Crushing the Longtime Myth of Masada

TAU archaeologists reveal the Roman siege of Masada likely lasted weeks, not years, according to new research findings.



Masada National Park. Photo Credit: Omer Ze'evi-Berger.

Researchers from the Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University used various modern technologies, including drones, remote sensing, and 3D digital modeling, to generate the first objective, quantified analysis of the Roman siege system at Masada. Findings indicate that contrary to the widespread myth, the Roman army's siege of Masada in 73 CE lasted no more than a few weeks.

The study was conducted by the Neustadter expedition from TAU's Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, headed by Dr. Guy Stiebel, together with Dr. Hai Ashkenazi (today Head of Geoinformatics at the Israel Antiquities Authority), and PhD candidates Boaz Gross (from Tel Aviv University and the Israeli Institute of Archaeology) and Omer Ze'evi-Berger (today at the University of Bonn). The study is part of the expedition's extensive mission, implementing advanced tools and posing fresh questions, to attempt a new understanding of what really happened at Masada. The paper was published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.

New Tech Reveals Old Secrets

Dr. Stiebel: "In 2017 my expedition renewed, on behalf of TAU's Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, excavations at Masada – a world-famous site explored extensively since the early 19th century and throughout the 20th century. Our expedition sets forward several new questions and implements many novel research tools that were not available to previous generations of archaeologists. In this way, we intend to obtain fresh insights into what actually happened there before, during, and after the Great Jewish Revolt. As part of this extensive project, we devote much scholarly attention to the site’s surroundings. We use drones, remote sensing, and aerial photography to collect accurate high-resolution data from Masada and its environs, emphasizing three aspects: the water systems, the trails leading to and from the palatial fortress, and the Roman siege system. The collected information is used to build 3D digital models that provide a clear and precise image of the relevant terrains. In the current study, we focused on the siege system, which, thanks to the remote location and desert climate, is the best-preserved Roman siege system in the world".

Dr. Stiebel adds: "For many years, the prevailing theory that became a modern myth asserted that the Roman siege of Masada was a grueling three-year affair. In recent decades researchers have begun to challenge this notion, for various reasons. In this first-of-its-kind study, we examined the issue with modern technologies enabling precise objective measurements".

More:
https://english.tau.ac.il/research/masada-myth-archaeology