(Sergio) This is our last and final episode
in the Dead Sea miniseries.
It's coming.
When we started, it was still the dawn of the morning.
We saw the place where Jesus was baptized.
Then, we hiked up the steep mountains
and explored the ancient ruins of Qumran.
We flew over the Dead Sea and explored its shores.
But this last episode we reserved
for one of the most extraordinary places in the world.
♪ (music) ♪
Wouldn't you want to live here?
The Dead Sea is right there, the mountains right here.
A giant place just for you.
This is a fortress unlike any other on Earth.
This is Masada.
♪ (music) ♪
I'm not scared, but my feet are sweaty.
- (Sergio) That was fast. - (Rhoda) Not like the other one.
Masada means "a fortification," and that's exactly what it is.
It's a fortification on top of a rock mountain plateau,
an isolated one for that matter.
And it is believed that after David had his meeting
with Saul, King Saul, in the caves of Ein Gedi,
and he cut part of his garment,
that he came up here to walk after they departed from each other.
♪ (music) ♪
So, it seems like Masada has a lot of history.
During the time of David, and then during the 1st century,
and the Romans, and also the Byzantines here
because they found a Byzantine church.
So, it was occupied in different types of history.
And I'm not surprised
because it's a very strategical place to occupy
and to be so high above everybody else.
And they also have somehow brought water up here.
So, as long as they had water up here,
it's a good place to live in.
On top of a mountain, they can see anything around them.
♪ (music) ♪
(Sergio) In 66 AD, the Jews began the great revolt.
And this place, Masada,
had become the refuge place for all the Jewish rebels
who wanted to escape from Jerusalem and hide.
A few years later,
the Romans put a siege on Masada.
And after three months,
they were able to penetrate the walls
only to find burning houses
and everybody dead in here.
What happened?
According to Josephus Flavius,
the Jews did not want to get captured
and taken into captivity.
So what did they do?
They killed each other in turn
until the last one who had to commit suicide.
And they had this belief
that death is preferable over a life of infamy.
So, we are hiking down from Masada
on a snake path or a snake road.
That's what they call it.
This is an ancient road
that would go from Masada down.
That's how they would get up there and come up there,
probably with a donkey or by foot.
So, even though we got up with the cable car,
that was a nice view...
we decided to go down by foot.
The real reason for that was to save 30 shekels.
Cheap.
(both laughing)
♪ (music) ♪
♪
We butchered that song completely.
♪
So, we got down from that steep incline,
and now it's a nice path, more or less,
kind of straight.
And I've got here a little goat that can't stop drinking.
Baa.
(Rhoda) Big again.
(Sergio) Big again.
Make America big again!
Just make America big again.
I like it.
My legs are so tired, they're literally shaking.
Look at that.
I can't control it.
I'm in the pool.
(water splashing)
Wow.
Make America big again.
Mmm!
♪ (music) ♪
I took part in building the fortification wall for Masada!
(Rhoda) You can't take part in something
that was just happened and done.
Yes!
(Rhoda) Are you claiming to be a Roman who oppressed the Jews?
These were Roman walls?
We hope you enjoyed this episode.
And if you did,
subscribe below and put a comment
and tell us what would you prefer:
the cable car or...
the snake road?
- Let's go back up! - No.
(Sergio) Oh, yes! I like it!