This is a view from Masada. Herod the great had started building this as a fortress. Jews who had been forced out after the fall of Jerusalem made a stand here and they held off the Romans for a few months here. But when it became obvious that the Romans were about to break in five men were chosen to kill the people who were left, about 960 people, then killed each other and the last one left committed suicide. In the middle of the picture you can see an incline, this was a ramp built by the Romans to break in and capture the fortress. From the top of Masada, you can also see big squares at the bottom of the mountain. These were the encampments of the Roman legions who had laid siege to the fortress. The following is a link to Wikipedia for more information on Masada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada