Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth
The dramatic story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman Empire, as revealed by the archaeology of its famous site

Two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children—the last holdouts of the revolt against Rome following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple—reportedly took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman army. This dramatic event, which took place on top of Masada, a barren and windswept mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, spawned a powerful story of Jewish resistance that came to symbolize the embattled modern State of Israel. Incorporating the latest findings, Jodi Magness, an archaeologist who has excavated at Masada, explains what happened there—and what it has come to mean since. Featuring numerous illustrations, this is an engaging exploration of an ancient story that continues to grip the imagination today.

1129768652
Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth
The dramatic story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman Empire, as revealed by the archaeology of its famous site

Two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children—the last holdouts of the revolt against Rome following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple—reportedly took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman army. This dramatic event, which took place on top of Masada, a barren and windswept mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, spawned a powerful story of Jewish resistance that came to symbolize the embattled modern State of Israel. Incorporating the latest findings, Jodi Magness, an archaeologist who has excavated at Masada, explains what happened there—and what it has come to mean since. Featuring numerous illustrations, this is an engaging exploration of an ancient story that continues to grip the imagination today.

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Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth

Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth

by Jodi Magness
Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth

Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth

by Jodi Magness

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Overview

The dramatic story of the last stand of a group of Jewish rebels who held out against the Roman Empire, as revealed by the archaeology of its famous site

Two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children—the last holdouts of the revolt against Rome following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple—reportedly took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman army. This dramatic event, which took place on top of Masada, a barren and windswept mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, spawned a powerful story of Jewish resistance that came to symbolize the embattled modern State of Israel. Incorporating the latest findings, Jodi Magness, an archaeologist who has excavated at Masada, explains what happened there—and what it has come to mean since. Featuring numerous illustrations, this is an engaging exploration of an ancient story that continues to grip the imagination today.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780691216775
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: 06/08/2021
Pages: 312
Product dimensions: 7.80(w) x 5.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jodi Magness is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her books include The Archaeology of the Holy Land from the Destruction of Solomon’s Temple to the Muslim Conquest.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Prologue. The Fall of Masada 1

Chapter 1 The Siege of Masada 5

Chapter 2 The Search for Masada 26

Chapter 3 Masada in Context 39

Chapter 4 Masada and Herod's Other Building Projects 59

Chapter 5 Judea before Herod 90

Chapter 6 From Herod to the First Jewish Revolt against Rome 118

Chapter 7 The First Jewish Revolt against Rome 141

Chapter 8 The Rebel Occupation of Masada 163

Chapter 9 "Masada Shall Not Fall Again": Yigael Yadin, the Mass Suicide, and the Masada Myth 187

Epilogue. A Tour of Masada 201

Notes 205

Bibliography 229

Index 245

Image Credits 263

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Filled with fascinating details; [Masada] is informative and judicious.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, Jerusalem Post

“Magness vividly describes the archaeological evidence.”—Josephine Quinn, London Review of Books

“Magness plunges the reader directly into the story of the fall of Masada, unpacking the dramatic tale. . . . [She] compellingly describes the excavations there, including her own, providing a welcome tour of the site.”—Eric H. Cline, author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

“A beautiful book…. Undoubtedly, it will become a classic.”—Michaël Girardin, Bryn Mawr Classical Reviews

“Riveting and thoroughly readable.”—Karen B. Stern, American Journal of Archaeology

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