01-23-2007, 10:37 PM
Flavius Josephus delivered us the history of the Judaic War. He also expressively described the conquest of Masada. However there is kind of vagueness concerning the date of conquest. I've read two articles in the journal "Zeitschrift fuer Papyrologie und Epigraphik" (ZPE, V. 73, 78 ): Dating the Siege of Masada and The Date of the Fall of Masada. In the 1st article the spring of the year 74 CE is considered to be the date of conquest, in the 2nd one the spring of the year 73 or 74 CE is assumed. Then the Romans built the ramp in order to move the siege tower to the fortress wall. The ramp was build on the ridge out of sand and wooden piles. Are there no dendrochronological investigation made on the wooden piles which can be seen even nowadays? Could it not help to find the exact date of the Fall of Masada?!
