One of the most controversial subjects in Jewish history is the famous story of the Jewish defense of Masada during the Second Temple period. Masada was the last major Jewish fortification destroyed in the war against Rome. Current research challenges traditional views, with recent archaeological discoveries offering new interpretations of what actually happened.

The Roman Siege of Masada

In 72 CE, the Roman governor of Judaea, Lucius Flavius Silva, led the Roman legion X Fretensis, auxiliary units, and Jewish prisoners of war—totaling some 15,000 men and women, of whom 8,000–9,000 were fighting men—to lay siege to the 960 people in Masada. The Romans surrounded the fortress, built a circumvallation wall, and commenced construction of a massive siege ramp against the western face of the plateau, moving thousands of tons of stones and earth. Josephus records no attempts by the Sicarii to counterattack, in contrast to his accounts of other sieges.

The ramp was completed in spring 73 CE after two to three months of siege. A giant siege tower with a battering........

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