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Győző Vörös

A VIEW TO LIVE BY. The main defensive advantage of placing a fortified citadel at Machaerus stems from the visibility of its mountainous perch above the Dead Sea. Signals sent from the site could be seen at other defensive fortresses on the other side of the Dead Sea as far as Alexandrium to the north, Masada to the south and Jerusalem to the far west. Machaerus not only warned Judea of attacks from the east, but also stood as an anchor point for relaying warnings from one fortress to the rest. Looking out from Machaerus, one would have been able to see the smoke of sacrificial offerings rising from the Jerusalem Temple.