"Ancient battle divides Israel as Masada myth unravels " Topic

"It was the most famous archaeological excavation of the century after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. For years in the Sixties archaeologists worked at Masada, the mountain fortress which towers over the southern end of the Dead Sea, seeking evidence of the last battle and mass suicide in AD73 of Jewish rebels against the Roman empire.

The story of the last redoubt, of Jews fighting to the end against the Roman legions, had instant appeal in Israel and abroad. Soldiers of the Israeli armoured corps used to trek to Masada to hold their annual swearing-in ceremony

But Masada is no longer a symbol of unity. And, within the past week, exactly what happened on the mountain top 2,000 years ago has provoked charge and counter-charge. Were its defenders the heroic hard core of the great Jewish revolt against Rome, or a gang of killers who became victims of a last Roman mopping-up operation? Was Elazar Ben-Yair, the commander, right to persuade his 960 followers to kill each other – if, indeed, the suicide occurred at all?…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

Jonestown!

The quantity of Roman fortifications would seem to point to something rather more than a "six week" mopping up operation.Much evidence can disappear in almost 2000 years.

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend".
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

It's too late now for revisions to be made to the history of Masada. It has grown beyond a 2000 year old incident and the legend is an inspiration to too many.
This is going to generate a lot more heat than light.

"Masada shall not fall again."

Anon

'Author: Patrick Cockburn | Source: The Independent [originally published March 30, 1997; reprinted: July 05, 2010]
Read more at link

Bit of old news here…

Series 3 of 'Battlefield Detectives' covered it in 2005.