מורדי מצדה: אליטיזם, סעודות וארגון חברתי לאור ממצא כלי החרס

The ceramic assemblage used by the rebels of Masada during the late Second Temple period and immediately after the destruction of the Temple was rich and diverse. The composition of the ceramic assemblage from Masada was similar to that of Jerusalem’s wealthy upper city of the first century CE, rather than to the small rural settlements in the Dead Sea region. Furthermore, during the period of the rebels’ activity, the Herodian buildings underwent many architectural alterations, and many installations, mainly those for cooking, were installed throughout the site. These together attest to an economically strong society, living a lifestyle of options rather than one of necessity. The diversity of the finds around the site suggest some of Masada’s residents perceived themselves as a social elite. The classification of the ceramic vessel types uncovered throughout the site into categories of storage vessels, cooking untensils and tableware indicates that the functional ceramic division of the Masada rebels was generally similar to that of the contemporary settlements in Machaerus, Ein Gedi, Ein Bokek and Gamla. However, the relationships between these three functional categories differed significantly from one structure to another in Masada itself. For example, in the Western Palace and Building 11 there was an abundancy of tableware, whereas in Building 13 and in the rooms of the casemate wall surrounding the perimeter of the site, fewer vessels used as tableware were uncovered. In addition, in Building 13 and in the casemate wall dwellings, almost every unit contained a cooking installation, indicating that each small social unit prepared its food separately and independently. In the Western Palace and Building 11 there were very few ovens and stoves; these were concentrated in specific areas in the building, attesting to cooperation in the preparation of food. This, along with the rich presence of tableware indicates that both food preparation and consumption were communal. These findings illuminate a very complex structure of the rebels’ organization at Masada: some had internal communal relations and cooked and dined together, while others did so independently. The social and cultural diversity suggest that Masada had distinct, perhaps opposing, groups of residents, each with different perceptions and preferences regarding the need for contact and cooperation amongst the residents of neighboring buildings and units.