Olmert & Bush Visit The Masada - A Symbol Of Determination & Freedom For The Jewish People

President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert together with their wives took time off early Thursday morning to visit the Masada, Towering 430 m. above the Dead Sea, the Masada is the site where one of the greatest epics in the history of mankind was played out. When the Jewish rebellion erupted in 66 CE, a group of Zealots headed for Massada. They knew that Herod had built, about 100 years earlier, an impregnable fortress on its summit which he intended to use as a sanctuary in the event of Cleopatra or local dissidents trying to usurp his throne.The Zealots cast lots to choose 10 men to kill the remainder. They then chose among themselves the one man who would kill the survivors. That last Jew then killed himself. The heroic story of Masada and its dramatic end attracted many explorers to the Judean desert in attempts to locate the remains of the fortress. The site was identified in 1842, but intensive excavations took place only in 1963-65, with the help of hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers from Israel and from many foreign countries, eager to participate in this exciting archeological venture. To them and to Israelis, Masada symbolizes the determination of the Jewish people to be free in its own land. 05/15/08

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infolive.tv | May 15, 2008

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