Jerusalem Off the Beaten Path Tips by midnight_mike

There are not many archeological sites which stir emotions--positive and negative--like Masada. This mountain fortress was built in the second century B.C. and became the last refuge of a groups of Jews in A.D. 66-74 who rebelled against the Romans. Instead of surrending, which would have meant death or slavery, the Jews decided to commit mass suicide.

Masada has become a rallying cry ("Masada shall never fall again") for the modern nation of Israel. Critics of Israel argue that it is a symbol of Jewish aggression. Visitors can take a cable car to the top and enjoy amazing views of the region, including the Dead Sea. You can see the shell of the Roman emcampment and the ramp which allowed them to lay seige to the fortress.

It takes two hours to get to Masada from Jerusalem. Most buses headed for the Dead Sea resorts or Eilat stop at Masada. Make sure your departure is cafefully planned. There is not much life surrounding the area, so you don't want to be stuck there when it gets dark.

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If you are Christian, Bethlehem is an essential stop on any pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Around 2 B.C., Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to take part in the Roman census. It required everyone to register in the city where their family originated from. (Joseph's family, which descended from King David, was from Bethlehem.) Unfortunately, they could not delay this journey despite the fact that Mary was pregnant.

Since there were no rooms availabe, the couple was forced to stay in a manger where sheep were kept during the winter. Many people make the mistake of assuming that this was wooden structure like a modern horse stable. It was actually a cave, either naturally forming or carved out from the mountain.

This site is positioned inside the Church of the Nativity. Visitors walk down a few steps to the church's grotto, with a silver star marking the exact spot where Jesus is believe to have been born. Just outside of the church is a memorial to the children who were massacred by Herod following the news of Jeus' birth. Herod, the Jewish king, feared that Jesus posed a threat to his throne. To retain power, Herod ordered all the children in Bethlehem within a certain age to be slaughtered. The bones of some of these victims are on display here.

For details on getting to Bethlehem, view my transportation tip.

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