Catastrophe and Courage
This place is Masada, the ancient cliff fortress in Israel. As my friends have been posting about Hanukkah, I thought to share this drawing. Masada is an outlier in a series of drawings of catastrophic geological events in Earth History. Not oddly, the drawings are beautiful, awe-inspiring even, because natural forces are beautiful in and of themselves. Masada is the last, and only drawing that even refers to puny human lives.
It seems to be a repeating history: as the Jews faced annihilation they fled. In this ancient version a group of thousands retreated to the cliff top fortress they called Masada. They held out there for some time, attesting to the courage that humans are capable of. It ended with a siege, and a decision to commit mass suicide rather than live in slavery. Masada means strong foundation or support. Hanukkah means rededication. It is not a linear logic, but Masada was, for me, a drawing of hope. In ancient times humans were capable of courage, sacrifice, and dignity in the face of existential threat. And, Jews are still here!
Now, I am not Jewish and know little of Jewish faith and tradition, but have been drawn to ancient history, beliefs, and artifacts my whole life. Because my own upbringing was rootless and devoid of tradition (long story) I gravitate toward the long view of humanity, possibly for some sense of continuity, or a search for lasting wisdom to guide my own perspective. The same has been true in my study of science, with favorite topics such as evolutionary biology and geology. I would, in fact, prefer to live in my own mind’s imaginings of history on a large thematic scale, than I would my daily chore-filled life!
Like other artists, I absorb my environment in its entirety, subconsciously integrate and transform it, and then spit it out. Recent years required a great deal of integration of anxiety and I continue to suffer from the now common grief and worry about human degradation of the life support systems of Earth. My drawings of massively destructive geological events act as a form of worship, the way Hawaiians have worshipped volcano goddesses. Please don’t annihilate us! Masada reminds me that humans can be brave and strong and unified. And, in the case of Masada, two women and five children hid, and survived to tell the tale.
