Masadaby Tim Bench, Abilene, TX.

Masada…73 AD For both Christianity as well as

Judaism, the Siege of Masada has become one of the most prominent and long-lasting stories of the first century.

The Roman Empire would tighten its grip mercilessly on multiple provinces, attempting to quash uprisings, which would lead ultimately to the infamous battle atop Masada.

Even now, nearly 2000 years after the events, Masada is Israel’s most prominent tourist attraction, and in many ways, a symbol of resistance v. tyranny (especially in Israel). Others hold that the Masada martyrs were not heroic, at all.

What is Masada? Masada is a mountain mesa of the

eastern edge of the Judean desert, 11 miles south of Engedi and about 30 miles south of Jerusalem.

The area is extremely arid and lacks a permanent water supply. However, Masada in the first century contained more stored water than the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.1 Builders of the fortress had installed an effective water-collection system by constructing dams in the rugged wadis (valleys) to route rains into channels, which drained into cisterns.

The summit of Masada is virtually flat, 710 yards by 328 yards, providing sufficient area to sustain a community.

1- “Masada-location profile” at www.ancientsandals.com.

The fortress was constructed atop the mesa between 37 to 31 BC by none other than Herod the Great, as a place of refuge in case of revolt.1

A Roman garrison was stationed at Masada until 66 AD. That year, the First Jewish War against the Roman Empire began, and Jewish rebels known as Sicarii seized Masada from Roman control. As per Flavius Josephus (and many modern-day theologians), the Sicarii are typically considered to be an extremist branch (or even “terrorists”) of the first-century “Zealots”2 (as in Simon the Zealot).

1- “Suicide in Masada” at www.saecularis.com. 2- “The Masada Myth” by Nachman Ben-Yehuta.

Refugees fleeing Roman rule and oppression would arrive at Masada and join the group. Many of these refuges would likely have been Essenes, from nearby Qumran, of DSS fame. In 68 AD, as Roman forces blanketed the area, the Essenes, a separatist group that many believe John the Baptist was part of, hid these scrolls to prevent them from falling into Roman hands. Essene remnants have been unearthed at Masada.1

1- Excavations of the synagogue at Masada uncovered a Genizah (where worn-out documents are stored) with a fragment of the Book of Ezekiel (chapter 37). Pottery shreds found at the site matched clay in the kilns at Qumran. These finds imply that some members of the sect fled to Masada after Qumran’s destruction in AD 68; From “The Dead Sea Scrolls” by Rose Publishing.

What is the significance of these “Essenes”?

The Essenes were a group near Qumran who fled society, had no money, did not marry, ate and clothed themselves as simply as possible, shared all belongings communally, and were the more radical sect of the “Hasadim” (God’s loyal ones).1

It is important to note that Masada was apparently not just a refuge for Jews, but other groups also trying to flee the Roman onslaught.2

(continued)

1- See Pliny the Younger’s “Natural History” and “The Jewish War” by Josephus (75AD) and “Antiquities of the Jews” (94 AD) and Philo of Alexandria’s 'Quod omnis probus Fiber sit' and 'Apologia pro Judais.‘

2- “During the years of the Revolt, Masada became a refuge for more Zealots who fled with their families, as well as for other desperate elements such as the Essenes”, from “Masada: The Dead Sea Stronghold” by Craig von Buseck, www.CBN.com.

The official Masada National Park publications also state that “The Great Revolt” “apparently included Essenes and Samaritans” and the Encyclopedia Judaica “Masada” entry (by Guy Steigel) stipulates “including Sicarii, Essenes, and Samaritans.”

John the Baptist…an Essene?

“The Dead Sea Scrolls have fueled speculation that Jesus and, with more plausibility, John the Baptist had contact with the Essenes or a group like them at Qumran”, from “Church History: Volume 1” by

Everett Ferguson, page 31. Dr. Ferguson has also stated that the Essenes

were known for adopting orphans of priestly lineages; John the Baptist, whose parents were already elderly at his birth, would certainly fit this bill (Zacharias was a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem, “of the course of Abia”, while Elisabeth was one of “the daughters of Aaron”) see Luke 1:5-13.

John the Baptist/Essenes

“John the Baptist seems to have belonged to the Essenes, but in appealing to sinners to be regenerated by baptism, he inaugurated a new movement, which led to the rise of Christianity…”

see at www.jewishencyclopedia.com.

Typical viewpoint that only Jews were atop Masada

“The truth of the matter is this: the tragedy at Masada was but a further fulfillment of those biblical prophecies that foretold the punishment that was to be inflicted upon the Jewish nation as a result of its rebellion against Jehovah God.

Rather than submit to the slavery of Rome, the Zealots chose to die by their own knives. In this terminal act of defiance, these Jews have been viewed by many as heroes…But they were not heroes. The were victims of their own rebellious unbelief! And God, by means of his providential agents, the Romans (cf. Matthew 22:7), brought his wrath upon them.”

“Masada-The Final And Futile Stand” by Wayne Jackson at www.christiancourier.com.

Masada and the Bible Masada is not mentioned by name in

the Bible. However, some suggest that the mesa

may have been David’s place of refuge during his flight from Saul, and possibly where he wrote at least some of the Book of Psalm.

Specifically, Masada may have been the “stronghold” David references in 1 Samuel 22:4-5, 23:14, and 24:22.1

1- “The word translated "fortress" is metzuriah or masada. From 1Sa 23:29, I have no doubt that he is speaking of Masada, an isolated peak 1,500 feet high, on which was a stronghold.”—James Wareing Bardsley, in "Glimpses through the Veil," 1883.

The revolt begins….

In 66 AD, Zealots began an open and violent rebellion v. Roman rule. The sect had originally been organized by Judas of Galilee (see Acts 5:37). Open warfare erupted across Palestine in 66.1

Gallus, the Roman general, marched into Palestine with 40,000 soldiers to crush the rebellion. He would reach Jerusalem in September, and his forces were repelled; retreating to Caesarea, Gallus would lose some 6,000 soldiers.

1- “Masada-The final and futile stand” at www.christiancourier.com.

The revolt When the news of this loss reached

Nero, Flavious Vespasian was ordered to end the rebellion once and for all (Nero famously had blamed the new sect known as “Christians” for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD so eliminating Zealot, Sicarii, Essene, and/or Christian might have been VERY appealing).

Nero would die in 68 AD, and Vespasian would assign Titus, his own son, to lay siege to Jerusalem, one of the most horrifying and tragic events in human history, and very likely referenced by Jesus himself in Matthew 25 (“Olivet Discourse”)

The horrors of Jerusalem for the Jews

“As Roman soldiers poured into city, soldiers entered into and defiled the Temple, replacing Jewish ornaments with Roman and pagan symbols (see Josephus, Wars, VI, p.583).

Whole families were seized, pillaged and murdered without mercy. 1.1 million people suffered horrific deaths while 97,000 were taken into Roman captivity.

Tomb-robbing during the siege was rampant, with some 600,000 carcasses thrown out of the gates of the city by the Romans.

Josephus even reported that one mother inside the city was so ravaged by hunger, she roasted her own infant son.

“….nothing in history matches the violence, savageness, famine, pestilence, and despair present in the Siege of Jerusalem.”-from www.gospelthemes.com.

“The Fall of Jerusalem 70 AD: Cannibal Lady Feeds on Baby's Flesh”, By John

Thomas Didymus “Meanwhile the war escalated and survivors soon began heaving masses of dead bodies over the city walls into the valley below. So terrible was the sight of the trenches filled with bloated, oozing bodies that even the Roman commander Titus cried out at the sight calling out to God to witness that it was not his doing.

Those who tried to escape from the beleaguered city were taken by the Roman soldiers, whipped and tortured and then crucified alive before the walls of the city. Crucifixion beams sprang up one after the other into a forest of thousands of crucified bodies. Attacking Roman soldiers came upon of a group of about 6 000 women and children who had sought refuge in a part of the outer temple ground. They simply set the cloister on fire and burned the 6 000 souls to death.”

The siege begins… In 72 AD, some 15,000 Roman troops

surround the mesa, 960 trapped on the top of the mountain.

The Roman legion began construction of a massive siege ramp against the western face of the plateau, moving thousands of tons of stones and earth to build the ramp.

The ramp was completed in the spring of 73 AD, after probably two to three months of siege. A tower with a battering ram was constructed and moved laboriously up the completed ramp, while the Romans assaulted the wall relentlessly with blazing torches and boulders.

The Romans finally breached the wall of the fortress on April 16, 73. When the Romans legion entered the fortress, however, they found it to be "a citadel of death.” 1

The rebels had set all the buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and had committed mass suicide, "a glorious death ... preferable to a life of infamy.” 2

Judaism would not permit personal suicide, so straws were drawn; 10 men would be tasked to kill the others, and 1 of the 10 would be responsible for killing the other 9, leaving one man to take his own life.

1- Richmond, I. A. (1962). "The Roman Siege-Works of Masada, Israel“ fromThe Journal of Roman Studies, pages 142–155.

2- http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1040

The suicides… Try to imagine yourself in this situation……

for years, the Roman forces have savaged community and community, slaughtering, raping, killing, burning, and massacring every one and everything in their path with impunity. The inhabitants of Masada were certainly aware of the horrors of Qumran and even more so, Jerusalem.

Being taken captive (an unlikely fate) would result in a miserable life of captivity and slavery, and imagine how you personally would feel, surrounded by your children, grandchildren, spouse, and friends, huddled atop a mesa, and hearing the screams of the Romans as they finally approached the fortress.

What would be your choice?

Masada today The site of Masada was identified in

1842 and extensively excavated between 1963 and 1965.

Visitors to the site may hike up the Snake Path on the eastern side of the mountain (accessed via the Dead Sea Highway). A cable car also operates at the site.

Due to the remoteness from any form of human habitation and the arid environment, the site has remained largely untouched by humans or nature during the past 2000 years.

Masada today

The Roman ramp still stands on the western side of Masada and can be climbed on foot. Many of the ancient buildings have been restored from their remains, as have the wall-paintings of Herod's two main palaces the bathhouses that he built. The synagogue, storehouses, and houses of the Jewish rebels have also been identified and largely restored.

Masada today The meter-high wall that the

Romans built around Masada can be seen, together with eleven barracks for the Roman soldiers just outside this wall. The water cisterns discussed earlier are approximately two-thirds of the way up the cliff and drain the nearby wadis by an elaborate system of channels, enabling the rebels to have sufficient water supplies for such a long siege.

Masada today

Inside the synagogue, an ostracon bearing the inscription me'aser cohen (tithe for the priest) was found, as were fragments of two scrolls; parts of Deuteronomy 33Ð34 and parts of Ezekiel 35Ð38 (including the vision of the "dry bones"), found hidden in pits dug under the floor of a small room built inside the synagogue. In other locations, fragments were found of the books of Genesis, Leviticus, Psalms, and Sirach, as well as of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice.

Masada today

In front of the northern palace, eleven small ostraca were recovered, each bearing a single name.

One reads "ben Yair“, short for Eleazar ben Ya'ir, the commander of the fortress. It has been suggested that the other ten names are possibly those of the men chosen by lot to kill the others and then themselves, as recounted by Josephus.

Archaeologist Yigael Yadin's excavations uncovered the skeletal remains of 28 people at Masada. The remains of a male 20-22 years of age, a female 17-18 and a child approximately 12 years old were found in the palace. The remains of two men and a full head of hair with braids belonging to a woman were also discovered in the bath house.

Forensic analysis showed the hair had been cut from the woman's head with a sharp instrument while she was still alive (a Jewish practice for captured women) while the braids indicated that she was married. The remains may have been Romans whom the rebels captured when they seized the garrison.

The remains of 25 people were found in a cave at the base of the cliffs. Carbon dating of textiles found with the remains in the cave indicate they are contemporaneous with the period of the Revolt and it is believed that as they were buried with pig bones (a Roman practice); this indicates that the remains may belong to Romans who garrisoned Masada after its recapture.

Others still argue that the remains are those of the Jewish Zealots who committed suicide during the siege of Masada, and all were reburied at Masada with full Israeli military honors on July 7, 1969.

The remnants of a Byzantine church dating from the 5th and 6th centuries have also been excavated on the top of Masada.

Masada today

Masada was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. An audiovisual light show is presented nightly on the western side of the mountain (access by car from the Arad road or by foot, down the mountain via the Roman ramp path).

In 2007, a new museum opened at the site in which archeological findings are displayed. A 2,000-year-old seed discovered during archaeological excavations in the early 1960s was successfully germinated, remaining the oldest known germination until 2012.

Elazar ben Yair’s final speech

"Since we long ago resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God Himself, Who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice ...We were the very first that revolted, and we are the last to fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that God has granted us, that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a state of freedom.“

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.

The horrors of Masada “It was not sudden madness, nor

a momentary frenzy, which seized these men, when they brought forth, to immolate them on the altar of their liberty, their wives, their children, their chattels, and ranged themselves each by the side of all that had been dear to them in the world.

The last glimmer of hope had died out, and with the destination of despair the last defenders of Judea prepared to perish in the flames which enveloped its last fortress. (continued)

First, each heaped together his household gear, associated with the pleasures of other days, and set fire to it.

Again, they pressed to their hearts their wives and children. Bitter were the tears wrung from these iron men; yet the sacrifice was made unshrinkingly, and each plunged his sword into the hearts of his wife and children. The they laid themselves down beside them, and locked them in tender embrace-now the embrace of death. (continued)

Cheerfully they presented their breasts to ten of their number, chosen by lot to put the rest of their brethren to death. Of these ten, one had again been fixed upon to slay the remaining nine.

Having finished his bloody work, he looked around to see whether any of the band yet required his service.

But all was silent. The last survivor then approached as closely as possible to his own family, and fell upon his sword.

Nine hundred bodies covered the ground.”

“History of the Jewish nation”, Alfred Edersheim, page 41.

www.goisrael.com “The fortress of Massada was built in the

year 30 BCE by King Herod, whose architectural feats have left their mark throughout the country. At the beginning of the great revolt against Rome in the year 68 BCE, the site was conquered by a group of Jewish zealots, and Massada became their last stronghold. In the year 72 the Romans besieged Massada and succeeded in reaching the steep fortress after constructing a huge earthen ramp on its western side.

In the year 73, the 960 Jewish zealots living at the top of Massada chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive. Their deeds left behind a saga of courage, heroism, and martyrdom.”

The Israeli military at Masada

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Moshe Dayan, has institured the ceremony of holding the swearing-in ceremony of soldiers who have completed their Tironut (IDF basic training) on top of Masada.

The ceremony ends with the declaration: "Masada shall not fall again." The soldiers climb the Snake Path at night and are sworn in with torches lighting the background.

Masada’s relevance to modern Judaism

“In the face of international anti-Israel and anti-Semitic forces and events such as the Holocaust, many Israelis have been inspired by the Zealots’ determination to resist domination at all costs, although many other Israelis associate their mass suicide with fanaticism…

Soldiers who are being sworn-in climb to the top of Masada on the winding Snake Path for a torch-lit ceremony that is held at night.

Moshe Dayan, the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was so stirred by the resolve of the Zealots that he established the tradition of holding at Masada the swearing-in ceremony for soldiers who have completed Israel Defense Forces basic training.

That ceremony ends with the affirmation “Masada shall not fall again.”

www.biblicalgleanings.com

www.masada2000.org “When the Zealot leader, Elazar ben Yair,

saw the end nearing, he gathered his people and together they chose death with honor by their own hands rather than being captured alive and becoming slaves to the Romans.

Today, Masada has become a symbol for freedom and independence. Recruits to the Israel Defense Forces Armored Unit swear the oath of allegiance in an annual ceremony on its summit. Their defiant cry...Masada will never fall again!”