The First Jewish War occurred from 66-73 and was one of three major rebellions by the Jews against the Roman Empire. The Jewish rebels overtook the Roman forces in Masada, a fortress built a century earlier by Herod the Great, and settled there.
The siege of Masada began in 72. The Romans built a siege ramp, then a siege tower with a battering ram, and breached the fortress’s walls in April 73. The Romans were greeted by death: all but five (two women and five children) of the Jewish rebels had committed suicide rather than fall under Roman rule, 960 in total.
There is some dispute as to the historical accuracy of the siege. The first issue is there is only one historian, Josephus, who mentions the siege at all. The other, more glaring, issue is the archaeological evidence doesn’t exist and doesn’t support the historians claims.
Modern Israel sees the siege in two differen lights. On the one hand, Masada has become a symbol of their national identity and the struggle against an oppressive empire. On the other hand it can be seen as a symbol of Jewish radicalism, of people who chose to commit suicide (forbidden in their religion) rather than compromise.
