wall North | 400 |
| Supposed Remains of Herodium | 430 |
| Cæsarea | 468 |
| Gadara | 554 |
ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS.