@article{ART003347872},
author={Sangyeop, Kim},
title={TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination},
journal={military history},
issn={1598-317X},
year={2026},
number={139},
pages={127-172}
TY - JOUR
AU - Sangyeop, Kim
TI - TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination
JO - military history
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 139
PB - Military History Institute, MND
SP - 127
EP - 172
SN - 1598-317X
AB - This study critically analyzes the dual symbolism of the Siege of Masada (73 CE)—as both a beacon of heroic Jewish resistance and a showcase of overwhelming Roman imperial domination—and explores how its narrative has been continuously reconstructed throughout history. First, by examining Flavius Josephus’ The Jewish War, the sole contemporary literary source, this paper reveals that the Masada narrative was a highly rhetorical and apologetic project designed to propagate Roman invincibility and critique Jewish extremism. Second, it traces the institutionalization of Masada into the Zionist founding myth and collective memory of the nascent State of Israel, primarily through Yigael Yadin’s archaeological excavations in the 1960s. This is followed by a review of the ideological deconstruction presented by post-Zionist scholars such as Nachman Ben-Yehuda. Third, incorporating recent archaeological findings from 2024 that utilized 3D modeling and remote sensing technology, the study empirically illuminates that the Roman siege was not a years-long heroic defense, but rather a rapid, calculated military operation with the siege wall completed in merely 11 to 16 days. In conclusion, this paper defines Masada not as a fixed historical entity, but as a ‘palimpsest’ of multilayered meanings where ancient political-military realities, modern Israeli nationalist ideology, and the latest scientific positivism continuously intersect.
KW - Masada; Flavius Josephus; Collective Memory; Zionism; Yigael Yadin
DO -
UR -
ER -
Sangyeop, Kim. (2026). TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination. military history, 139, 127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim. 2026, "TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination", military history, no.139, pp.127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim "TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination" military history 139 pp.127-172 (2026) : 127.
Sangyeop, Kim. TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination. 2026; 139 : 127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim. "TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination" military history no.139(2026) : 127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim. TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination. military history, 139, 127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim. TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination. military history. 2026; 139 127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim. TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination. 2026; 139 : 127-172.
Sangyeop, Kim. "TheSiegeofMasadaandtheRomanConquest:TheSymbolic Aesthetics of Resistance and Domination" military history no.139(2026) : 127-172.
