Feasting before the War: Social Structure and Organization of Masada’s Rebels

摘要

The ceramic assemblage of the rebels at Masada is compared with other contemporary sites in order to determine whether it is unique or conventional. Consequently, the rebels ’ material culture is examined to understand their social organization and structure, with an eye to their spatial organization, according to their food consumption and food preparation. The proportion of tableware, storage and cooking vessels, as well as the number and location of ovens and stoves in each building, attest to significant differences in how food was prepared, and the ways it was eaten: from a ceremonial feast with many participants (in the Western Palace and perhaps in Building 11) to a simple meal eaten from communal serving utensils, probably in small social units (in the Casemate Wall and Building 13), and several ways of eating and cooking between these two extremes in the other buildings. This leads to the conclusion that the rebels were divided into several communities with different practices and social structure.