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The Battle of Masada occurred on top of a large hill top in current day Israel between a group of Jewish rebels (aka Jewish Sicarii, or Jewish Zealots) and the Roman army. This took place between during 73 and 74 A.D. Masada currently has become a place of reverence for Jewish people. They hold military ceremonies and prayers for their fallen ancestors on top of Masada, whom they revered as heroes. This battle was recorded by Flavius Josephus, who was employed by the Roman army.

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The Battle

While there have been many different battles in Roman history, the Battle of Masada stands out. This battle took place from 73 to 74 A.D. between part of the Roman army and a group of Jewish rebels on top of Masada, which is located in current day Israel. Masada is “a lozenge-shaped table-mountain” that is known to be “lofty, isolated, and to all appearance impregnable.” This terrain made it very hard for people to reach the top of the mountain because there was only one small pathway, not even big enough for two people to climb together. As I.A. Richmond said in “The Roman Siege - Works of Masada, Israel”, this pathway which was created by the Romans, is known as “The Snake” because it “worms its way to the summit with many ingenious zig-zags." The fortress of Masada, according to Solomon Zeitlin in “Masada and the Sicarii,” has also been referred to as the place where David rested, after he “fled from his father-in-law, King Saul.”

Forten Herodes

When tension started to occur between a group of Jewish rebels and the Romans who protected the palaces at Masada, the Jewish rebels decided to take action against the army. The Jews massacred the group of Romans and took control of the mountain top. According to Richmond, the Jewish rebels were “extremist knife-men (sicarii) under Eleazar, son of Jairus." This action by the Sicarii would soon lead to a massacre.

After the Sicarii, also known as Jewish Zealots, took over, a large part of the Roman army lead by Lucius Flavius Silva felt the need to attack in order to reclaim their land. The Romans camped out for a few days until they could get all their supplies and positions ready for the attack. They soon built a large ramp that would help their army, and their equipment, reach the top of Masada. When the troops were ready, they set out for the ramp up the mountain. When they got to the top of the hill, they found that the Jews had built a security wall around their village, hoping that it would be able to withstand the attack. The wall had little chance against the army, who “discharge[d] a volley of blazing torches against [...] a wall of timber.” They then preceded to enter the village and found it to be, according to Richmond, “a citadel of death.” According to the history, the leader of the Sicarri appointed one man from the group to murder every one and then commit suicide. Everybody, except two women and five children, where found murdered because the Sicarii would have rather killed their own community members instead of surrendering to the army and becoming slaves.

Perspectives of The Battle

Josephus

Flavius Josephus, who was a Roman raised in Jerusalem, was a Jewish historian. According to many historical records, Josephus was also the only one who officially recorded what happened on Masada. After being captured and then freed by the Roman army, he was able to travel with them in order to record the events of the Battle. According to Josephus in Flavius Josephus: Selections from His Work selected and edited by Abraham Wasserstein, “The Jews hoped that all of their nation beyond the Euphrates would join together with them to raise an insurrection,” but in the end there were only 960 Jewish Zealots who helped fight the Roman Army at Masada. When these Zealots were later trapped on top of Masada with no where left to run, Josephus tells us that the Zealots believed “it [was] by the will of God, and by necessity, that [they] are to die.”

Even though there is no written information reflecting the Israeli Government’s view of the Battle of Masada during the event, recently, they revere it as “a symbol of Jewish heroism” according to an Israeli citizen, Ami Isseroff, and the Zionism and Israel Information Center. The Zionism and Israel Information Center is a place where one can educate themselves about the Zionism movement that was created for the liberation of Jews. According to this government agency and Ami Isseroff, they did not want to believe that Josephus Flavius was completely truthful in his account of the Battle. They questioned his loyalty and said that he was most likely “anxious to appease his Roman hosts." They also questioned his information and clearly stated that “there [was] no way to know how much of this [Josephus’ record] reflects the facts” until Yigal Yadin, an archeologist verified his story.

A scholar named Klara Palotai also presents a good view of the battle. She wrote a paper called “Masada,” which referenced the location as being a historical site for many Jews and the Israeli Government, as well as many archeologists. According to Palotai, “Masada became a symbol for a heroic ‘last stand‘ for the State of Israel and played a major role for Israel in forging national identity.” To Israel it symbolized the courage of the warriors of Masada, and the strength they showed when they were able to take hold of Masada for almost three years before the Romans attacked. Palotai also states how Masada “developed a special ‘love affair‘ with archeology” because the site had drawn people in from all around the world to help find the remnants of the fortress and the Battle that occurred there. Some people wanted to find the truth about the Battle to prove Josephus’ account, whereas others wanted to dismiss the only written record of the Battle of Masada.

According to the “Archaeology News Network” and the “Archaeology News Report,” previous research has come into question concerning Yigael Yadin, the Israel archeologist who first excavated Masada, and his findings. Masada was once a place of celebration for Israelis, yet now “Israelis [have] become less comfortable with glorifying mass suicide and identifying with religious fanatics” according to Jonathan Kantrowitz in his “Archaeology News Report.” Because of this new revelation, people question Yadin and Josephus’s accounts of the battle. Recently, other archeologists have reviewed Yadin’s findings and have found some discrepancies. When Yadin was digging he found three bodies that he claimed were Jewish Zealots, yet nowadays anthropologist Dr Joe Zias and forensic expert Azriel Gorski claim that the bodies were actually three Romans taken hostage by the Jewish Zealots. If this is true, “Israel might have mistakenly bestowed the honour [of a Jewish hero and state burial] on three Romans.” There is also some discussion of Masada’s defenders, and if they were “the heroic hard core of the great Jewish revolt against Rome, or a gang of killers who became victims of a last Roman mopping-up operation.” Because of these new controversies, some people have even stopped visiting the historical site.

Mistakes Made

Masada

Through the Battle of Masada, we are able to learn that even the most prestigious men make mistakes. The Battle of Masada consisted of many failures and mistakes, made by the Roman and Jewish parties, that ended up determining who would survive. The Roman army’s first mistake was letting Masada fall to the Jewish Zealots. The Zealots attacked Masada in 73 A.D. because they wanted to take action against the Romans who recently concurred Jerusalem a few years earlier. The Roman army was known for being very powerful and having a mass amount of members, yet they were defeated by a small group of only 960 Jewish rebels. These rebels were just villagers with little to no military training compared to the Roman army. After Masada fell, the Roman army soon came to collect their land. With the Roman army closing in, the Zealots made the mistake of remaining on the hilltop instead of fleeing Masada. When the Roman army arrived, the rebels relied on a large wooden wall for protection, which the Roman’s would later burn down. Because of their decision to stay on top of Masada they were left with two choices: become slaves for the Roman army or commit suicide. The Jewish Zealots chose to commit a group suicide which cost the entire community their lives except for the seven people who survived.

International Significance

This Battle of Masada holds international significance because it was a war between the Romans and Jews in Palestine, which would later become a tourist attraction for many people around the world. It became “the performance space of national heritage” and held many ceremonies. There was also a seminar held by “Zionist youth movement” to educate the young children on the history of Masada. At the time of the Battle, the Roman Empire spread throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Northern Africa. It was almost at its highest point before this battle occurred. Because the Empire stretched throughout the world, the Roman army most likely gain many troops from around these areas. Because of the Empire’s size, the news of the win most likely spread throughout the territories and may have affected family members across the Western world.

See Also

Josephus

Masada

First Jewish-Roman War

External Links

Masada Information

Masada Movie

Travel Information

World Heritage