Siege of Masada is a Smithsonian Channel documentary that plays into the corporate umbrella by tying in a CBS miniseries, The Dovekeepers.

There is a universe where I am ascending Masada today for the first time since going on Birthright Israel with Mayanot in June 2007. Alas, it was just not meant to be during this week’s trip to Israel. Next to viewing panoramic views of the Old City in Jerusalem, there’s nothing more breathtaking than taking in the views in the Judean Desert from Masada. Depending on the time of day, people can ascend via the Snake Trail or cable car. I wasn’t much of a hiker back in 2007 but climbing Masada was an accomplishment. If I recall correctly, my Birthright group took the cable car down. In any event, I watched this Smithsonian doc in February not realizing that it was more of a generous tie-in than a real deep dive into history.

The doc about the epic siege of Masada runs about 51 minutes in length. Over 900 people killed themselves at Masada–the Alamo of its time–so as to not be taken into slavery by the Roman empire. Jerusalem had fallen a few years earlier in 70 CE to Masada was the final holdout for the Jews. The attack on Jerusalem began in 66 CE and it would end a few years later. There was a lot of resentment between Jews in as much as with Rome. Every Jewish sect had been fighting over the Second Temple on the Temple Mount. Everyone had their own idea of leadership, including the Eleazar Ben Yair and the Sicarii, described as terrorists even as they were under Roman impression.

The Sicarii drew the Roman collaborators out of Jerusalem before making their way to the fortress at Masada. Not surprisingly, the Roman empire would respond. They came from both the north and south in their siege on the Jewish state. Under the leadership of Titus, they steamrolled through Judea on their way to Jerusalem. The current medieval Old City walls would not come until the Ottoman Empire. However, there were still walls around Jerusalem and they were even higher. Unfortunately, they were destroyed by the Romans. One of the walls featured what is now a hidden gate as seen above in the picture. The Zion Gate is not that far away from the location. Anyway, Masada would play home to numerous sects following the fall of Jerusalem.

The Romans would make Masada the decisive battle in their control of Judea. They sealed off Masada by building a 4,000 yard-long siege wall. The outlines of this wall is still visible today. A number of fortified camps surrounded Masada. Finally, they built the siege ramp. For the Jews on top of Masada, things were rather dim. Rather than be raped, crucified, or taken into slavery, they committed mass suicide on top of Masada. Judaism values life above all and views suicide as a sin. The myth of Masada would later become a founding principle of the modern State of Israel.

The doc also works as a behind-the-scenes of The Dovekeepers with the amount of clips and interviews. Sam Neill plays Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian who collaborated with the Romans. Josephus wrote The Jewish War, an “absolutely invaluable” resource according to Jerusalem writer/guide Walter Zanger. The book is the best resource on what took place during the final years of Judea and the siege of Masada. The location of Judea was strategic because of the trade routes between Europe, Asia, and Africa intersecting all in one location.

There are questions about Masada and its legacy. If over 900 people died, why have they not found all of their bodies? It is true that a number of bodies have been found through excavations but only a small number. Did the Romans build a mass grave or perhaps they cremated the bodies? Furthermore, there are questions of whether those might have been Romans. Historians suggest that it is possible that Josephus may have embellished the numbers. Watching this documentary special and History Channel’s Battlefield Detectives episode on the Siege of Masada, both end up leaving viewers with some questions.

Siege of Masada might work well as introduction for some viewers but there’s just too many behind-the-scenes clips of The Dovekeepers to make it worthwhile viewing. But if you’re interested in watching, it is currently available on Paramount+.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Jason Williams
SCREENWRITER: Robert Ferrier
NARRATOR: Daniel Sheire
FEATURING: Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, Giles Masters, Delphine White, Walter Zanger, James D. Tabor, Candida Moss, Jodi Magness, Shimon Gibson, Guy D. Stiebel

Siege of Masada premiered March 27, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Smithsonian Channel. Grade: 3/5

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