Special Sub-Topic: Fall of Massada Authored by: LeoDaVinci Sub-topic of: Ancient Wars

What does the Hebrew word "massada" mean?

fortress. The Massada citadel is located in the Judean desert, a deserted outcropping of rock. It was massively built by the Romans and was made into a formidable fortress.

Who built the Massada palace and fortified the citadel?

King Herod. Herod built it as a sanctuary in the event of an invasion by way of Egypt, which was the dominant empire at the time in the region. He stocked it well with food, built giant cisterns for water, and made it nearly impregnable. In the scriptures, it is written that Jonathan the great priest built a haven on top of Massada peak, but the citadel itself is attributed only to King Herod.

Which sea does Massada overlook?

Dead Sea. This is one of the more arid regions of the Judean desert although freak rainstorms do happen there sometimes. Great underground water cisterns were carved into the rock of Massada to funnel all of the rainwater, so that the defenders of Massada never had any shortage of water, even when besieged for many years.

How many palaces were built in Massada?

two. The western palace was built first, and was very lavish with many mosaics uncovered. The northern palace took six years to build as it was carved directly into the rock face, on three different levels.

What was the first name of the Jewish leader that captured Massada from the Romans?

Menahem. In the year 66 A.D. the Jewish zealots under the command of Menahem took Massada from the Romans by guile and intrigue, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt. Menahem commanded from the citadel and led many guerrilla attacks staged from Massada. In one of these attacks, Menahem was killed. Following the overthrow of Jerusalem, more Jews arrived at Massada, among them Elazar Ben Ya'ir. Ben Ya'ir was talented, charismatic, brave, and much more. He was chosen to lead the rebels.

The Jewish defenders of Massada belonged to which stream of Judaism?

Zealots. They were considered zealots because they defended with zeal their religious beliefs. The group defending Massada was the group that started the Jewish revolt, and was responsible for the Romans to bring so many legions into the land of Israel to quell the uprising. After Jerusalem was taken, aggressive actions were continued from Massada, although the Romans did not acknowledge this to be a part of the revolt, as for them the revolt ended when Jerusalem was taken in 70 A.D.

Which Roman legion was assigned to take Massada?

Tenth. The Tenth Legion, under the command of Flavius Silva, the Roman commander who led the siege of Jerusalem, was assigned the task of laying siege to the fortress. Although they were battle-weary, Rome believed that their experience in sieges would come in handy.

How many camps did the Romans build around Massada to lay siege to the citadel?

8. Two large camps, one in the east and one in the west, and six smaller camps. Between all the camps a large dyke was built to prevent the exit of any of the defenders. The Roman commander, Flavius Silva, had his command post in the western camp, which was so close to Massada that Flavius Silva would often discuss things with Ben Ya'ir from the camp itself. The six smaller camps were nothing more than outposts to house soldiers that patrolled the dyke. The main body of the Roman army was located in the two larger camps.

Massada was built on a high outcrop of rock with cliffs almost all around. How did Flavius Silva attempt to reach the gates of Massada?

Built a ramp out of sand and dust. The cliffs of Massada are over 400 meters high, no siege tower could have reached that high. He built a ramp on the western side of the cliff. At first his soldiers laboured to build the ramp, but the defenders easily shot many of them with arrows, and hurled rocks and boiling oil at the rest. Flavius Silva then brought slaves from the newly conquered Jerusalem, and the defenders, loth to hurt other Jews, could do nothing to prevent the building of the ramp.

How did the Romans breach the newly built inner wall?

fire. After the dirt ramp was built almost to the height of the western wall, a battering ram and a siege tower were raised to the top of the ramp. The ram battered a hole in the outer wall which was made of stone. The Romans then prepared for an invasion of the citadel. But the Jews had other plans; they hurriedly built a secondary inner wall. The inner wall was built of timber and sand, and withstood the pounding of the battering ram very well. When the Romans understood this, they set fire to the new wall. But when the fire began to consume the wall, the wind changed and the fire threatened to burn the siege tower and the battering ram. The defenders were overjoyed and were sure that this was an act of God, but soon the wind changed once more, and the fire finally consumed the wall.

True or false: Massada besieged held out longer than Jerusalem besieged?

t. Jerusalem, the hub of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, held out about seven months under siege, from March of AD 70 to September of that year. The Jews had conquered Jerusalem from the Romans back in AD 66 but Titus, the Roman general, did not assign his four legions to lay siege to the city for four years when he realized that his troop losses from excursions from the city were astounding. The fortress of Massada held out about two YEARS, even though only 960 defenders were fighting an entire Roman Legion.

What was the terrible end that Ben Ya'ir proposed to the defenders?

mass suicide. On the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nissan, Ben Ya'ir gave his final speech: "Let our wives die before they are abused, and our children before they have tasted of slavery and after we have slain them, let us bestow that glorious benefit upon one another mutually, and preserve ourselves in freedom, as an excellent funeral monument for us." Each head of household killed his loved ones and set fire to his belongings. The men then cast lots and ten were chosen to kill the rest. The ten then cast lots again and the chosen one killed his fellow men, then took a torch and went from house to house, palace to palace and set fire to the entire citadel. Finally, he took his own life "and with all of his strength drove his sword in his own flesh, to the hilt, and knelt dying next to the bodies of his slaughtered loved ones."

True or false: The tragedy of Massada befell all the defenders of the citadel?

f. Two women and their five children hid away in one of the water cisterns and lived to tell the tale. They were interned by the Romans and questioned by Josephus Flavius, the Jewish turncoat historian, and recalled the terrible deeds of the night.

What commemoration was made of the Roman victory over Massada?

none whatsoever. Although the Romans emerged the victors, they were stunned when they entered the citadel of Massada and saw how determined the Jewish defenders really were. They were horrified at the deaths of the zealots. No commemoration was ever made. "And they didn't rejoice this time at what their eyes beheld, because they were astonished of the great spirit and unheard of bravery, that laughed in the face of death, and did not hold back from this horrible act." writes Josephus Flavius of the bewilderment of the Romans when they entered the citadel.

What is the oath that all IDF Armour Corps take atop the ruins of Massada?

"Massada shall not fall again". "Massada shall not fall again" is in remembrance of the struggle between the value of human life and beliefs in bravery and dignity, and the will to die free men and not as slaves. Armor Corps soldiers vow to defend the country so that none of Israel's citizens will ever have to go through this terrible dilemma. More than any other event, the story of Massada has inspired Jewish bravery, as the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in WWII is a prime example of this. In that event, ghetto leaders preferred to die free men, than to be taken to the Nazi camps to be slaughtered. They sacrificed their lives for what they believed in most of all: themselves.