A View of Sea of Galilee, Gamla Fall, and Daliot Wadi, from Gamla fortress in the Golan Heights -6
A View of Sea of Galilee, Gamla Fall, and Daliot Wadi, from Gamla fortress in the Golan Heights -6
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Josephus Flavius, Commander of Galilee during the Jewish Revolt against Rome, in 66 CE fortified Gamla as his main stronghold on the Golan.[5] Josephus gives a very detailed topographical description of the city and the steep ravines which precluded the need to build a wall around it. Only along the northern saddle, at the town's eastern extremity, was a 350 meters-long wall built. It was constructed by blocking gaps between existing houses and destroying houses that lay in its way.[6][7]
The Archaeological Evidence of the Revolt at Gamla
Danny Syon
Dedicated to the memory of Shmarya Gutmann (1909--1996).The siege and battle of Gamla are described in detail by Josephus (
War
IV: 1.1--83)
1
.Elsewhere (
Life
11, 24, 35, 37, 58--61, 71--72;
War
II, 20,6) Josephus tells of the prelude to these events: how Gamla was initially loyal to the Romans because it wasin the hands of Agrippa II; how it turned rebellious under the influence of the refugeesflowing in; how Josephus helped the inhabitants fortify the city and how Agrippa besieged it. He also tells of the skirmish between him and Sylla, general of Agrippa II,who tried to block the roads leading from Galilee to the Golan, and especially toGamla.Vespasian had two reasons for taking Gamla. First, Roman strategy called for theelimination of
all
resistance, no matter how remote or slight. Second, the Jews wereexpecting help from their brethren of the Babylonian Diaspora and militaryintervention from Parthia, even if the majority saw in this a messianic expectationrather than a realistic one (Rappaport 1989:375,377,378). The only district of Judaeaor Galilee with direct access to Parthia, with no hostile pagan cities blocking the way,was Jewish Gaulanitis and its capital, Gamla. Hence, its capture was of importance to Vespasian.
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CIMG3383 View from Gamla of Sea of Galille Gamla Falls and Daliot Wadi -6