Writing about writing

So we are susposed to write this "remembered event" story for english class. Tomorrow the rough draft is due and I have no idea what to write. I guess I decided to start here because it is more of a casual writing atmosphere than Ms Word. I guess the topic I finally decided to write on was when I visited Masada. I'm writing about it because for some reason it stuck out as a highlight of my trip. The only problem is that I still can't figure out why I enjoyed it so much. Maybe a better word is "Intrigued." I was intrigued by the place. I mean common'...a prosperous city is coming under attack and rather than being taken hostage by some pagan army they choose to murder their own families and then themselves? So alright, I'll give myself some credit for my interest. Another problem I can see is that in order to explain this story clear enough it is going to require alot of history. How do I keep this paper on target to being a "remmebered event" essay and not a history book? And another thing, how to I explain to a secular classroom filled with who knows what kinds of people that these people were not mad? Or were they mad? I would prefer not to create the image of all believers being madmen. Maybe I should do a little mroe studying up on what a zelot is, or was.

As we stood there on the bluff, overlooking the Dead Sea valley, I could see Masada. The sight was magnificent. Masada, being the Hebrew word for "fortress" definitly stood as a fortress in the desert. It seemed untouchable. Despite the magesty it held, and my awe at the mere sight, nothing could intrigue or amaze me the same as what happened on that very summit more than two thousand years previous. I tried to picture the scene unfolding, as I stood there, ready to acend with my group to the top of the fortress.

The Roman army was pressing their way up. They had built a "seige ramp" in order to reach the summit, and that is exactly what I was standing on, ready to climb. They used it to push up the seige engine they had also made in order to break down the walls of the city. I could just imagine what the Jewish settlers of Masada were thinking as they inevitably watched on and knew there would be no escape. Rome, being the most powerful nation at the time, became aware that this was a city filled with rebels who would not submit to the Roman authority and this was the reason for the attack.

The end resolve of the Jews, however, was that they would not be swayed from their intentions. They were a noble people, some may call them stubborn, but they held to what they believed. That evening, as the Roman battering ram broke through the city's outer wall the people of Masada gathered. The Roman army returned to their camp for the night keeping close watch around the city to see that noone escaped. They would return for an easy attack in the morning. Eleazar, a leader among those at Masada is recorded to have said to his bravest men, "Long ago we decided to serve neither Roman nor anyone else except God, and now the time has come to verify that resolution by action. We, who were the first to revolt and are the last in arms against the Romans, must not disgrace ourselves by letting our wives die dishonored and our children enslaved. We still have the free choice of a noble death with those we hold dear. when they are gone, let us render a generous service to each other. But first we must destroy our property and fortress by fire, sparing only our provisions, so that the romans will know it was not hunger that subdued us, but that we preferred death to slavery." He went on to say, "Let us die as free men with our wives and children and deny the romans their joy of victory! Let us rather strike them with amazement with our brave death!" And that's what happened. When the Romans came bursting through the city walls the next morning they were prepared for triumph but instead were filled with shock, awe and even respect at what they saw.

What drives men to do such things as kill their own families? Belief, decisions and commitments are strong things. That day, as I walked in the same path as the Roman soldiers, as I stood is the very spot those men murdered their families and then themselves, I didn't know what to think. I just knew that the story I had just been told about those Jewish zelots was one bravery and commitment. Commitment to eachother, themselves and mostly to their God.


Okay, total rough draft but I like writing things, so I'll go over it and I'm sure the next product (assuming I will give myself more time to work on it and earlier than midnight) will be MUCH better:) Let's only hope, eh?