Masada and the Meaning of History
This talk uses Masada, the site and historical event as a case study for exploring how fiction and fact interact and are closer to one another than one might otherwise presume. The talk examines how an ancient myth about Masada was transmitted and adapted through millennia until it arrived in modernity and became something wholly other. The talk highlights how colonialism, zionism, and the politics of modern Israel transformed a myth into history with the cooperation of academic research, artistic production, and even the United Nations.
Published in Masada and the Meaning of History, 2026
Read the article here