Some images require more work than others to create, while others literally appear before your eyes. This is one that required work.

This is the sunrise seen from the top of Masada, the ruins of the ancient mountain-top fortress located in the Negev desert near the Dead Sea. According to historical accounts, the Romans conquered Masada in the year 72 or 73. I climbed the the "Snake Path" on the east side, a steep, winding path that climbs some 900 feet up the side of the mountain. In ancient times, this was the only path up the mountain, and it is traditionally climbed before sunrise in order to avoid direct exposure to the sun and the desert heat.

I reached the top shortly before the sun appeared in the sky, and knew looking in the distance that the work of climbing the mountain would be rewarded.