The Story of Masada

Random House, 1969.. Very Good/Very Good. Quarto, hardcover, near fine in VG black and red pictorial dj. 155 pages; Pictorial endpapers. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, diagram and map. Atop a bleak mountain in the Holy Land, beside the Dead Sea, is the ancient fortress of Masada. Here, 2, 000 years ago, King Herod the Great built palaces of incredible luxury, guarded by walls, towers and sheer, unclimbable cliffs. Here, 1, 900 years ago, a group of Jewish Zealots made a last stand in their rebellion against the Roman Empire. For seven months, a thousand gallant men, women and children held off an attacking Roman army fifteen thousand men strong. This book tells of the extraordinary things that happened at Masada. And at the same time it provides a fascinating view of archaeologists at work, toiling in the blazing sun and desert wind to piece together an exciting, almost unbelievable tale, the story of Masada.