This film is directed by Boris Sagal, with music by Jerry Goldsmith, belongs to the genre and the epic drama was inspired by the novel by Ernest K. Gann, and tells the epic of the first Jewish revolt.
Masada (or "Metz"), a word of Hebrew origin that means "fortress", is thus the story of the invasion and taking of the fortress of Masada, which is located atop a rocky cliff in western desert of Judea and neighbor of the Dead Sea.
According to historians, King Herod, an ally of Octavian during the Roman civil wars and fearing the attacks of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, built on the highest point of the hill, a palace, extending and reinforcing the old fortress, because its location was difficult considered strategic and impregnable.
Every plot is based on the works of Flavius Josephus who was a leader of Jews in the province of Jerusalem, before its domination by the Romans.
The film extols the qualities of Roman engineering and the heroism and unity of the Jews of Masada rebels who are opposed to groups that defended Jerusalem, who fought amongst themselves, when the Roman legionnaires were preparing to take the city.
Since the annexation of Judea to the Roman Empire, this region was considered a rebel territory. Besides the religious fervor of the oppressed population, added to the cauldron, a deadly hatred against their captors abroad, sparking riots that were violently suppressed by the Roman authorities.
Palestine, 66 years d. C.. The uprisings erupted increasingly to foretelling a major war. Zealots led a revolt that spread giant of Galilee to Idumea, leveraging the most diverse and conflicting Jewish factions, except the Christians.
Finally, after several incursions, the Roman government was unsuccessful in 70 d. C., to send to the Jews, the elite troops, led by Vespasian and then by his son Titus, being surrounded Jerusalem and its temple destroyed.
The fortress of Massada was the last outbreak of resistance against the Roman army, falling in 73 d. C., 3 years after Jerusalem. In his defense was little more than 900 people, including women and children, and was Eleazar Ben Yair for comm (Peter Srauss), which endured for two years.
However, they were decimated after the 15 thousand soldiers of the Tenth Legion''s army, led by the governor and General Cornelius Flavius Silva (Peter O''Toole).
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