Round Rocks at Masada, Israel

These round rocks are believed to be projectiles used during the siege of Masada during the first Jewish-Roman War (~70s CE). The Roman army besieged Masada, which is fortified location atop a plateau. Earlier this year I shared a photograph of the two ways you can get up to the top in modern days (cable car, or path with switchbacks). At the time of the siege, the Roman army actually built a siege ramp up to the plateau, since breaching a fortified palace via a narrow path would be impractical. You can still see where they built the ramp today. It’s impressive to think about how much earth was moved – rocks, dirt, etc. Today, Masada is national park, and many tourists visit the site every year.

Location: Masada, Israel.

• Atlantic Islands
• Danube River
• England
• Israel
• Italy
• Nature
• United States
• Switzerland