The Sicarii Defended Masada from the Romans
Sicarri, Latin for “dagger wielders”, carried "sicae", or small daggers, concealed in their cloaks which they would pull out and murder Jews who were Roman sympathizers.
Josephus, War of the Jews, 2.13.3
“...there sprang up another sort of robbers in Jerusalem, which were called Sicarii, who slew men in the daytime, and in the midst of the city: [they] concealed daggers under their garments, with which they stabbed those that were their enemies;
A group of about 1,000 Sicarii, led by Elazar ben Yair, escaped and sought refuge at Masada between 66 and 73 CE. The fortress on top of a high, isolated rock plateau was almost inaccessible, and it took the Romans a lot of time and man power to build a ramp to reach its top.
Overview
The Sicarii were a splinter group of the Jewish Zealots who, in the decades preceding the Jewish Revolt of 66 CE, opposed Jews who were sympathetic to Roman domination. The Sicarii carried sicae, or small daggers, concealed in their cloaks. At public gatherings, they pulled out these daggers, murdering Jews who were Roman sympathizers. The name “Sicarii” comes from Latin, meaning “dagger wielders.”
Led by Eleazar, the Sicarii occupied Masada from 66-73 CE.
Josephus, War of the Jews, 2.13.3
“...there sprang up another sort of robbers in Jerusalem, which were called Sicarii, who slew men in the day time, and in the midst of the city: this they did chiefly at the festivals, when they mingled themselves among the multitude, and concealed daggers under their garments, with which they stabbed those that were their enemies; and when any fell down dead, the murderers became a part of those that had indignation against them, by which means they appeared persons of such reputation, that they could by no means be discovered.”
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