No, kat, Masada was much later. Pesach commemmorates the events in the second book of the Bible, Exodus (Sh'mot, or "Names", in Hebrew), after Joseph went down into Egypt and the Hebrews became successful, "there arose a king who knew not Joseph", I believe it was Ramesses but I may be wrong. Somewhere around 4,000 years ago, I believe, but don't quote me. Egyptians, not Romans. Here's another interesting bit. The Hebrew word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, is derived from a Hebrew word meaning limit or enclosure. The rabbis say that we should feel the retelling of the story as an opportunity to escape whatever encloses us and prevents us from reaching our full potential.

Thanks again, kat, for starting this enjoyable thread. Happy Easter/spring/MayDay/Beltane to you.

Aloha,
Mark