Return to my History pages
Go to my home page
© Copyright 2001, Jim Loy
Most people know the story of Masada, mostly. Here is the popular version of the story, related by Josephus: In 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. A band of 967 Jewish rebels fled to the seemingly impregnable fortress of Masada, which had been built atop a desert mountain top by Herod the Great. Over a period of years, the Romans (led by Flavius Silva) built a ramp up the mountain (one of the great feats of military history) and finally scaled the walls, only to find everyone dead, a mass suicide. This story is apparently very close to the truth. But it probably did not take years, as the ramp was already in place; it is mostly a natural formation, as recently shown by geologists (Biblical Archeology Review). It may have taken as little as one month to build it up to the walls. Did they all commit suicide? Apparently some women and children did not. But most did commit suicide.
What about Josephus? Josephus Flavius (often called Flavius Josephus) was a Jewish rebel who became a Roman citizen, and historian. There are rumors that he was one of the rebels at Masada, and that they chose lots to choose who would kill the other rebels, and then himself, and that Josephus won, and killed the others, and then spared his own life. There is a mathematical puzzle called the Josephus Problem, asking just how Josephus could rig the drawing of lots so that he would win. In the puzzle, the choosing is of an "eenie meenie minie moe" variety. Well, it turns out that Josephus was not there.