Masada Fortress, Negev Desert (west of the Dead Sea) subsequent to the destruction of Temple II in nearby Jerusalem during Jewish–Roman War I (which peaked about 2 years prior).
“Last Stand of the Jews” and eventually, mass–suicide of the 960 Jewish “Zealot” rebels against Rome’s 20,000–man Tenth Legion.
Masada, under the leadership of Eleazar ben Ya’ir, held out for three years…
Masada, a former Herodian retreat/refuge, was located in the Judean desert south of Jerusalem, just west of the Dead Sea. The Zealots used Masada as a base to raid and harass the nearby Roman troops. The Roman governor of Judea, Lucius Flavius Silva marched against Masada with Roman Legion X (Tenth Legion) Fretensis, and laid siege to the fortress.
After the besieging Romans failed in repeated attempts to breach the defense, they elected to construct an earthen ramp, using thousands of tons of stones and earth. At the point that the Romans had 99 percent completed their massive siege ramp, and were poised for their final assault the next day, the “1,000” Jewish rebels of Masada made a decision to commit mass–suicide that night rather than fall into the Roman hands the following day.
Heads of families slew their families. Then, the men drew lots as to who would slay the others.
Two thousand years down the road, troops of the Israeli Armored Corps and the Givati Brigade and other IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) troops would take their oath of duty at high noon atop the sun baked plateau of Masada, overlooking the Judean desert far below.
“Masada shay–nit lo ti–pol”…
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“Masada shall not fall again”