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A Fine edition in an equal dust-jacket.

Masada is a fortress located on a rocky hill overlooking the Dead Sea. The fortress was built by Herod the Great in the first century BC, and it served as his main residence and fortress. In 67 BC, during the Second Jewish War, the fortress was besieged by the Roman general Titus. After a three-month siege, Titus succeeded in taking the fortress, slaughtering most of the defenders. The fortress was subsequently used as a Roman garrison. In the first century AD, Masada was the residence of the Essenes, a Jewish sect that rejected worldly life. In 66 AD, the Essenes revolted against the Roman authorities, and the fortress was besieged by the Roman army. The Essenes managed to hold out for two years, until the Romans finally breached the fortress walls and slaughtered the inhabitants.; 4to; 272 pages.