Masada
- The geographic and historical context of Masada, including its location and physical features, an overview of the Roman control of Judaea and the organisation of the province, the problems between the Jews and the Romans leading to the outbreak of war, the course of the siege of Masada, the role of Jewish rebels, and the Roman occupation of Masada
The nature of the sources most relevant to these interpretations and representations, for example Josephus Flavius’ The Jewish War, written and archaeological evidence for Roman military tactics and siege warfare, and the excavation work of Yigael Yadin
The different interpretations and representations of Masada (from the ancient past to the more recent past, to today) including the notion of the event as a Roman victory, and re-evaluations of Masada as a symbol of Jewish persecution
The historical context of the interpretations and representations of Masada and why these have changed over time
The reliability and contestability of the interpretations and representations of Masada, including the accuracy of Josephus Flavius’ account in The Jewish War, debates about the meaning of the events at Masada in AD 73-74, the role of archaeology, and the significance of source selection, omission, emphasis and gaps in evidence