KING HEROD'S REFUGE

The magnificence of Masada at sunset

At Masada, Herod completely rebuilt the former fortress, and surrounded the mountain-top with a wall nearly a mile long - even though the the site was well-nigh inaccessible to an attacker.

He added the Western Palace, similar in design to the Antonia in Jerusalem, with a four-square shape and towers at each corner.

Like his other palaces, Masada was richly furnished - though always in keeping with Jewish beliefs about the Second Commandment and its veto on human or animal figures.

Even in this waterless region, Herod built cisterns of such capacity that they were enough to supply baths and water gardens. The efficiency of his catchment system became evident when, from a single thunderstorm, the tanks were able to collect enough water to avert the surrender of the large garrison.

He laid up enormous stores of food and weapons when he thought that Cleopatra might persuade Antony to give her Herod's territory - there was a very real danger of this.

The stores were still intact when the Jewish rebels made their last desperate stand against the Romans one hundred years later.