Masada is a poignant symbol of the continuing human struggle between oppression and liberty. Criterion (iii): Masada is a symbol of the ancient Jewish Kingdom of Israel, of its violent destruction in the later 1st century CE, and of the subsequent Diaspora. Of equal importance is the fact that the setting of Masada, the magnificent wild scenery of this region, has not changed over many millennia. Since 1966 the entire Masada site, and its surroundings, have been designated a National Park, updated by the 1998 National Parks, Nature Reserves, National Sites and Memorial Sites Law. Almost entirely invisible from the summit, a new visitor centre was opened on the plain beneath the eastern side of Masada in 2000.