The death penalty of nearly 1,000 Jews before 5,000 Roman soldiers in 70

Long-term siege by Roman forces, Jews at Masada fortress decided to commit suicide instead of surrender.

In the first century, the Roman empire dominated the Mediterranean and occupied large areas of the Middle East, including the Israeli Hasmoneans kingdom . However, the brutal rule of the Roman empire kept the Jews constantly up for armed struggle, in which the most memorable event was the death row of nearly 1,000 Jews at Masada fortress in 70 , according to War History.

Masada fortress ruins today.(Photo: Wikipedia).

In 66, Jews in Judea province, today the northern region of Israel, began to rise up against the Roman empire. Initially, the uprising was successful when turning Jerusalem into a strong base. However, Jerusalem fell after the siege and raid by the Roman army in 70, forcing the rebels to retreat to a defensive cluster at the Masada fortress.

Masada is a fortress and palace built by Judea King Herod. It was designed as a shelter for the king during times of crisis.

Masada Fortress is considered a masterpiece of architecture, it is also a difficult challenge for all enemies to besiege. This building is located at the top of a mountain, surrounded by a steep slope, the only way to approach it is a winding, unique route on the eastern side of the mountain. This is a long, dangerous road, forcing the offensive force to split into small groups approaching, making them vulnerable to assault by the defenders from above.

Normally, when it is impossible to attack a stronghold, people will besiege it for a long time, severing supplies to the defensive force hungry. However, Masada is the place to deal with all threats. There are silos located deep in the mountain to store rainwater and a warehouse full of food, even a cultivation space to produce fresh food.

About 960 Jews were present in the fortress, mainly children, women and the elderly, when the Romans came. The leader of this group is Eleazer Ben Yair, a family warrior who has a tradition of fighting against the Roman Empire.

The gathering area of ​​the Romans before the siege.(Photo: Wikipedia).

Roman mobilized Fretensis Army No. 10 and its support force with more than 5,000 soldiers, five times as many people in the Masada fortress. The commander of the siege was Flavius ​​Silva, the governor who governed Judea province.

The Roman army built a circular ramparts around the Masada fortress, to prevent the enemy from escaping to find reinforcements or to launch counter-attacks. The ramparts were built of stone and took advantage of the available terrain with enough size to patrol guard, and there were many watch towers to watch every move at Masada. On the ramparts also arranged a catapult to attack immediately when detecting the enemy.

The Roman defense line also had a place to gather forces to launch an attack. The area is 280 meters away from Masada fortress, allowing infantry units to approach the fortress without being exposed to the defending forces, as well as helping the engineer with a position to install a catapult near his defense line. Jewish.

Taking advantage of the available stones, the Roman army team built a long slope of earth and rubble running from the gathering place on the desert to the top of the hill. Behind the perimeter, they built a castle tower to deal with the large gate of Masada fortress.

This tactic has no defense against the inside of the fortress. The Roman army is sure to win quickly and the people inside Masada will have to surrender their weapons.

However, before the Roman army could attack, the Jews killed all their families and committed suicide. They seemed to realize the inevitable outcome of the attack and decided not to surrender to the enemy. When the Romans entered the fortress, they found only hundreds of corpses.

The slope attacks the fortress built by Roman soldiers.(Photo: Wikipedia).

The fall of Masada fortress has put an end to the uprising in Judea, but the story from this death row has become an inspiration for later generations of Jews.