Mythmaking of Masada

Abstract

After Israel gained their independence in 1948, the nation's antiquities held no artifacts of the nation's history. The use of archeology at this time was to create a nationalistic history that would boost morale for Israeli Citizens for the up and coming battles against neighboring countries in the 1960s and 1970s. The fight to become a sovereign state, began with the interpretation of history and the archeological sites that followed. In this paper, the ancient site of Masada, will be investigated for how political intentions tend to get in the way of interpretation of history. With this the grand illusion of mythmaking in history, comes into effect while trying to create a credible source for an historical event. The use of military and the morale of citizens, helped create a bond between historical fact and historical myth. Masada, since its excavation in the years 1963-1965, has shown how history can be skewed to fit the narrative of the victors.