Masada

Jodi Magness is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her books include The Archaeology of the Holy Land from the Destruction of Solomon’s Temple to the Muslim Conquest and Stone and Dung, Oil and Spit: Jewish Daily Life in the Time of Jesus. In 1995, Magness codirected excavations in the Roman siege works at Masada, and since 2011 she has directed excavations at Huqoq in Galilee.

"Clearly written, well-organised, and informative… Magness’ book is certain to be the ‘go to’ work about Masada for a long time to come."---David Rodman, Israel Affairs --- "The best single volume for understanding [Masada’s] remains in the context of both the first Jewish Revolt and the modern myth."---Michael Press, Palestine Exploration Quarterly --- "Magness in her distinctive way has given us a wonderful presentation to supplement the huge literature on the archaeology of Masada. Her book is a perfect read for undergraduates, continuing education students, and the general reader."---Eric M. Meyers, Dead Sea Discoveries --- "This is a special book. . . . Masada is discussed from various angles in an enjoyable way."---Jan Willem van Henten, Journal for the Study of Judaism --- "[Masada is a] splendid book, which not only offers a cogent analysis of the controversy itself, but also furnishes a superb overview of both the Hasmonean and Herodian eras, a particularly tangled stretch of Jewish history . . .[Magness] expresses no firm opinion about whether Josephus is a trustworthy source of information about the siege of Masada – but instead is out to make accessible to the interested layperson not only the broader story of the fortress, but also the turbulent history of the two centuries that preceded the siege . . . Magness’ book is certain to be the ‘go to’ work about Masada for a long time to come."---David Rodman, Israel Affairs --- "Mag­ness has man­aged the dif­fi­cult feat of writ­ing for both the schol­ar and the inter­est­ed non-spe­cial­ist read­er."---Gila Wertheimer, Jewish Book Council --- "[Magness is] a rare field archaeologist skilled in transforming technical findings into riveting and thoroughly readable historiography . . revealing why Masada has mattered to so many people throughout history and continues to do so today."---Karen B. Stern, American Journal of Archaeology --- "[Magness'] balanced and judicious tone throughout makes this book indispensable to anyone interested in understanding Masada’s contested past (and present)."---Gwyn Davies, Strata --- "[Masada] will surely stimulate further discussion, at both the academic and popular level, on the archaeological evidence behind the myth as well as the general contribution of archaeology to our understanding of and relationship to cultural history."---Eyal Regev, Review of Biblical Literature --- "[In Masada] Magness provides the reader with a panoptic overview of the context in which Masada was built, occupied and defended and draws together the latest archaeological research to elucidate the biography of the site itself . . . Magness . . . [gives] us a clear account integrating the latest scholarship with her intimate personal knowledge of the site. Her balanced and judicious tone throughout makes this book indispensable to anyone interested in understanding Masada’s contested past (and present)."---Gwyn Davies, Strata: Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society --- "Jodi Magness takes her readers on a whistle-stop tour of the excavations [at Masada]."---Michael Squire, Greece and Rome --- "Magness’s conversational style will inform and entertain both the general and specialist reader."---Lindsay Powell, Ancient History --- "Jodi Magness’s new book, Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth, is an important contribution to our understanding of Masada and its historical context. Not only is it well-written, including personal experiences, her own research, and her association with the famous Israeli archeologists who supervised excavations at Masada; it also is a thorough presentation of what was discovered there, the historical period, and a comprehensive review of the literature and various theories about what happened there, and why. It is, therefore, an essential read."---Moshe Dann, The Jerusalem Report --- "Archaeologist Jodi Magness succeeds in producing a rewarding and stimulating book that is accessible and up to date."---Michaël Girardin, Bryn Mawr Classical Review --- "The appealing narrative launches itself in time-honoured fashion in medias res, with an account of the Roman siege that took place three years after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70."---Claire Gruzelier, Classics for All Reviews --- "All those interested in [Masada], or planning a visit, will find their understanding enriched by [Magness’s] clear and readable guide."---Matti Friedman, Mosaic --- "Fascinating. . . . The overall high quality of [Masada] and its author’s personal acquaintance with both the archaeological and literary source material cannot be questioned."---Daniel Sugarman, Jewish Chronicle --- "Filled with fascinating details; [Masada] is informative and judicious."---Glenn C. Altschuler, Jerusalem Post --- "[Jodi Magness is] fascinating on the conflation of archaeology and nationalism in modern Israel’s use of the ‘Masada myth’."---Justin Marozzi, The Spectator --- "Magness vividly describes the archaeological evidence for life on the mountaintop [of Masada]."---Josephine Quinn, London Review of Books --- "Persuasive."---James Romm, New York Review of Books --- "Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in History"