The idea that the Romans struggled for three years to take Masada reinforced the narrative of a heroic defense, but the team's research shows that the fortress was captured swiftly. The importance ...

The research counters a long-held narrative about the first-century Roman siege of the fortress. The legend of Masada is etched into Jewish lore: For years, the story goes, ancient Jews held out ...

"Live free or die!"' The Masada myth does not begin in the twentieth century. Chart of the fortress at Masada.