Visit Findings in Masada, Judaism, Myths, and Controversies

Jewish Final Project: Masada
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Jewish Final Project: Masada
Background information
Masada is a Jewish historical site full of controversies. About two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children decided to end their lives rather than face torture, enslavement, and death under the Roman army (Magness, 2020). For many years until 1986, the supposedly developed site by Herod the Great was used for swearing in new members of the Israel Defense Forces (Jewish Virtual Library, 2022). In his book, "The Jewish War," Josephus Flavius' account indicates that Herod constructed the fortress to serve as a refuge between 37 and 31 BCE. Today, Masada is a flat plateau that measures about 1,000 by 2,000 feet and is located atop an isolated rock cliff at the western end of the Judean Desert. The rock falls to the Dead Sea in a sheer drop of about 1,500 feet at the eastern side and stands about 300 feet above the surrounding terrain on the western side. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the planet Earth, and it is about 1,300 or 400 meters below sea level. Water supply to the area was derived from a large network of rock-hewn cisterns located on the northwestern side of the hill. The cisterns were filled with rainwater during winter, and they effectively met the needs of the Masada residents and could be depended upon during a siege. On the northern edge of the cliff was an intimate, elegant, and private palace-villa specially reserved for Herod. The palace was separated from the rest of the fortress using a strong wall that afforded both security and privacy. The palace that Herod built was the largest on the fortress, and it covered about an acre.
History scholars have written extensively about the story of the mass suicide at Masada, many years after Herod's death (Schwartz & Kaplan, 1992). In 66 CE, about 75 years following the death of Herod, the Jews revolved against the Romans during the start of the Great Revolt. During this time, the fanatic Jewish rebels overpowered the garrison of Masada. Following the fall of Jerusalem, as well as the Second Temple destruction in 70 CE, the rebels were joined by the Zealots along with their families that had fled Jerusalem. The Jews, who were about 960, formed a small band that overcame the world's greatest army for three years. In 73 CE, Flavius Silva, the Roman governor, had to fight against the Tenth Legion and 10,000 Jewish slaves. However, with the strategic advantage on the side of the Jewish rebels, they could easily target their assailants. However, the Romans made a fortification of thousands of tons of stones as well as other techniques to breach the wall of the fortress in 74 CE. As the Zealots became aware that the Masada's walls would soon be breached, their leader, Elazar ben Yair, commanded that all the Jewish defenders, including women and children, should destroy the fortress and commit suicide (Jewish Virtual Library, 2022). In his account, Josephus writes that only two women and five children could manage to hide during the mass suicide. From one of the women, Josephus learned about the final speech of the Zealots' leader, saying that they "preferred death before slavery."
While the practice of swearing-in of new members of the Israeli Defense Forces was abandoned in 1986, the heroic Masada events and their dramatic endings have continued to attract many explorers to this Judean desert to locate the fortress remains. The historical site is said to have been identified back in 1842, although extensive excavation happened between 1963 and 1965 under Yigael Yadin's leadership (Jewish Virtual Library, 2022). Assisted by Israeli armies and volunteers, archaeologists have located Herod's residence and the western palaces, a bathhouse, a storehouse, a synagogue used by Masada's defenders, two mikvaot or ritual baths, and other artifacts such as pots and coins. According to Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, the reason for abandoning the swearing-in of Israeli's Defense Forces is associated with the Jewish state's values that emphasize victory rather than defeat and life instead of death. Nevertheless, Masada continues to be a symbol of the Jewish people's determination to be free in their land. Josephus writes that the death of 960 Zealots and the destruction of the fortress and its possession was a premeditated act of the Masada people to act in unison (Cohen, 1982). This observation and many other accounts by Josephus have remained debatable among religious and historical scholars.
Visit Findings
"Masada" is the Hebrew word for "fortress" that was destroyed by the Romans during the revolt against the Jewish Zealots. According to Yadin (1996), while King Herod the Great was not Jewish, he became king through the help of Rome, the King of the Jewish people. Therefore, Herod fortified the establishment of Masada for this reason and to act as a potential asylum for the Jewish people. Following the creation of the Israel nation in 1948, Masada was recognized as a symbol of the newly formed state. The restoration of archaeological remains at Masada later became a national park and Masada's image a Jewish symbol of heroism and the Zionist enterprise. From the visitors' experiences, virtual tours, and literature, there is not much one can see to conclude the authenticity of Josephus' account of the Masada. Visitors are often presented with...