Masada: Herod's Fortress and the Zealots' Last Stand [Paperback]

Yigael Yadin (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Welcome Rain (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566490332
• ISBN-13: 978-1566490337
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MASADA Herod's Fortress and the Zealots' Last Stand, March 12, 2000

By 

Marvin D Slifer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Masada: Herod's Fortress and the Zealots' Last Stand (Paperback)

Yigael Yadin is a gifted author who narrates history with captivating excitement. I have read several books and articles on the subject of Masada over the past several years and would recommend this as the most informative and understandable of them all. The before, during and after, excavation photos are amazing and contribute volumes in giving the reader the "Masada Experience." This book is valuable for both the novice and the scholar. It's an excellent introduction to what Masada is all about for the novice. The scholar will find Yadin's love of history details and his awesome photo illustrations compelling and helpful for instruction as well as understanding.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How 960 Jews defied the Roman Empire!, January 16, 2005

By 

Dave (Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Masada: Herod's Fortress & the Zealots' Last Stand (Paperback)

Respected historian and archaeologist Yigael Yadin is an expert on the well-known ancient Masada fortress, and here he presents the incredible story of the 960 Jewish men, women, and children who refused to be taken alive by Flavius Silva and his Roman Tenth Legion. This covers the siege of Masada, the mass suicide of the 960 rebels (when victory was clearly impossible they decided that "a death of glory was preferable to a life of infamy" (as prisoners)), and the 1963-1965 excavations at Masada that yielded a huge amount of artifacts that reveal even more about the rebels, who were led by Eleazar ben Yair. This is a compelling story made even better by the more than 200 photos showing all kinds of artifacts, including spearpoints, coins, pottery, jewelry, surviving Old Testament scrolls, skeletons, even clothing items that have survived to this day! There's also a generous amount of maps that are very helpful. This siege is one of the most interesting in military history, and this story is a lasting testament to the strong character of the Jewish people.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wondrous, March 3, 2007

By 

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Masada: Herod's Fortress & the Zealots' Last Stand (Paperback)

This fabulous 272-page volume provides an amazing pictorial and historical account of the 1960s archeological dig at Masada.

Archeologists revealed massive amounts of information concerning the Roman period of rule over ancient Israel, the Arab king Herod appointed governor, whose construction of Jerusalem's Second Temple failed to quell the Jewish desire for independence, and of course the religious sect now known as the Zealots, who preferred death by their own hands over submission to foreign rule.

The original 1966 volume was a large, hardback coffee table book, but for those whose relatives pinched their copies, the 1997 paperback edition, reprinted in 2000, is a good substitute.

The book contains all of the original text, highlighting details about Masada, as it was rediscovered. Photographs of the mountain top before the dig are included, along with photographic records as the dig progressed. Fabulous, overall.

--Alyssa A. Lappen