La liberté par le sang

Details

Supervisors

Van Haeperen, Françoise

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en histoire

Abstract

enFreedom through blood Through the prism of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, i.e. the main source evoking the sicarii, this study intends to look back at the role played by these men during the First Jewish Revolt, a conflict opposing Jews and Romans between 66 and 73 AD. In order to better understand its roots and its stakes, the study will first examine the troubled context that preceded and foretold this war. Then, it will focus on some biographical information about Flavius Josephus, who played a key role in this conflict, both on the Jewish and on the Roman side. Once the contextual framework defined and the main source presented, a section dealing with the philosophy that guided the sicarii will follow. This will enable us to fully grasp the significance of the actions performed by this group of rebels during the conflict. Sicarii's acts will then be described and analyzed. The last part of this study will detail the episode of Masada, named after the fortress which was the last stronghold of Jewish resistance and where the collective suicide of the sicarii took place in 73. Over the 20th century, this episode received an unexpected posterity as it was held up as the symbol of Jewish resistance against the enemy by the Zionist movement, thus leading to the making of the myth of Masada as a land of shelter for the Jews. This shift from history to myth made it possible to forge a bond between the ancient siege and the symbolism that still inhabits this place today.