Besieging Masada

Besieging Masada

Dramatically placed on a plateau with drops of 400m to the east and 90m to the west, Masada translates from Hebrew as fortress. It became just that when Herod the Great built a magnificent palace complex upon it between 37 and 31 BC, the remains of which are in fantastic shape today. But the site isn’t only notable for its connection to the bible-famed King of Judaea. Masada was also the stronghold of some of the survivors of a Jewish revolt and, in response, the locus of a Roman siege in the early 70s AD. For this first of two parts, Tristan, from our sibling podcast The Ancients, spoke to Jodi Magness from the University of North Carolina. Jodi co-directed the 1995 excavations of the Roman siege works at Masada, and in this episode, she tells Tristan about the archaeological findings at the site, many of which are still visible to the untrained eye.


Jodi is the author of 'Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth'.


Part 2, which focuses on the fall of Masada, the myths and the siege's legacy, is available here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(1487)

The Red Army Surrounds Berlin

The Red Army Surrounds Berlin

By April 1945, Soviet forces stood at the gates of Berlin. From the summer of 1944, Hitler's armies had suffered a series of cataclysmic defeats that had left them shattered and desperately trying to ...

10 Apr 202532min

The Great Tariff Battle

The Great Tariff Battle

Have trade tariffs ever worked? Dan explores a cautionary tale from the turn of the 20th century when Britain's Conservatives' flirtation with tariffs led to huge political upheaval and a truly disast...

8 Apr 202533min

Saint Petersburg: Putin's Hometown

Saint Petersburg: Putin's Hometown

Founded by Peter the Great, the city of Saint Petersburg was built to rival the majesty of any capital in Europe. Its splendour made it a hub of Russian culture, and its geography made it a focal poin...

6 Apr 202549min

The Samurai

The Samurai

This is the story of the legendary Samurai - how did they go from provincial bodyguards to revered warriors? Why did they transform from ancestral soldiers to office workers? And will we ever see them...

3 Apr 202532min

Francis Drake (Part 2)

Francis Drake (Part 2)

Dan Snow picks up his dramatic tale of the exploits of Francis Drake- this time the story of the Spanish Armada. From his astonishing raids on Spanish assets in the New World to his exploits as Queen ...

1 Apr 20251h 20min

Francis Drake (Part 1)

Francis Drake (Part 1)

Dan tells swashbuckling tales of Francis Drake on the Spanish Main. Francis Drake was England's first imperial warrior forged in the crucible of the 16th-century naval engagements against Spain. This ...

30 Mar 20251h 21min

THE LEADERS: Roosevelt

THE LEADERS: Roosevelt

How instrumental was Roosevelt in the Allied victory? He'd guided America through the Great Depression, he changed American society and his post-war vision shaped the world we see today. He knew WWII ...

28 Mar 20251h 5min

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

He was responsible for the fastest trains in history. He built innovative new hospitals for Florence Nightingale. His vessels shattered records for crossing the Atlantic and he enabled the laying of t...

26 Mar 202530min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-katastrofe
rss-historiske-romanser
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-norge
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
aftenposten-historie
rss-frontkjemperne
sektledere
med-egne-oyne
rss-gamle-greier
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden
taakeprat
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
undersattene
vare-historier
historiepodden-ww2