 |
 |
|
|
||
Newsletter : 8fax1113.txt
Directory | Previous file | Next file
>PD
>Israel Faxx
>JN Nov. 13, 1998, Vol. 6, No. 205
Efforts Start to Preserve Masada From Destruction
By Ross Dunn (VOA-Jerusalem)
In Israel, an urgent mission has begun to save one of the country's
most important historical sites from destruction -- the ancient
stronghold of a group of Jews known as the Zealots.
In ancient times, Masada was strong enough to protect a small group
of Jews from attacks by Roman legions. But over the centuries, the
elements have managed to weaken the ruins to the point of collapse.
About 800,000 tourists a year visit Masada, an isolated mountain
top fortress situated in the stark Judean desert landscape
overlooking the Dead Sea.
Visitors come to see the place built by King Herod in biblical
times, and which became the remote outpost of the Zealots from
about 66 CE.
The small group of Jews held Masada against the sophisticated might
of the Roman army. When the Romans managed to scale the cliffs
six-years later, ancient historians record the Jews chose mass
suicide rather than be taken into slavery. With this act, the
Zealots made their name a byword for incredible dedication to a
cause.
Were it not for the special zeal of a group of British experts and
their Israeli counterparts -- Masada could fall again. Wind, water
and salt have combined to reduce many of the stones to hollow
shells, and this is threatening the stability of the walls of the
Northern Palace. Also at serious risk are the splendid frescoes
which decorated the lower terrace, of what was once the luxurious
quarters of the royal household.
The man leading the effort to re-enforce the crumbling structures
at Masada is Prof. John Ashurst, one of the world's most renowned
conservation architects, whose expertise has helped in restoring
Buckingham Palace.
He wants to complete the task as soon as possible because Masada
lies close the African-Syrian fault-line and is periodically
subjected to tremors and earthquakes.
"This is one of the great fault-lines of the world, potentially a
very unstable region and tremors and earth movements can take place
at any time. There is a seismic monitoring station quite close by.
We do not know when the next shake will come, but of course it
could come at any time. It is not predictable. Certainly, we are
going to get one in the next 50-years, but who knows, it could be
tomorrow."
Ashurst says the former palace is perched precariously on a cliff's
edge. He describes it as an incredible engineering feat and a
symbol of Roman splendor and extravagant living.
"Herod really had a sumptuous lifestyle down here, whether for
himself or favored guests, we do not know, but it was equal to
anything that might have been found in Rome at that time. What the
palace tells us is something of Herod's great engineering
abilities, his great daring, his ambitions as a builder, but also
his very sophisticated lifestyle. Someone who grew up in
the Roman court, brought with him all the extravagant requirements
of that place, here to the desert."
What remains of Masada's former glory is but a faint echo. Most
of the original plaster has been lost, leaving the soft limestone
without a protective layer. In the same area was a small bath
house, and some of its walls have partially collapsed. To protect
the bath, timber has been brought in to allow reconstruction and to
save the remains.
The repair method adopted by Ashurst and the Israeli teams of
conservationists and archaeologists aims to preserve the appearance
of the ancient building as much as possible.
The technique makes use of the same stone as the original, cut into
thin tiles and packed carefully into the large cavities with
mortar. This aims to restore the strength of the stone, while
leaving a texture that is the same color as the mountain. No
modern material is being used, as the teams painstakingly carry out
the project.
The total cost will be about $1 million, according to Asi Shalom,
a conservation archaeologist with Israel's National Park Protection
Agency. Shalom says more than one-million tourists are expected to
visit Masada during the year 2000.
Israelis are among the most frequent visitors, and most are groups of school children eager to learn more about a daring episode in the history of the Jewish people.
| Home My Account Search Contact Us |
by Electronic World Communications, Inc.)
