Masada myth

Lore & Background

The only original source on the siege of Masada is the Jewish-Roman historian Josephus Flavius, who described the defenders as Sicarii, an extreme Jewish group known for assassination. Josephus recorded that the Sicarii seized Masada, slaughtered its Roman garrison, raided Jerusalem, and massacred over 700 women and children at Ein Gedi. He also stated they did not participate in the war with Rome between 66 and 73 CE. Josephus describes a mass suicide, but many modern scholars doubt this account; skeletons at the site were not all found in a single location as he described, and archaeologist Jodi Magness has written that archaeology cannot prove or disprove the account because human remains can be interpreted differently.

The modern myth first emerged in 1927 with Yitzhak Lamdan's Hebrew epic poem 'Masada: A Historical Epic,' which described Masada as a symbol for the Land of Israel and the Zionist enterprise. The poem later inspired the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Shmarya Guttman established Masada as a Zionist emblem in 1942 through organized treks and advocacy. The myth whitewashed Josephus's account, overlooking the Sicarii's violent actions and presenting them as heroic defenders. Archaeologist Yigal Yadin's excavations from 1963 to 1965 sought to portray the defenders as national resistance fighters, though later analysis suggested skeletons found with pig bones might be those of local Christians or Roman soldiers.

Reader's Guide

The Masada myth's significance lies in its role as a constructed national memory that shaped Israeli identity for much of the 20th century. Despite the original Josephus narrative being neither an origin myth nor heroic in nature, the myth was embraced to foster patriotism and resilience, especially after the Holocaust. The story's themes of isolation and resistance resonated deeply, influencing youth movements, military groups, and popular media such as the 1981 miniseries 'Masada.' However, the myth began to decline in the late 20th century as Israelis advocating for compromise in the peace process associated its uncompromising symbolism with right-wing nationalism. Scholars have described it as 'an extreme example of the construction of national memory,' noting its absence from Jewish collective memory before the 20th century. The myth's legacy continues in modern Israeli political discourse, particularly regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, while academic scrutiny has revealed discrepancies between the myth and historical sources.

Did You Know?

• Josephus described the defenders of Masada as Sicarii, using words translated as 'bandits,' 'terrorists,' and 'murderers,' and recorded them killing fellow Jews rather than fighting Romans.
• The Masada myth had no prior basis in Jewish collective memory before its popularization in the 20th century.
• Yitzhak Lamdan's 1927 poem 'Masada: A Historical Epic' later inspired the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
• Skeletons found during Yigal Yadin's excavations were later admitted to have been found with pig bones, leading some archaeologists to suggest they might be those of local Christians or Roman soldiers.