MASADA. - Fortress on a rocky hill in the Judaean desert west of the Dead Sea. The original construction, according to Flavius Josephus (Bell. Iud., VIII, 3), dates back to Jonathan (161-143), but probably even earlier David had sought refuge in this place (I Sam. 24, 1). The stronghold served as a refuge for Herod the Great, with 800 people besides the women, in 42 B.C., when he was at war against the Parthians (Fl. Josephus, Antiq. Iud., XIX, 14, 6). A few years later Herod transformed the fortress into a fortified palace, making it more secure by means of a difficult access guarded by a tower.
In 66 A.D., M. was occupied by the Sicarii, or die-hard partisans against the Romans, who spread terror in the nearby localities: Engedi, Hebron, Thecua and Herodium. After a memorable siege, prepared with care, Flavius Silva occupied the fortress, but found the 190 besieged there killed among themselves, at the instigation of Eleazar, with the exception of two women with their children (Fl. Josephus, Bell. Iud., VII, 8, 2). Probably from that time on M. was dismantled. Christianity set foot there and a single-nave church with a narthex is still found, situated in the middle of the enclosure. Perhaps it was built by St. Euthymius (v.): Cyril of Scythopolis, speaking of the Saint's retreat, calls it Marda, which some regard as a Syriac word for M.; but others identify the Euthymian site with Hirbet el-Merd, also called Castellino, where later St. Sabas built a monastery. M. in our own day bears the name Sebbeh, and the remains of the great fortress are clearly visible, with two palaces, several houses, many cisterns, dovecotes and remains of the fortifications of 66: a circumvallation wall,
8 camps of which 2 are principal and 4 secondary, quite well preserved, the agger or earthwork for the assault.
Bibliography3 works
Bellarmino Bagatti