Masada and Yavneh

By Evan Jaffe

The Geography of Masada

• Located on the eastern border of Israel

• It is on the Western shores of the Dead Sea

• It is an isolated plateau with steep sides

• Very sunny, hot and dry climate

Beginning of MasadaBeginning of Masada

Built by King Herod between 37 and 31 B.C.E Built by King Herod between 37 and 31 B.C.E as a place of refugeas a place of refuge

In 66 C.E. Jewish rebels conquered MasadaIn 66 C.E. Jewish rebels conquered Masada

 8. Underground cistern9. Southern bastion10. western palace11. Throne room12. West gate13. Synagogue14. Large bathhouse

1. Small bathhouse2. Herod's palace-villa3. Storerooms4. Apartment building5. Snake-path gate6. Casemate-wall7. Zealots' living quarters  

The Romans Attack The Romans Attack Romans Romans

surrounded it in 73 surrounded it in 73 C.E.C.E.

Jews built an inner Jews built an inner and outer wall for and outer wall for protectionprotection

Romans built a Romans built a ramp up to reach ramp up to reach MasadaMasada

Romans set fire to Romans set fire to the outer wall the outer wall

Roman Camp

Masada

Ramp

The Jews Respond

• Jewish leader Eleazer ben Yair, told the Jews living at Masada not to try to escape

• It was important that they all act together• The Jews committed suicide• Husbands killed their wives, children, and

friends• The Jews left food behind on Masada

showing they would rather die than survive to be tortured by the Romans

.

The Story of Yavneh • The story of Yavneh starts in

Jerusalem around 68 C.E.

• The Jews ruled themselves at the beginning of the Second Temple Period

• The Romans wished to defeat the Jews because of several recent Jewish victories against them

• Many Jews gathered in Jerusalem as a place of refuge because it was a walled city

Romans Encircled Jerusalem

• Romans surrounded Jerusalem

• Romans controlled the Jews

• Jews were prohibited to practice Judaism the way they wanted

Romans surrounded Jerusalem

Zealots

• In the Jewish nation, there were Zealots

• These were people who preferred to fight rather than surrender to the Romans

• At one point, the Zealots even burned most of the food in order to encourage people to start fighting

• Many Jews died because of the Zealots’ actions

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai

• Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was not the most learned of Rabbis, although he was very clever

• He thought of an idea to escape Jerusalem

• He faked his death and two Rabbis put him in a coffin and started heading out of Jerusalem

• They came to the Roman General, Vespasian

• Rabbi Yochanan made a deal with Vespasian that if Vespasian became Emperor in the next year, then Rabbi Yochanan would be given the land of Yavneh for the Jews

• In the next year, Vespasian became Emperor, and gave Yavneh to Rabbi Yochanan and the Jews

Romans Destroy Jerusalem

• After Rabbi Yochanan left, the Romans broke into Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple and the whole city

• When Rabbi Yochanan heard that Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed, he tore his clothes in mourning

• There was nothing the Jews could do to fight back

Why I found Yavneh Inspiring

• Rabbi Yochanan risked his life in order to save the Jewish nation and the Torah

• If he hadn’t done that, the Jewish nation may not exist today

• Rabbi Yochanan saved part of the Jewish nation opposed to them all dying in the battle with the Romans

Why I found Masada InspiringWhy I found Masada Inspiring

The Jews stuck together as a nation The Jews stuck together as a nation and acted as oneand acted as one

They died together instead of letting They died together instead of letting the Romans accomplish their goal of the Romans accomplish their goal of torturing and killing the Jewstorturing and killing the Jews

However, if all of the Jewish nation However, if all of the Jewish nation (Bnei Yisrael) did this, there would (Bnei Yisrael) did this, there would not be a “Bnei Yisrael” todaynot be a “Bnei Yisrael” today

Why Masada and YavnehWhy Masada and Yavneh were not Inspiring were not Inspiring

• In Yavneh Rabbi Yochanan was willing In Yavneh Rabbi Yochanan was willing to leave some Jews behind to dieto leave some Jews behind to die

• Although the Jewish plan at Masada Although the Jewish plan at Masada may have been inspiring, it is not may have been inspiring, it is not necessarily the best solution for necessarily the best solution for every situation every situation

Why I Found Masada More Inspiring

• In the story of Masada, the Jews worked together as a community and died together

• In my opinion, the outcome of Yavneh was better, however it was not more inspiring

• I can’t say that I would have liked to participate at Masada, however the actions of those that were there inspired me more

What Inspires You?

Yavneh or Masada

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