Judaism and Masada
MASADA: The Story of Martyrdom
Masada comes from the Hebrew mezuda meaning “fortress “or “stronghold. Today it is one of the Jewish people's greatest symbols. Israeli soldiers take an oath there: "Masada shall not fall again." Next to Jerusalem, it is the most popular destination of tourists visiting Israel. It is strange that a place known only because 960 Jews committed suicide there in the first century C.E. should become a modern symbol of Jewish survival. Let me examine the story of the fall of Masada and to do so I will begin to examine the events that led to the uprising and ultimately the fall of the fortress.
Wars between the Jews and Romans: the War of 66-70 CE:
There have been several military engagements between the Jews and the Romans around that period which led ultimately to the destruction of the Temple. Let me just give a short survey after which I will go into some detail.
• In 63 BCE the Roman general Pompey conquered Judea
• In 6 CE, the emperor Augustus deposed king Archelaus, and established the province of Judea ,which became a prefecture of Rome
• in 66, a serious rebellion started, which led to the destruction of the Temple (September 70); this war was described by Flavius Josephus in his Jewish War a little later, the Romans took the fortress Masada (in 74).
Causes of the War of 66-70
The obvious reason for this war was the religious tension between the Jewish people and the Roman government. The Roman emperor Nero needed money, and ordered Gessius Florus, the governor of Jerusalem to confiscate it from the Temple treasure. Jews made fun of him and started a collection for “the poor governor “. Enraged by this event the Romans arrested innocent Jews and crucified them. Of course this was tactless and brutal, but it would not have led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple if there had not been deeper causes.
The real reason for the war was the poverty of the Jewish peasants. Sixty years of Roman taxes had meant
Masada comes from the Hebrew mezuda meaning “fortress “or “stronghold. Today it is one of the Jewish people's greatest symbols. Israeli soldiers take an oath there: "Masada shall not fall again." Next to Jerusalem, it is the most popular destination of tourists visiting Israel. It is strange that a place known only because 960 Jews committed suicide there in the first century C.E. should become a modern symbol of Jewish survival. Let me examine the story of the fall of Masada and to do so I will begin to examine the events that led to the uprising and ultimately the fall of the fortress.
Wars between the Jews and Romans: the War of 66-70 CE:
There have been several military engagements between the Jews and the Romans around that period which led ultimately to the destruction of the Temple. Let me just give a short survey after which I will go into some detail.
• In 63 BCE the Roman general Pompey conquered Judea
• In 6 CE, the emperor Augustus deposed king Archelaus, and established the province of Judea ,which became a prefecture of Rome
• in 66, a serious rebellion started, which led to the destruction of the Temple (September 70); this war was described by Flavius Josephus in his Jewish War a little later, the Romans took the fortress Masada (in 74).
Causes of the War of 66-70
The obvious reason for this war was the religious tension between the Jewish people and the Roman government. The Roman emperor Nero needed money, and ordered Gessius Florus, the governor of Jerusalem to confiscate it from the Temple treasure. Jews made fun of him and started a collection for “the poor governor “. Enraged by this event the Romans arrested innocent Jews and crucified them. Of course this was tactless and brutal, but it would not have led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple if there had not been deeper causes.
The real reason for the war was the poverty of the Jewish peasants. Sixty years of Roman taxes had meant