On Thursday morning we got up at 4:00 am to hike Masada. We started the hike needing flashlights because the sun had not yet risen. 
(the view early in the morning at the start of Masada)
We started the hike exhausted due to a lack of sleep and motivation in our lives. We then went on to climb the mountain, it was a difficult hike not only because we were tired but also because we had stay vigilant for rocks and other hazards. Once we got to the top of Masada we had time to take pictures of the gorgeous view. This is one such view.
After taking pictures we moved onto our morning t’filah which was even more powerful than usual because of the gorgeous scenery surrounding us. After the t’filah we started our lesson, we learned about King Herod and how he built up Masada before it was taken by the Zealots. We also learned about the Roman siege of Masada and how when the romans finally got to the top of Masada and had taken it over, all of the Jews were said to have commited suicide rather than be taken slave by the Romans.
My question is why did the Jews find it so important to not be taken as slaves by the Romans?
The Jews found it so important to not be taken as slaves by the Romans because they did not want too assimilate. The Jews wanted to keep their own identity and religion alive. Also the Jews wanted to be in control of themselves and not be under the control of the Romans. Many of the Jews at this time committed suicide rather than becoming slaves to the Romans. To the Jews becoming slaves was accepting defeat and Jews always stayed loyal to Am Israel.
ReplyDeletethe Jews would rather die Jewish and faithful then assimilate. By acting out as they did, they showed the importance of Jewish religion and culture. Throughout the years we have been ruled by others and slowly drifted farther from our culture. This act kept the Jewish people strong and the story created out of it has kept the Jews glued together throughout history. Handing ourselves over would show that we are weak and with weakness others could take us too. To them it waws better to die Jewish then to drift away from what truly mattered to them, Religion.
ReplyDeleteJews did not want to be taken as slaves because slavery basically murders a person because it creates an object. I believe they would rather die a quick death obtaining their believes in freedom versus being seized by the Romans where they would be forced to convert and work every day. Likewise, they moved to Masada to retain their culture. If they were seized, they would have to assimilate.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I don't know. The Zealots living on Masada are theorized to be murderers of the communities of Pharasees living close to Masada. This is because of their radical Jewish beliefs, which include killing Jews that didn't sharply desire a Jewish state. The Zealots were also very powerful and caused a ruckus for the Romans, which was why the Romans were determined to wipe them out in entirety, in addition, they wanted to continue to cause pain for the Romans, thus they decided to find high ground defenses on Masada and continue the Jewish way until they could defeat the Romans (Which did not happen).
ReplyDeleteIf the Jews had been taken by the Romans, it would be as if they lost their identity. The Jews who lived on Masada were Zealots, meaning that they would do anything, even kill themselves, if it meant that they would not be oppressed by Roman rule. The Zealots, more specifically the Sicari, left Jerusalem to escape the persecution of the Romans. They disagreed with all who tolerated the authority of the Romans. When they had Masada as their own, they felt as though they were free to be the Jews they believed were who they were meant to be. When the Romans threatened them with slavery or assimilation, they most likely felt they had nowhere to turn to. Whether all of them agreed to them or not, it cannot be known, however if it is that the entire group killed themselves, then they did it to preserve their identity and their freedom.
ReplyDeleteThey thought it was better to be dead than assimilated. They didn't want to choose or be forced to lose their traditions that they held onto for so long. They didn't want the Romans to have the satisfaction of being able to capture them and force their culture on them.
ReplyDeleteThe Zealots supposedly committed suicide to evade the potential enslavement by the Romans, because slavery demeans a person's values and takes away their pride. Living life in slavery is not really living at all, due to the lack of freedom in self expression and mobility in general. Suicide was the only way for the Zealots to remain faithful instead of being forced to assimilate to an unfamiliar culture. If the Zealots, would have been taken, everyday would have felt like a living hell so death was sadly the only escape.
ReplyDeleteIf the romans had captured the Jews we would have been forced to take up Roman culture and religion. We would have lost our tradition and thus our identity. To the Jews it was more important to keep their religion then change their beliefs. This shows how important Judaism and the belief in one god was to the people. I am so stunned by how much keeping their religion meant to them.
ReplyDeleteI think the Zealots found it so important to preserve jewish tradition and they were willing to do anything to not get captured by the Romans. If I was in their shoes I would have felt the need to not be taken as a Roman slave. Death might have been the better option.
ReplyDeleteIf the Jews had surrendered at Masada, it would show that the fate has no depth and reason for continuation. This is what I believe the Jews thought as this time. Evan mentioned the Mid-rash of Napoleon seeing Jews mourning on Tisha B'av. This is an example that the will to continue and preserve the religion is very important. It makes me curious to think that if this didn't take place on the mountain what the outcome may have been....Who Knows...
ReplyDeleteDue to the fact that the Zealots on Masada already detested Roman rule over the Jewish people, it led to the desire for death rather than capture. As the Romans advanced up Masada, it became clearer and clearer to the Zealots that they wouldn't be making it out of that battle either alive or captured. They were willing to give up everything to keep their Jewishness and tradition, so instead of being slaves to the Romans, they chose death by their own hand.
ReplyDeleteFor the Jews living on Masada, it was more important to die rather than be forced to give up Judaism and live the rest of their lives as slaves to the Romans. Their decision reflects their belief that dying and refusing to convert would help the Jewish future more than staying alive. To die free is better than to live as a slave.
ReplyDeleteCulture and a sense of self caused the strong opposition to being slaves to Romans. This passion and resilience is what has allowed for the continuation of the Jewish people. This extreme devotion to the continuation of the Jewish people still exists today in the people who are against intermarriage outside of Judaism, as they believe it will cause the downfall of our continuation as a people, causing the apparent suicide at masada to be null.
ReplyDeleteAs Americans we know well how awful the life of a slave was. I would never want to be forced to work from sun up to sun down with no rest and little food and with the threat of being whipped for the smallest thing always looming over me. But it would have been much worse for them because they knew they would be forced to convert and stop being Jewish which for them would have been the worse punishment.
ReplyDeleteThe Jewish people are strangers in a foreign land. Time and time again, the Jewish people have been enslaved and exiled. The Testament is the story of our escape and recovery from enslavement. So to say that the Ancient Zelotes would willingly enter slavery is to say that we would willingly deny our ancient text, that we would willingly go against what Moses and God brought us out of thousands of years ago.
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