Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

A natural spur at Masada

Nature volume 364, pages 569–570 (1993)Cite this article

Contrary to the prevailing opinion that the Roman assault ramp at Masada in Israel was entirely man-made, geological observations reveal that it consists mostly of natural bedrock.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Cotton, H. M. Zeitschr. Papyrologie Epigraphik 78, 157–162 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Thackeray, H. St J. Josephus 3, The Jewish War, Books IV–VII (Heinemann, London, 1928).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Yadin, Y. Masada, Herod's Fortress and the Zealots'Last Stand (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Netzer, E. Biblic. Archaeol. Rev. 17, 6, 20–23 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Netzer, E. Masada III The Yigael Yadin Excavations 1963–1965 Final Reports (Israel Exploration Society, Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem, 1991).

  6. Feldman, L. H. Josephus and Modern Scholarship (1937–1980) (de Gruyter, Berlin, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Hawkes, C. Antiquity 3, 195–213 (1929).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Schulten, A. Zeitschr. Deutschen Palastina-Vereins 56, 1–187 (1933).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Avi-Yonah, M. Carta's Atlas of the Period of the Second Temple, the Mishnah and the Talmud 2nd rev. edn (Carta, Jerusalem, 1974) (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Livn'e, M. Last Stronghold 2nd edn (Israel's Ministry of Defence, Tel Aviv, 1988) (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Levin, Y. L. The History of Eretz Ysrael 4, 11–280 (Ketter and Yad Ben-Zvi, Jerusalem, 1984) (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Braslavi, Y. Do you Know the Country 3, 3rd edn (Hakibutz Hame'uhad, Tel Aviv, 1956) (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Richmond, I. A. Rom. Stud. 52, 142–155 (1962).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gutman, S. With Masada (Hakibutz Hame'uhad, Tel Aviv, 1965) (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Liphschitz, N., Lev-Yadun, S. & Waisel, Y. Israel Explor. J. 31, 230–234 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Raz, E. The Geology of the Judean Desert 'En Geddi Area (Geological Survey of Israel, Report S/3/83, Jerusalem, 1983) (in Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Yisrael St, Jerusalem, 95501, Israel

    Dan Gill

Authors
  1. Dan Gill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gill, D. A natural spur at Masada. Nature 364, 569–570 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/364569a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/364569a0

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing