ocr: THE JEWISH WARS A moat of wilderness surrounds the desert fortress of Masada, near Israel's Dead Sea coast, site of one of Rome's most inglorious victories. For nearly nvo years (A.D. 72-73) fewver than a thousand Jewish rebels held out here agaunst a siege force of 15,000 Ro- mans. Finally the army succeeded in building a ramp to the top of the 1,424-foot-high mesa. Rather than sutrender, the defenders killei thenselves. Piercely attonalistic and umwilling to worship the emperor, the Jeies probably received the harshest treatment of all Rome's subjects. Tivice the Romans sacked lerusalem. A s ...
