Masada is an ancient palace fortress on top of an isolated rock plateau overlooking the dead sea. While built by Herod the great it was eventually overtaken by rebels and used as a fortress to harass the Romans. For years the Romans avoided it, until finally they surrounded Masada. While Masada was under siege the Romans built a massive ramp to overcome Masada’s defenses. Without the ramp, the siege would have taken years as Masada was very defensible and had massive cisterns that collected rainwater. The paths leading up to it are narrow and would prevent an army from using brute force to overcome the stronghold.