Masada tells a compelling and controversial story of Jews and Romans, living during the First Century A.D., that will never be fully understood.
Those who visit the isolated mountain situated on the eastern slopes of the Judean Desert - close to the western coast of the Dead sea - learn the tragic tale of 960 Jewish men, women and children who chose to take their own lives in freedom rather than die in bondage at the hands of the Romans.John W. Welch says Church members who visit a new exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art will have an experience similar to what they might have if they were to go to the holy land and visit Masada itself.
Nearly 700 artifacts excavated from the ancient hilltop fortress - isolated from its surroundings by deep 1,300-foot gorges on all sides - will be on display at the BYU museum through Sept. 18.
Visitors to the museum can see original pottery fragments, oil lamps, wine jars, items from what could be an ancient synagogue, and 12 stone fragments believed to be used by the Jews casting lots for the order in which they would die. Five scale models of the fortress, King Herod's northern palace complex and other architectural features also accompany the exhibition.
King Herod the Great - who reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. - built a magnificent palace on Masada as a refuge against Jewish revolt and Egyptian attack. In the First Century A.D. a group of Jews fled to Masada after the Romans conquered Jerusalem.
The Roman governor Flavius Silva led the 10th Legion against this last stronghold at Masada, circled the fortress with eight siege camps and built a ramp 300 feet high against the western side of the mount.
Silva breached Masada's walls in 73 A.D., and the Jewish men, under the leadership of Eleazer ben Ya'ir, killed their families and took their own lives, knowing destruction was at hand. Two women and five children who hid themselves were the only survivors.
"Long ago we resolved to serve neither the Romans nor anyone other than God Himself, who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind," wrote ben Ya'ir in his final oration, now printed in a pamphlet distributed at Masada National Park. ". . . While our hands are free and can hold a sword, let them do a noble service! Let us die unenslaved by our enemies, and leave this world as free men in company with our wives and children."
Although this story of Masada is recorded in only one historical source, its tale has become a symbol of bravery for the Jewish people. The fortress has become a place of pilgrimage and is visited by thousands of tourists.
Excavated in 1955 and 1956 and again in 1963 to 1965, Masada is one of the few places today where "history, archaeology and reality come together," said Ehud Netzer, director of excavations at many important sites of the Middle East, including Masada.
He, too, said the BYU exhibit can give people an understanding similar to that gained by an actual visit to the site.
The exhibition is sponsored locally by BYU Studies and the BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures. It is under the auspices of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority, and sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Schussheim Foundation, and the Israel Exploration Society.
Brother Welch first saw the exhibit three years ago in Jerusalem and started making plans to bring the artifacts to Provo. While in Jerusalem he met Gila Hurvitz, curator of the exhibit there.
This is the first time the exhibition has left Israel, but it may be displayed in other U.S. cities after it leaves BYU, said Dr. Hurvitz.
Before entering the BYU exhibit galleries, museum patrons may watch an eight-minute introductory video, produced by BYU, explaining the story of Masada.
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) is also hosting an exhibit of Dead Sea Scrolls - leather and papyrus Hebrew manuscripts from as early as 200 B.C. Many of the scrolls contain books of the Old Testament and other religious writings. (See article on this page).
Tickets for the Masada and Dead Sea Scroll exhibitions are available through the Marriott Center Ticket Office, 1-800-322-2981; or 378-2981. Tours with a taped audio take approximately 45 minutes and will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.