Walking The Great Revolt

On Tuesday morning we left campus for another two day tiyul. First we went to Jerusalem to learn more about what was happening in Jerusalem during the Roman period. We talked about Herod the Great and his accomplishments in architecture but failings in other areas. Situations such as how he was very protective of his throne to the point that he killed his wife and some of his sons thinking that they were wanting to usurp his power. We talked about how the Jewish people had become seperated into at least 4 main groups. These were the Parisees, Saducees, Essenes, and Zealots. Our lessons were mostly for the purpose of learning what led to The Great Revolt. This is the revolt that led to the destruction of the 2nd Temple, the 2nd exile, and the destruction of Jerusalem. Our Rabbis say that the reason that the 2nd Temple was destroyed was because of causeless hatred. The Jewish people were so divided that they fought against each other. Supposedly the 3rd Temple will be rebuilt through causeless love.

On Tuesday we started out at the Israel Museum, and we looked at the 2nd Temple model. This was a great way to learn the layout of Jerusalem during the 2nd Temple times. From there we went to the old city and talked about the 2nd Temple times more at some sites. We saw the southern steps that used to lead to the Temple. Also, we saw some other archeological sites that have allowed us to understand that period better. One of the coolest things was the Herodian House. This is an archeological dig that uncovered a house in the upper city. It is thought that this house belonged to a Sadducee. The house is set up kinda like a museum. It is under the current cobblestone streets of the Jewish quarter. We walked through it and saw how the upper class lived in Jerusalem. After this we had time to walk around the Jewish Quarter.

All of this helped me to understand how Judaism became divided and led to the destruction of Jerusalem. We left Jerusalem for the Dead Sea area. That night we stayed in a youth hostile by the Dead Sea. Our rooms had great views of the water and the Joradanian Mts. on the other side.

We woke up at 3:30 am and left at about 4:30 am. We were headed for Masada. This is a mountain by the dead sea that was transformed into a luxurious fortress for Herod during his reign. When the Romans attacked Jerusalem a group of zealots led by Elazar ben Yair fled to Masada and took the mountain as their own fortress against the Roman forces. The Romans surrounded the mountain giving them no way out. They held off the Romans for a few years but eventually they were in a situation were the Romans were going to be able to invade Masada. So the people all decided that instead of letting the women be raped, the children become slaves, and the men die or become slaves, they would be dead when the Roman invaded. The men killed their families after last farewells, and then the men drew lots to kill each other. At the end the last man would have to commit suicide. In order to prove that they had hope and could have held off longer, they laid out their food as a testament to the fact that they preferred death than submission to the Romans.

We started hiking when it was dark and reached the top as the sun was rising. After a short morning service, where those who wanted could pray, we began our lessons. My teacher was not there so another Alexander Muss teacher took her place. He was awesome. We went around the whole top of the mountain and talked about life on top. We talked about the history of how and why Herod built it and how the Zealots adapted it. At times we would talk about what we should do. The idea was that we were the Zealots and this was our situation against the Romans. The discussions were okay but I do not feel that my class debated much. However, by the end I was starting to get into the idea that I was there. I think that I felt the weight of that tragic event more than I have before. It was more intense to try and put myself in the shoes (sandals) of those who were there.

There was a point were we shouted off the mountain a popular saying that some Israeli soldiers use to get sworn into the army. The mountains echoed back our voices shouting, "Shenit Matzada lo tipol (Masada shall not fall again)." We also collected two rocks each. It is a tradition to take two rocks from Masada. One is for you to give to a person who is going to Masada so they can put it back on the mountain. The other is for you to bring back. When a stone is brought back two more are taken. This way we can always remember Masada. We also learned that it is thought that Elazar ben Yair was a teenager when he led close to 1000 people against the Romans on Masada. These were true freedom fighters. They were fighting for freedom of religion and national freedom for the Jewish people. I guess Matisyahu is right when he says, "Youth is the engine of the world." This story is very inspiring in that it a true display of people's determination to have freedom.