Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-172.73.237.191-20171118182528/@comment-37735968-20181219155651

I hadn't heard of either of those mass suicides before now, and I just did some research. Creepy stuff.

However, I think that this particular incident is closer to the Siege of Masada. Masada was a mountaintop stronghold populated by Jews seeking refuge from the Romans. It was thought to be impenetrable due to its height and isolation. Over a period of time, the Roman built a huge earthen ramp so that they could finally get in. When the Jewish elders heard of this, they commanded each man to kill his wife and children, so that they could die with dignity instead of at the Romans' hands.