Masada
Herod the Great built the fortress of Masada (Hebrew for fortress) which is a place of gaunt and majestic beauty that has become one of the Jewish people's greatest symbols as the place where the last Jewish stronghold against Roman invasion stood. More than two thousand years have passed since the fall of the Masada fortress yet the regional climate and its remoteness have helped to preserve the remains of its extraordinary story. (See http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html)
Mt. Carmel
The prophet Elijah’s fire-lighting challenge — one of the Old Testament’s most spectacular contests between Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, and a pagan deity — took place on the south-eastern summit of Mount Carmel. (See http://www.bibleplaces.com/mtcarmel.htm)
Qumran
Qumran is a ruin from the days of the Second Temple on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. It became famous since 1947 when a number of ancient manuscripts were found in nearby caves. These manuscripts are now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. (See http://mosaic.lk.net/g-qumran.html)
