When I went on birthright I visited Masada. A counselor sat us down atop the mountain and had an open group discussion about the “bravery” of the people who had died there.

The story of Masada, for those that don’t know, is how a splinter group of ultra religious Jews rebelled against the Romans.

April 09, 2026 - 23:08 UTC

2
0
75
This is quite the lore drop for people who have not been following you long
0
0
3
The Sicarii zealots essentially pulled an Ammon Bundy Malheur national park on Masada while Israel was under Roman rule. They raided and slaughtered a few Jewish towns and then took refuge on the mountain. The Roman army responded by sending troops up the mountain to quell the rebellion
1
0
64
The sicarii resisted and the Roman’s spent a few months trying to clear the obstructions the sicarii made to climb the mountain. When it became clear the Roman’s would break through, rather than be taken alive, these zealots slaughtered their wives, children and then killed themselves.
3
0
62