Embedded in the Judean desert, Masada was a rocky hill 450 meters high and flat. Controlled by the Romans, this region was transformed by the action of Herod, a Roman ruler who directed the construction of walls, buildings and fortifications in that place. In this way, Masada became a place of difficult access, where the Romans displayed the magnificence and wealth of their vast empire.
Little did they know that, around the year 70 d. Ç. – when Rome had invaded and destroyed the city of Jerusalem – the Jews would organize a rebellion to take the region and turn that place into their last point of resistance. At that moment, a group of approximately a thousand Jews would come to live in that locality over the next few years.
In 72 d. C., realizing that they would not leave there so soon, Rome ordered a group of 15,000 soldiers to carry out the invasion of Masada and the annihilation of the rebels. Under the command of General Flávio Silva, the Roman soldiers carried out a great siege on the outskirts of Masada. The initial tactic would be to wait until the Jews left the place in search of water and supplies. Although logical, the plan would take a long time, as the Jews had a large supply of food.
In this way, the general ordered that a detachment of enslaved Jews be used to build a huge ramp made of stones and beaten earth. Through this ramp, the soldiers built an access road so that they could overcome the thick walls that surrounded the place. In addition to the ramp, these same slaves were used to build a twenty-eight meter tower against the wall.
When they reached the walls of the place, the Romans used the ram, a powerful weapon that uses an iron point in the shape of a ram's head. Attached to a huge wooden log, the Roman soldiers pulled the log back and thus pushed the metal head against the wall. Before long, the strong blows shattered Masada's wards. In order to make things difficult for the Romans, the Jews built an inner wall made of earth, stone and wood, which was soon set on fire.
At the moment when the Roman victory proved irreversible, the Jews, under the leadership of Eleazar ben Yair’s, became convinced that it was better to die than to surrender to Rome. With that, according to the historian Flávio Josefo, the father of each Jewish family decided to kill his wife and children. After that, ten men were drawn to kill the rest. Another drawn among the ten would kill the other nine who, in turn, would be forced to commit suicide.
Currently, the region of Masada is visited by thousands of tourists interested in getting to know the place where the mythical resistance of the Jews took place. Although it is difficult to documentally prove the outcome of this fight, we observe that the Jews incorporated the narrative as an important element that reinforces the determination and courage of the people Jewish. Not by chance, the Israeli military cite resistance in Masada when taking their oath.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Brazil School Team
Old age - wars - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/a-queda-massada.htm
