Sights The ruins at Masada were unearthed in 1963 by a team of archeologists headed by Yigael Yadin. About one-third of the ruins you see are actually reconstructed-a black line indicates the extent of the original findings. Directly in front of the entrance to the site stands a large sign with a map of the ruins, which outlines several walking tours. From the entrance, the Northern Palace, which includes Herod’s own private pad, is up and to your right. Across the site is the Western Palace; the Southern Citadel is down to the left at the far end of the mountaintop.

The best remains at the Northern Palace are the central public bath and the private palace of King Herod. The bath is well preserved, but, disappointingly, the frigi-darium isn’t working. If you linger too long, you’ll find yourself hiking out in a huge caldarium. King Herod’s palace is poised spectacularly on the rock’s prow. The lower terrace’s painted frescos and intact capitals on fluted columns suggest the splendor that Herod enjoyed. In the bathhouse of the lowest section, the skeletons of a man, woman, and child were found, along with a tallit (prayer shawl).

Look west into the desert for the remnants of the Roman attackers’ camps. The thing that looks like bleachers is not the remains of a Roman siege apparatus, but seating for the sound and light show, accessible only by car or tour bus from Arad. To see Masada lit up like a Las Vegas marquis, catch one of the performances (Tues. and Thurs., 9pm. Tickets NIS22; if you can, camp for NIS7). Inquire at the Arad Tourist Center (tel. 95 89 93).

From the top of the Herod’s palace stairs, you can skirt your way around the western edge of the mountain. You’ll soon come across the Zealot’s synagogue, the oldest known synagogue in Israel. Scrolls were found here containing texts from several books of the Torah (most are now on display in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem). The scrolls and discoveries such as a mikveb (ritual bath) indicate that the community followed Jewish religious strictures despite their mountain isolation and siege. Continuing further along the edge you find the Western Palace, which houses splendid Herodian mosaics, also the oldest in Israel. Masada was occupied for a short time by Christian monks who built the Byzantine Chapel next to the Western Palace Farther soutli are stone stairs descending into a dark hole. Go down into the cistern, its part of the system of reservoirs that allowed the defenders to store an eight- ^ vear supply of water. Restrooms are in the administration building and in the residence of the royal family. Drinking water pours out of the central tap.