Battle of Masada
The Battle of Masada was a pivotal event during the First Jewish Revolt against Roman rule that took place from 66 to 73 CE. The fortress of Masada, built by King Herod the Great, became a stronghold for Jewish Zealots who opposed Roman occupation. Over a dramatic three-year siege, approximately 1,000 Zealots defended the nearly impregnable mountain fortress against a much larger Roman force of about 15,000 soldiers. Despite their strategic advantages, including access to water and food supplies, the Zealots ultimately succumbed to the Roman siege tactics, which employed catapults and battering rams.
In a tragic conclusion to the siege, Zealot leader Elazar ben Yair commanded his followers to commit suicide rather than face capture and enslavement. This led to the deaths of the defenders, with only two women and five children surviving by hiding. The historical significance of Masada extends beyond the battle itself, as it symbolizes Jewish resistance and has become a powerful cultural and national symbol in Israel. The site has been the focus of archaeological studies, revealing insights into the lives of its defenders and the broader context of Jewish history during Roman rule.
Battle of Masada
Date: 73 c.e.
Locale: Israel
Background
The mountaintop fortress of Masada (mah-SAW-duh) was built by Herod the Great, one of the most powerful kings in the Eastern Roman Empire. Ten years after Herod’s death (4 b.c.e.), Judaea came under the direct control of Rome. The Jews were unwilling to accept Roman rule and Roman suppression of Jewish life. As a result, riots gave way to increased violence, and in 66 c.e., a full-scale revolt broke out. The leaders of the revolt were the Zealots, an extremist Jewish sect.
Action
During the revolt, the Zealots seized the fortress of Masada from its Roman occupiers. Situated on a rugged mass of rock about thirteen hundred feet (roughly four hundred meters) above the western shore of the Dead Sea, Masada was nearly impregnable and posed a special challenge to the Roman Tenth legion that besieged it. The Zealot force of nearly one thousand was able to use bathhouses, aqueducts, and thick siege walls. A snakelike path led up the mountain, and rocks and boulders provided perfect spots for the Zealots to hide behind during attacks. Vastly outnumbered, the Zealots were able to withstand the Roman siege for three years. In the end however, the fifteen-thousand-strong Roman army was able to defeat the Zealots through a combination of catapults and battering rams. The Zealot leader Elazar ben Yair decided that all the Jewish defenders should commit suicide rather than accept defeat and a life of slavery. The Zealots obeyed; the men proceeded to kill their wives and children and then one another. Only two women and five children survived, after hiding themselves. They told their story to Flavius Josephus, who then recorded it for posterity in his history of the First Jewish Revolt.
Consequences
The fall of Masada and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple marked the dispersal of the Jews from Judaea. In the late twentieth century, Masada became widely known through the excavations carried out by archaeologist Yigael Yadin. He uncovered ritual baths and a synagogue used by the defenders as well as twenty-five skeletons of men, women, and children.
Bibliography
Josephus, Flavius. The History of the Jewish War. Translated by Henry St. John Thackeray et al. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1999.
Williamson, G. A. The World of Josephus. Boston: Little, Brown, 1964.
Yadin, Yigael. Masada. New York: Welcom Rain, 1998.