Israel-Vatican Joint Issue 2019 25 Years of Bilateral Relations

 
The 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the Holy See is a time for joy as well as acknowledgement of the long way we have travelled together along a path of reconciliation and friendship.
 
On Dec 30th 1993, Israel and the Holy See signed in Jerusalem the fundamental agreement establishing full diplomatic relations between our two states. This unique bonding between the only Jewish State and the universal Catholic Church combines both political and spiritual elements.
 
The special Joint Stamp issued by the Israel Philatelic Service and the Holy See Numismatic Service to commemorate the 25th anniversary depicts St. Peter’s Church and the synagogue at Capernaum and symbolizes the unique relations and interactions between Judaism and Christianity.
 

 

Capernaum

Capernaum is an archeological site on the Sea of Galilee shore, north of Tiberias. A town from the Roman Byzantine period which was mentioned in a book by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus (Yosef ben Matityahu) was excavated at the site. Capernaum’s historical and religious significance stems from what is written about it in the New Testament, and the fact that this was where Jesus lived during his time in the Galilee. One of the most magnificent ancient synagogues in Eretz Israel was discovered in the center of the town, alongside the remnants of an octagonal church from the Byzantine period.
 
The Gospel of Mark features a description of how Jesus began his religious mission after being baptized in the Jordan River. He went northward to the Galilee, where he located his first students, fishermen in the Sea of Galilee. Together with these students, he made his way to the nearby town of Capernaum, where some of them lived. “They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach” (Mark 1:21). This was the first time Jesus had appeared before the Jewish public in the Galilee. He was revealed to be an authoritative Halachic teacher and also miraculously healed a man who was overtaken by a demon.
 
At the end of the prayers, Jesus and his students “left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon and Andrew” (Mark 1:29), where Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law of her fever. “That evening after sunset… The whole town gathered at the door and Jesus healed many who had various diseases” (Mark 1:32-34). During the Byzantine period a grand church was built to mark the place where Simon the student’s house was traditionally thought to have been. In 1990, a modern church was constructed on the ruins of the Byzantine church, which was discovered in the early 20th century, hovering over the ancient remains.
 
The church and the synagogue, which are currently overseen by the Franciscan order, attract tourists and Christian pilgrims from all around the world.
 

Indonesia 2014 Borobudur

 

Borobudur is a massive Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia, built in the 8th–9th century during the Sailendra dynasty as a center for Buddhist worship and pilgrimage. After centuries of use, it was gradually abandoned and eventually vanished from public awareness, likely due to volcanic eruptions, the spread of Islam, and the shift of political power, which caused it to be buried under ash and jungle growth. 

Borobudur was rediscovered in 1814 during British rule in Java, when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles ordered an investigation that led to its excavation and restoration. 

Borobudur was officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, recognizing its outstanding universal cultural value as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. 

Israel 2013 Rachels Tomb

 

“And Rachel died, and was buried on the road to Ephrath – now Bethlehem. And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; it is the pillar at Rachel’s grave to this day.” (Genesis 35:19-20)

 

The tomb of Rachel our Matriarch has been recognized in its current location near the neighborhood of Gilo, on the boundary between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, for 1700 years. In ancient times, a tombstone comprised of 12 stones, symbolizing the sons of Jacob, was set there. Later, a cupola resting on four columns was erected and in the 17th century Rachel’s Tomb was made into an enclosed structure. In 1841, Sir Moses Montefiore added another room to Rachel’s Tomb. Today, due to security constraints, the small domed building located within the Israeli enclave in the northern outskirts of Bethlehem has been fortified. Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands of Jews visit the site each year.

 

There are two aspects to the collective Jewish memory of Rachel our Matriarch – personal and national. The first is the tragic and sad story of her life as described in the Book of Genesis, which serves as the basis for personal identification with her character. The second is Jeremiah’s prophecy of comfort, which described Rachel our Matriarch as a mother weeping over her sons and as one whose cries tore opened the Gates of Heaven and which would subsequently lead the way to Redemption, to the ingathering of the exiles and to the return of the People of Israel to their land. This is the foundation of the national Jewish identification with Rachel.

 

Millions of Jews have visited the site over the generations, praying and crying to Rachel the Matriarch to plead their case before God, requesting health, fruit of the womb, livelihood, as well as national and general Salvation. The simplicity of the site has charmed passersby, nomads and pilgrims for years. They have recorded descriptions of the tomb, the site’s customs and the experience that has developed around it, initially in writing and later through drawings and photographs. The shape of the tomb has been depicted over the years on Jewish art objects, on sacred books and on stamps. Talmudic tales and legends, poems and liturgical poems, stories and plays have been written about Rachel herself. The development of the Zionist Movement and the establishment of the State of Israel brought about old-new aspects of tradition and meaning to Rachel and her tomb.

 

When the People of Israel returned to the site in 1967, Shmuel Rosen wrote in his song “We Shall Not Go Again”:

“… See, Rachel, see, see Master of the Universe / See, Rachel, see, they returned to their Land”, and he even promised: “… We shall not go again Rachel, / and you shall not go again, / we shall not go again Rachel, / from the cultivated fields of Bethlehem”.

Israel 2011 Herod's Building Projects

Thanks to support from the Romans and following bloody battles against the last of the Hasmonean kings, Herod was crowned King of Judea in the year 37 BCE. King Herod was loathed by his Jewish subjects, who saw him as a representative of foreign rule who undermined their traditional institutions and murdered their legitimate rulers, those of the Hasmonean dynasty. Talmud scholars called him an “Edomite slave”, as he was the grandson of an Edomite, and described him in extremely negative terms. Herod made an attempt to become closer to the Jewish people, mainly through renovating the Temple, but his first loyalty was to Rome. Herod was a decisive ruler who did much to develop the Land of Israel and its Jewish population as well as its foreign residents. During his long reign over Judea, Herod erected numerous elaborate and innovative buildings throughout his kingdom which were revolutionary from an engineering standpoint.

 

Masada

In the year 40 BCE Herod was forced to flee to Rome following a rebellion that broke out in Eretz Israel. He left his family in the Masada fortress, where they withstood the siege but nearly died from lack of water. When Herod became king, he decided to turn Masada into a stronghold that could serve him as a place of refuge if another insurrection should arise. Herod built two magnificent palaces, huge storerooms for arms and food and water reservoirs holding some 40,000 cubic meters of water atop the mountain adjacent to the Dead Sea. This turned Masada into a unique combination of a regal palace and a fortified stronghold.

 

Caesarea

Herod erected his kingdom’s main port city along the Mediterranean shore, in an area that was only sparsely populated beforehand. He invested most of his efforts in building the sophisticated port, which was among the largest in the Roman Empire. He put up a broad breakwater topped with a wall and towers and built docks for ships, warehouses for storing goods and lodgings for sailors. He called the city “Caesarea” in honor of the Roman Caesar Augustus and populated it with foreigners. Herod constructed lavish entertainment facilities such as a theater and a race track, as well as a high aqueduct which brought fresh water from afar for the benefit of city residents, thus making Caesarea the crown jewel of Herod’s building projects.

 

Jerusalem

Herod renovated and glorified the Temple and its surroundings for his Jewish subjects. He demolished the old, dilapidated Temple, which was built some 500 years earlier, in the days of Ezra and Nehemia, and erected a new magnificent Temple in its stead. He enlarged the area on which the Temple stood using a series of arches and surrounded it with splendid buildings. The area around the Temple Mount and the paths leading thereto were renovated to accommodate the throngs of pilgrims who visited the Temple during festivals. Sages referred to this building enterprise, saying “Anyone who has not seen one of Herod’s buildings, has never seen a beautiful building” (Bava Batra tractate, 4, 71).

 

Herodian

When Herod fled his pursuers during the rebellion of 40 BCE he was forced to fight for his life a few kilometers to the southeast of Jerusalem. When he became king, he decided to erect a site there in which he would be buried upon his death. He called the place “Herodian” and built a round building surrounded by an artificial mountain. Herod built an enormous compound around the mountain, including palace chambers, a garden and large pool. Herod died in Jerusalem in the year 4 BCE and a grand funeral procession brought his body to his burial site at Herodian.

Israel 2008 World Heritage Sites - Biblical Tels & Incense Route

In 1972, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) ratified a convention to protect world heritage sites.  In the context of this program, guidelines were drawn up to evaluate cultural and natural sites with outstanding universal value.  Each country was requested to prepare a list of sites in its territory, to be reviewed annually by UNESCO's World Heritage Center.  Those deemed worthy are added to the list of the UN World Heritage Sites. 

The government of Israel ratified the convention in 2000.  Since then, the following sites in Israel have been added to the world list:  Old City of Acre (2001); Masada (2001);          Tel-Aviv, "The White City" (2003); Biblical tels: Megiddo, Hazor and Beer Sheba; The Incense Route – desert cities in the Negev: Avdat (Eboda), Mamshit (Mampsis), Halutza (Elusa) and Shivta (Sobata) (2005).

 

 

The Biblical Tels 

"Tel" is the term for an ancient urban settlement site that was widespread in the Middle East. These cities were surrounded by earthen embankments and walls, giving the tel its distinctive appearance. Three tels were selected as World Heritage Sites from among some 200 existing in Eretz Israel.

Megiddo was an important fortified city astride the main route from Egypt to Syria and Mesopotamia. During King Solomon's reign it was a regional capital. During King Ahab's time it served as a transportation hub with stables for hundreds of horses.

Hazor, a Canaanite city, became prominent in the late 18th century BCE and was the largest and most important city in the region for hundreds of years until it was destroyed in the 12th century BCE. It regained its status as an important city during the period of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Israel. It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 732 BCE.

Beer Sheba marked the southern boundary of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah when it was first built as a fortified city. It was rebuilt in the 8th century BCE, and reconstructed again at the end of that century, apparently during the reign of the Judean King Hizkiyahu. It was destroyed, apparently by the Assyrians, in 701 BCE. 

The Biblical Tels Stamp shows an aerial photo of Tel Hazor as seen from the west.    In the circle – the “Shema Servant of Jeroboam” seal found in the Megiddo excavations.  On the left is a diagram of the Beer Sheba city gate area

 

 

The Incense Route  

The desert-dwelling Nabateans developed well defined routes for transporting camel caravans laden with incense from southern Arabia to the ports of the Mediterranean.  A segment of this route (approximately 65 kilometers long), leading from Moah in the Arava to Avdat at the Negev Mountain, was declared a World Heritage Site.

All along this route the Nabateans built way stations, some of which became cities with the passage of time. Four of these cities were also declared World Heritage Sites: Avdat (Eboda) and Halutza (Elusa), established in the 3rd century BCE; Shivta (Sobata), settled in the late 1st century BCE; and Mamshit (Mampsis), founded in the 1st century CE.

The remains of these cities, which were well preserved in the desolate Negev, attest to the upheavals in the lives of their residents.  Late in the 1st century CE, the Nabateans shifted from trade to agriculture and horse breeding, building agricultural facilities, developing distinctive irrigation and water collection systems in the arid Negev and constructing sophisticated, spacious stables. During the 4th century CE, they built large, splendid churches in all the cities.

With the Arab conquest in the 7th century CE these cities began to decline, their populations dwindled, and they were gradually abandoned.

The Incense Route Stamp shows a magnificent gate in the Nabatean temple compound at the north western end of Avdat.  In the circle – a Nabatean camel figurine, found in the Avdat excavations.  On the left  is a diagram of a section of the Incense Route from Moah, through the Ramon Crater to Avdat.

Israel 2007 World Heritage Sites - Acre, Tel Aviv & Masada

 Acre 

The high point in the history of the city of Acre began with the Crusader conquest in 1104.  Acre was already an important port city then, but during the Crusader period it became the primary commercial center in Eretz Yisrael and served as the capital of the Crusader Kingdom for a century (1191-1291). The city was divided into quarters housing the military knights' orders (the Hospitaller, the Templar and the Teutonic) as well as the Italian commercial communes representing Italy's major commercial cities – Venice, Genoa and Piza. Each of these communities built grand structures that reflected Acre's status then as one of the world's major cities, with a population of some 40,000. 

The most impressive building to survive today is the Hospitaller Dining Hall (the "Crypt"), built in the Gothic cross-beamed vaulted style developed in France and Italy in the 12th century, replicated in Acre. 

The city was conquered in 1291 by the Mamluks and was totally destroyed. It remained in ruins for hundreds of years until the 17th century, when it was rebuilt by the Druze ruler Fakhr al-Din. Today, it constitutes a unique example of an Ottoman walled city built on the ruins of a Crusader city whose plan it preserved.

 

The stamp shows The Dining Hall ("Crypt") in the Order of the Knights Hospitaller compound.  In the circle is the fleur-de-lis, symbol of the order.

 

 

Tel Aviv 

Founded in 1909, Tel Aviv developed as an amalgam of neighborhoods without a central plan.  In 1925, at the initiative of Mayor Meir Dizengoff, an urban blueprint was commissioned from the Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes. The "Geddes Plan", as it was known, was approved in 1929 and largely determined the image of Tel Aviv during the British Mandate period. 

In the early 1930s, a number of young, mostly native architects were active in Tel Aviv. They had acquired training in architecture during the 1920s in the Bauhaus School in Germany, in Le Corbusier's atelier, and elsewhere in Europe. Upon their return home, they applied the principles of modernism, or the International Style, to the design of new buildings in Tel Aviv. 

The period was one of booming construction in the country. Between 1931 and 1937, over 2,700 new buildings were constructed in Tel Aviv alone, most of them reflecting the International Style, albeit adapted by the Tel Aviv architects to the climatic conditions of the region. For example, the wrap-around or picture window, which was designed to admit a maximum of light in European homes, was replaced by broad cement overhangs to provide shade from the intense Israeli sun. 

Tel Aviv is the only city in the world in which an entire district built along the principles of the International Style has been preserved. An outstanding example is Dizengoff Circle, planned in 1934 by architect Jenia Averbouch

The stamp shows the  Zina Dizengoff Circle and environs.   In the circle is a segment of the facade of a building typifying the International Style of architecture.

  

Masada 

Herod, King of Judea, chose Masada in the Judean wilderness as his refuge in the event of a revolt against him.  During 36-30 BCE, a walled complex was erected atop Masada containing residences, food storage facilities, wells and ammunition dumps.  Herod also built two magnificent palaces for himself, adorned with colored plaster and mosaics.  The Northern Palace is especially noteworthy as an exceptional example of an elegant villa of the ancient Roman period. 

With the outbreak of the Great Revolt of the Jews against Roman rule in 66 CE, Masada, guarded by a Roman garrison force, was conquered by the Jewish rebels.  They were joined in the year 70 by surviving rebels who escaped from Jerusalem after its destruction and reached Masada, determined to carry on the struggle. The rebels adapted the buildings atop the mountain to their needs and prepared for a prolonged stay. 

In 73 the Roman governor decided to wipe out the last of the Jewish rebels. The surviving remnants of the siege wall from which the Romans attacked, as well as the army camps built around it, are evidence of the vast effort invested by the Roman army in this campaign, and constitute the most complete example of a Roman siege network that has survived to the present. The Romans built an earthen assault ramp on the western slope which, at the end of a siege lasting several months, enabled them to bring up a battering ram to the top of the mountain and breach the wall. 

The speech by the rebel leader, Eleazar son of Ya'ir, persuading his comrades that death as free men is preferable to surrender and captivity, is described by the historian Josephus in his book The Jewish War. The Masada episode became a paradigm and symbol of the quest for freedom and unremitting struggle against bondage. 

The stamp show a mosaic floor in a room in the Western Palace; overall view of Masada from the north (courtesy of GPO). In the circle is an ostracon (potsherd) inscribed with the name of the Masada leader, Eleazar "ben Ya'ir".

 

Israel 2005 Ancient Water Systems

 

Where there’s no water, there’s no life. Thus, in ancient times, man settled near perennial water sources which provided water throughout the year.

 

In the Bronze and Iron Ages however, people built walled cities which isolated them from the water sources. During war they were in great danger if the enemy captured their water source. They dug underground tunnels so that they could reach the water, in secret and safely, from inside the city.

 

Ancient water systems in fortified settlements, including underground water tunnels, were discovered during excavations of many archeological sites in Eretz Israel. The most well known water systems, mainly from the Iron Age (9th - 7th B.C.E.), were found at Hazor, Megiddo, Yivle’am, Givon, Tel Grisa, Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem, Lachish and Beer Sheva.  These water systems are evidence of the engineering capabilities and understanding of hydraulics of the people of that time. They also indicate technical ability in building and quarrying and familiarity with the underground.

 

As the city population grew, cities were established and the water supply was based on water kept in cisterns near the houses. This lessened the need to defend the water sources. On the other hand, water had to be supplied from sources further away.  From the beginning of the Hellenistic period (from the 3rd century B.C.E. onwards) aqueducts were built to carry water from springs situated tens of kilometers away from the cities. Construction of the aqueducts required a wide knowledge of building and precise surveying. During the Roman period the methods were improved. Tunnels were created where there were obstacles on the land which aqueducts had to pass through, and in areas where there were valleys, they built a stable foundation based upon stone arches.

 

Water System, Hazor 

This water system was based on the shaft and slanting tunnel that was carved in the rock within the city and that led to ground water. This was used in the 9th and 8th centuries B.C.E.

 

Water System, Megiddo 

The origins of this water system began in the United Kingdom period of the 10th century B.C.E. Later, during the time of the Israelite Monarchy (9th century B.C.E) the system was improved and then used for about two centuries. The users descended the shaft and then horizontally through the tunnel to a spring on the outskirts of the city.

 

Aqueduct, Ceasarea 

Ceasarea was the largest Roman city in Eretz Israel from the time of King Herod in the first century B.C.E. and until the Muslim conquest in the 7th century C.E. Herod built the first aqueduct in Ceasarea which carried water from the springs on the edge of Mount Carmel and Ramot Menashe. The Latin inscriptions found on the aqueduct indicate that the Romans continued its development and maintenance. Part of the aqueduct, which passes over sand dunes, is supported by a line of stone arches and the rest which passes through hilly terrain is in an underground tunnel.

 

Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Jerusalem 

This water system, originating in the late 8th century B.C.E., is located in the City of David in Jerusalem.  Hezekiah’s tunnel is a masterpiece of ancient water systems and is believed to be the greatest water engineering accomplishment of its type in its time. Residents of Jerusalem quarried the tunnel to lead the water from the Gihon spring to the city.  The tunnel was cut in a winding course from both ends successfully meeting at the mountain’s interior with only a slight error.  Evidence of the success of constructing the tunnel is found in the “Siloam inscription”, inscribed on the tunnel’s rock wall describing, in ancient Hebrew, the meeting of the quarrymen. King Hezekiah’s achievement in ensuring water for the city is mentioned in the Bible ( 2 Kings 20,20; Isaiah 22 9-11; Chronicles 32 1-4,30. “The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and all his exploits, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought the water into the city are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah” 2 Kings 20,20.

Israel 1999 Ancient Boat from the Sea of Galilee

 

3₪ reconstruction of the vessel

5₪ remains of vessel after removal from mud

The Ancient Galilee Boat, also known as the Jesus Boat, is an ancient fishing boat from the 1st century AD, discovered in 1986 on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The remains of the boat, 27 feet (8.2 meters) long, 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) wide and with a maximum preserved height of 4.3 feet (1.3 meters), first appeared during a drought, when the waters of the Sea (actually a great fresh-water lake) receded.

cover depicts Galilee section of map by Christian van Adrichom of locations the 'Tribes of Israel'

The boat's construction conforms to other boats built in that part of the Mediterranean during the period between 100 BC and 200 AD. Constructed primarily of cedar planks joined by pegged mortise and tenon joints and nails, the boat is shallow drafted with a flat bottom, allowing it to get very close to the shore while fishing. However, the boat is composed of ten different wood types, suggesting either a wood shortage or that the boat was made of scrap wood and had undergone extensive and repeated fixes. The boat was row-able, with four staggered rowers, and also had a mast allowing the fishermen to sail the boat.

The Galilee Boat is historically important to Jews as an example of the type of boat used by their ancestors in the 1st century for both fishing and transportation across the lake. Previously only references made by Roman authors, the Bible and mosaics had provided archaeologists insight into the construction of these types of vessels.

The boat is also important to Christians because this was the sort of boat used by Jesus and his disciples, several of whom were fishermen.[4] Boats such as this played a large role in Jesus' life and ministry, and are mentioned 50 times in the Gospels.

Issue Date: 19th March 1999

Designed by: Yitzhak Granot

Printed by: Israel Government Printer

Print Process: lithography

Perforations: 13 x 13

sheet format height 63mm x width 100mm

Note: issued in conjunction with Australia '99 Stamp Exhibition, Melbourne

Israel 1986-1988-1989-1990 Archeology

 

1 January 1986

1 Corinthian Capital, 1st-Century BC

3 Archaic Ionic capital, 1st-century BC (Second Temple)

12 Dec 1988

40 Rosettes and rhomboids, frieze and columns, facade of the eastern gate, 1st cent. B.C.

60 Byzantine capital, 6th-century AD

30 April 1989

Frieze from Burial Cave Entrance, end of 2nd Temple Period

11 June 1989

70 Relief from Palace of Omayyid Caliphs, 8th-century AD

80 Corinthian capital from the Church of Ascension on the Mount of Olives, 12-13th century AD

17 October 1989

Relief from Suleiman's Wall, 16th-century AD

12 June 1990

Insignia of Sayif addin Attaz from Mameluke Academy, 14th-century AD

Israel 1967 Ancient Ports

 

Acre known locally as Akko and Akka, is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel.

Acre lies at the northern end of a wide bay with Mount Carmel at the south.  It is the best natural roadstead on the southern Phoenician coast and has easy access to the Valley of Jezreel. It was settled early and has always been important for the fleets of kingdoms and empires contesting the area, serving as the main port for the entire southern Levant up to the modern era.

Acre's Old City has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Jaffa is an ancient port situated on the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in Old Jaffa within Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Jaffa Port is mentioned in various ancient works, including in the Hebrew Bible (namely the Book of Jonah) and in the works of Josephus describing Jewish history and the First Jewish–Roman War. It has been in active usage for over 7,000 years, predating even ancient Egypt. Still functional as a small fishing port, it is currently a recreational zone featuring restaurants and cafés.

Caesarea, also Caesarea Maritima, Caesarea Palaestinae or Caesarea Stratonis, was an ancient and medieval port city on the coast of the eastern Mediterranean, and later a small fishing village. It was the capital of Roman Judaea, Syria Palaestina and Palaestina Prima, successively, for a period of c. 650 years and a major intellectual hub of the Mediterranean. Today, the site is part of the Caesarea National Park, on the western edge of the Sharon plain in Israel.

The site was first settled in the 4th century BCE as a Phoenician colony and trading village known as Straton's Tower after the ruler of Sidon. It was enlarged in the 1st century BCE under Hasmonean rule, becoming a Jewish village; and in 63 BCE, when the Roman Republic annexed the region, it was declared an autonomous city. It was then significantly enlarged in the Roman period by the Judaean client King Herod the Great, who established a harbour and dedicated the town and its port to Caesar Augustus as Caesarea.

During the early Roman period, Caesarea became the seat of the Roman procurators in the region. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries CE and became an important early centre of Christianity during the Byzantine period. 

 

Israel 1965 Masada

Masada is an ancient fortification in southern Israel, situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea 20 km (12 miles) east of Arad.

Herod the Great built two palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BC.

According to Josephus, the siege of Masada by Roman troops from 72 to 73 AD, at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War, ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarii rebels who were hiding there. However, the archaeological evidence relevant to a mass suicide event is ambiguous at best and rejected entirely by some scholars.

In modern times, the story of the siege was revived as the Masada myth, a selectively constructed narrative based on Josephus's account. The mythical narrative became a national symbol in the early years of Israel's nationhood.

Masada is one of Israel's most popular tourist attractions.

Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. 

 ramp built by the Romans to reach the top of the plateau, showcasing the ingenuity and determination of the Roman army during the siege of Masada

the ruins of the lower terrace of Herod's Palace at Masada, including columns and stonework.

the ruins of the Northern Palace at Masada, highlighting its impressive architecture and strategic location.

Israel 1950 Airmail #1 ( Birds in Archaeology )