ABSTRACT
This chapter considers that the Aztec kingdom was made up of many different groups of people, some of whom had previously been conquered, colonized, and abused by the Aztecs. The Aztecs were great believers in the power of divination; the interpretation of omens was an essential part of their lives. The chapter also considers the impact of Masada as a representation of Jewish identity, and its possible influence on the political views of contemporary Israelis. Masada seemed to have disappeared from Jewish historical accounts until the nineteenth century, with the rise of European Zionism. After its “discovery”, Masada became a patriotic symbol, a lesson to be learned by the Jews settling in Palestine. For the Zionist settlers of the early twentieth century in Palestine, Masada became a significant symbol: it stood as an example of a heroic war of national liberation.
