Masada

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Pronunciations

Masada (muh-SAH-duh) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The remains of a mountaintop fortress near the Dead Sea in Israel.

Example Sentences

  • "I wanted to share some pictures from my recent trip to Masada National Park. I was absolutely blown away by the beauty and history of this incredible site!" (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Modern Hebrew

Etymology

  • TH מצדה > MH מצדה matsada

      • Who Uses This

      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      Masadah

Notes

  • "Masada, built by King Herod in the 1st century B.C.E., was the stronghold of the Zealots, a small group of Jews who fled Jerusalem after the Romans conquered the city and destroyed the Second Temple in 70 C.E. The Zealots held off the Roman legions for three years. In 73 C.E., rather than surrender to Rome, they committed mass suicide. Today, Masada is a popular tourist site. American teens sometimes hold their Bar or Bat Mitzvah services amid the stone ruins of the Zealot synagogue atop Masada." (JPS)

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