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New Interest in Masada Inspired by Gann's Novel

Masada has become a rallying
symbol in tasks for the preserva-
tion of Israel and Jewish commun-
ities everywhere. Deriving inspira-
tion from the Jews on that moun-
tain against the Romans in the
first century of this era, there have
been diggings and the original
area has been restored under the
guidance of Prof. Yogal Yadin.
Dr. Yadin wrote the exciting story
of that venture, and other books
have appeared on the Masada
theme.
Now we have another inspired
work—a novel based on the Mas-
ada experience. Ernest K. Gann,
whose earlier works dealt with
activities on land, sea and in the
air, turned to Masada for his new
novel which he has titled "The
Antagonists" and which has been
published by Simon and Schuster.
Gann's dramatic work, which
serves to add significance to the
Masada story, centers, as he
explains, "on two great his-
torical figures who had clashed,
each believing in what he was
doing." The two figures are
additionally outlined by Gann in
an explanatory note in which
he stated: When I came to Mas-
ada and climbed the tortuous
`snake path' to its summit I was
thoroughly inspired. I reminded
myself that Josephus, who had
written the only contemporary
account of Masada, had never
actually been on the scene as
we were now, nor had he ever
looked down from the heights
upon the Roman camps of Gen-
eral Silva while standing where
the Jew Eleazar ben Yair_ must
have stood. So being there and
seeing below me the legionnaires
sweating and cursing in the ter-
rible sun and sensing all about
me the desperate Jews, I dec-
ided that even though I was an
alien and 1,900 years late I had
as much right to retell the story
as did Josephus."

Gann's novel is the result of an
inspiration. It was from Josephus
that the major Masada story was
derived, and Gann gathered what
he sought from him and turned
his reconstructed story into a
novel.
To accomplish his purpose,
Gann introduced into his narra-
tive a love angle, General Sil-
va's having succumbed to the
Jewess he had held captive,
Sheva. She inspired in him a
love for her. He craved for her
affections. She showed contempt
for him, the Roman. After the
Masada heroes were subdued,
he hoped to claim her and to
have her inspire him anew for
new triumphs.
It is best told in the final words,
as Silva witnesses how he had
been defeated by the mass suic-
ides that deprived him of cap-
fives on the Masada mountain top.
He had Titus to look to, the rulers
in Rome, and a future which he
hoped to share, by tasting her
love, with Sheva. Gann presents
it in this fashion as Silva stands
on the Masada hill and studies the
result of Jewish resistance:
"As he took off his buckler and
draped it along with his sword
across his arm he wondered idly
if the buzzards would ever learn
the difference between victorious
and vanquished.
"He shuddered and warned him-
self he must not hold the grue-

15 Tons of Lipschitz Work
Are Flown to Tel Aviv

LYDDA — El Al airfreighted
here one of its most valuable con-
signments when 100 s p e c i a lly
crated pieces of statuary and
sculpture were flown in by special
flight from Frankfurt.
Weighing over 15 tons, the con-
signment represents more than
half a century of the works of the
famous Jewish sculptor, Jacques
Lipschitz.
While Silva and Eleazar are the
The works of art, which are in-
extraordinary personalities who sured for $2,500,000, were guarded
-en-ierge_ as the main _factors guid- continuously by special security
ing -f&- activities described in this officers. - •
novel, Gann als-o asserts that "it's.
Unloading of the consignment
about people, all my novels are was carried- out in the record
because it's people, I am really time of 28 minutes.
interested in."
Indeed, "The Antagonists" is Egyptians Learn a Lesson
about people, about a generation
JERUSALEM — To the Israeli
of Jews who fought to retain
national independence, who sac- ear- attuned to Hebrew grammer,
rificed their lives rather than risk the verbal atrocities emerging
enslavement—the slavery that was from loudspeakers across the Shez
the result of defeat at the hands Canal were too much to bear:
One Israeli soldier, 1,vh -o, could
of the Romans.
take the so-called psychological
"I had never.- seen to Israel warfare but -could not stand up
And was totally unprepared for.. under the barrage of mispronuncia-
the dash and unity of national tions, finally_ took matters into his
spirit which so marks that re-
own hands. He mounted the- em-
markable land. Yet it was easy
bankment - to shout - corrections
to follow the works of Josephus,
across the waterway._
and somehow the centuries since
Although he could do nothing
his relation of certain events
about the speaker's accent, the
about Jerusalem seemed to slip
young soldier apparently wrought
away until I often had an uncan-
some miracle on. the Egyptians.
ny feeling he walked beside
They soon began incorporating his
us."
grammatical improvements.

some image of Masada any long-
er in his mind. Now to new and
more admirable things. Sheva
would be waiting. There were
worlds to conquer in her com-
pany, worlds without flies and
stink and bodies dripping blood as
they rotted in the sun, worlds for
a soldier who now wanted only
peace.
"He began to walk very slowly
down the ramp. How unsatisfy-
ing. He had risked his career in
building this great incline and yet
there would never be any reason
for him to climb it again. Away
with such brooding. Now only
Sheva mattered and plans, plans!
Dear woman, we can now actually
make plans!
"His pace quickened as he con-
sidered the essential matters
which must first claim his atten-
tion. A few weeks more in Pales-
tine to assure all was calm, then
by ship to Ostia. Strange, he had
never inquired if the sea made
her ill. Then to Rome for a few
days, of course—it would be nec-
essary and might even be produc-
tive. Perhaps Sheva's peculiar
charm might help Titus melt down
a regulation or two. It was not
really important. The important
thing, the exciting prospect, was
that within less than a week of
arriving on Roman soil you would
lift her up in your arms and carry
her across the threshold of Praeg-
neste!
"Imagine! After waiting all
these years, both love and honors!
"He smiled, and when he dis-
covered he was half running down
his ramp, he began to laugh softly
at his youthful eagerness."
One wonders after this reaction
whether the Romans understood
what was transpiring. Gann's tale
portrays Silva as having been
moved, but was it a remote feel-
ing? New triumphs were what
mattered, as contrasted with the
Jewish will to live, to survive, to
defy danger in rejecting slavery.
"The Anagonists" is a novel
with much power, serving' to re-
new the interest that has created
so much fascination in the Masada
story." —P.S.

THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS

Friday, April 16, 1971-21

Judge Fines Louisiana Man for Slandering Jew

NEW ORLEANS—The presiding language.
judge in the U.S. District Court
Ronnie Shaab had complained to
in East Baton Rouge found a local the ADL's regional office about
man guilty of slander and ordered the incident, which arose when he
him to pay $500 in damages for
calling a fellow apartment dweller and the defendant, B. F. Coxe,
a "dirty Jew," among other vile got into a fight over use of the
apartment pool. The ADL advised
Shaab to bring suit.
The trial lasted for two days, and
But They're ALWAYS
Judge Lewis S. Doherty III issued
Fooling With the
the verdict. During the course of
the trial, the defendant protested
Roads in Israel .. .
that "Some of my best friends in
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A prank New Orleans are Jews, high type
caused a major traffic snarl out- people."
side of Jerusalem recently.
Practical jokers, as yet unappre- jet 11111111111 MUIR IMO '
hended by the authorities, switched
II1
the direction of the arrows on MI MODERNIZATION
traffic lights at the entrance to A SALESPEOPLE
it
Jerusalem. Hundreds of unsuspect-
$
WANTED
ing motorists made the wrong
II
turn, creating a jam that took II To sell and supervise X
police several hours to unravel.
X for long established ag- ir
Drivers said they didn't question • gressive contractor. Ex- J .
the reversal of the arrows because it perience and car neces-
they were used to seeing detour
sary. Set your own 111
..,
signs on the Jerusalem highway
that seems to be constantly under m schedule. Right person XI
ili can easily make $15,- it
repair.
They forgot that the day was I 000 to $25,000 in one X
X year.
April 1.

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Most are engaged in business
VA LLOLN
the greater part of their lives, xAC
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because they have not discovered a CONSTRUCTION CO. 0(
any continuous employment for S
835-4400
5
man's nobler faculties.
—Henry David Thoreau NAM* R111111.11)C.,

James Otenbacker, Utica,
Talks About Electric Heat

.

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of his new book at

cRadf--07E BOOKSELLER

Northland Center

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3-4 p.m.

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