Scientists researching an Ancient Roman battle have made a huge breakthrough and can finally debunk a long-debated myth.
The Roman siege of Masada, which occurred at the end of the First Jewish-Roman War, reportedly lasted only “a few weeks,” overturning previous beliefs that the battle stretched out over several years, according to a new study.
Researchers had previously estimated that the siege, which took place in 73 CE, lasted nearly three years.
However, a study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology challenges this myth, central to modern Zionism, finding that the siege was much shorter, reports Independent.
Archaeologists employed modern technologies such as drones, remote sensing, and 3D digital modeling to conduct the first objective analysis of the Roman siege system at Masada, a mountain fortress overlooking the Dead Sea.
They collected high-resolution data from the site, focusing on water systems, trails, and the Roman siege infrastructure.
Using this data, scientists created 3D models to more accurately depict the terrain and estimate the time required to build the siege works.
Guy Stiebel, co-author of the study said: “For many years, the prevailing theory that became a modern myth asserted that the Roman siege of Masada was a grueling three-year affair.
“In this first-of-its-kind study we examined the issue with modern technologies enabling precise objective measurements.
Until recently, the prevailing narrative suggested that the Roman army struggled significantly to capture the fortress at Masada, which has come to symbolize Jewish heroism in modern Israel.
For many years, it was believed that this siege, one of the last events of the First Jewish-Roman War, lasted nearly three years.
However, recent research has begun to challenge this assumption.
Previous studies have provided insights into the amount of earth and stones a Roman soldier could move in a day, and historical records indicate that around 6,000-8,000 soldiers took part in the siege.
Using this data, scientists have been able to estimate how long it took to construct the entire Roman siege system, which included eight camps and a stone wall encircling much of the site.
Hai Ashkenazi, another author of the study, said: “We found that construction took merely about two weeks.
“Based on the ancient historical testimony it is clear that once the assault ramp was completed, the Romans launched a brutal attack, ultimately capturing the fortress within a few weeks at the most.
“This leads us to the conclusion that the entire siege of Masada lasted no more than several weeks.”
