OTTOMAN EMPIRE AUTHOR · ANTIQUITIES · BIBLE
Yigael Yadin
Also known as: Yigel Yadin
The hilltop fortress of Masada, in present-day Israel, was successfully besieged and taken by Roman imperial forces between 72 and 73 AD, during the final period of the First Jewish–Roman War. At the time, the fortress was held by members of the Sicarii rebel group. The siege is recorded by a single contemporary written source, The Jewish War by Josephus. According to Josephus, the long siege ended with the mass suicide of the Sicarii and resident Jewish families. In modern times, the story of the siege was revived as the Masada myth, a selectively constructed narrative based on Josephus's account.
Most acclaimed
Masada
An exuberant historical tale which returns to the days of heroes larger than life silhouetted against the desert sky above the rock of Masada. Eleazar ben Yair and General Flavius Silva, the antagonists in that brief conflict when the Romans were pursuing the last remnants of resisting Jews, shared the common nobility of men who face impossible odds. Eleazar confronted the overwhelmingly superior military force of Rome; Silva, a sensitive, intelligent man, faced the subtler threat of spiritual & physical impotence. Then there is Sheva, a Jewish beauty determined to save her people Jael-fashion; the influential Roman Falco with his two pretty boys; noble Masadians & grousing Romans. It all ends with a Roman desert victory entailing their psychic defeat.
Israel
Israel is not the only 'new' state around, but it is one of the few states whose legitimacy is still questioned, and its future affects the future of the Middle East as a whole and probably the stability of the international system all together. The reasons for this unique reality lies in its past and the particular historical circumstances of its birth. This book seeks to update analysis of the political history, contemporary politics, economics and foreign policy of this unique state. The first part of the book provides a general history of Israel since its inception until 2000. This general history evolves around the political development of the state, beginning with its origins in the early Zionist history (1882-1948) and ending with the turn of the century. The second part focuses on three contemporary aspects of present day Israel: its political economy, its culture and its international relations. An epilogue describes Israel's complex international image today and its impact on the state and its future. Providing a solid infrastructure from which readers can form their own opinions, this book offers a fresh perspective on developments both on the ground and in recent scholarship, and is essential reading for students, journalists and policy-makers with an interest in Middle Eastern History, Jewish Studies and Israel Studies.