Masada Fortress illustration 3

There are at least two ways to use video, photos, and illustrations of Masada. First, Herod the Great built a fortress here just before Jesus was born. While the fortress was intentionally far away from the general population, it certainly illustrates how much money and power Herod held. Herod was king when Jesus was born, though he died not long after that. Herod was also paranoid, which is why he built such an amazing fortress in such an unreachable place. Masada lies on the edge of the Dead Sea, at the bottom of the Judean Wilderness. It was an impenetrable fortress, and its history is some of the most interesting in all of Israel. The second way to use Masada in your teaching ministry comes from the life and music of David. David and his men often hid in the “strongholds” of the Judean Wilderness. Living 900 years before Herod, it’s clearly impossible that David knew the small city Herod built on top of the great rock. However, there are countless caves, canyons and isolated areas in the Judean Wilderness where David could have hidden from Saul. Many of his songs speak of God as a “rock,” or a “hiding place.” Masada is a great illustration of the security David knew in the wilderness.