Interesting Israel -Columbarium at Masada
This interesting ‘honeycomb’ structure on top of the ancient fortress of Masada, could be mistaken for a brick wall to let air and light enter a dwelling. However, it is actually a columbarium, a name derived from the Latin ‘columba’ meaning dove. Historically, doves and pigeons were used for communicating to the outside world and of course, as a food source for residents and soldiers living on Masada’s summit. As well as doves which provided fresh meat and eggs, Masada’s isolated and elevated location required many more storerooms for essential dry-goods.
Such was the case when, in about 37-34 B.C.E., King Herod the Great was deposed and fled from Jerusalem to Masada, where he built his palace fortress on Masada’s summit along with 29 elongated storerooms. Archaeologists have discovered remains of clay pots used to store food, where some of the clay containers have retained their labels bearing names like fish, beans, dried figs, meat and fig cake.
Herod’s luxurious mountain top retreat was home to up to 100 people at any one time, who all needed to be fed. About a hundred years later, in 67 A.D. Jewish Sicarii rebels in the First Jewish-Roman War, took the summit of Masada as their retreat from the Romans who had left many supplies which managed to sustain approximately 960 people for almost two years.
Israel © MEA-20180516 (PF720) Interesting Israel -Columbarium at Masada
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