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'''Gamla''' ({{lang-he|גַּמְלָא}}, {{literal translation}} the camel), also '''Gamala''', was an ancient [[Jews|Jewish]] town on the [[Golan Heights]]. Believed to have been founded as a [[Seleucid]] fort during the [[Syrian Wars]], it transitioned into a predominantly Jewish settlement that came under [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean]] rule in 81 BCE.<ref name=AndreaBerlin/><ref name=":3" /> The town's name reflects its location on a high, elongated ridge with steep slopes resembling a camel's hump.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |lastlast1=Joyce |firstfirst1=Marilyn |title=Handbook of Synagogue Architecture |last2=Segal |last3=Chiat |publisher=Brown University |year=1982 |isbn=0-89130-524- 6 |series=Brown Judaic Studies |volume=28 |pages=282-283282–283}}</ref>
 
Gamla served as a key rebel stronghold during the [[First Jewish–Roman War|Great Jewish Revolt]] against [[Roman Empire|Rome]]. In the summer of 67 CE, after an extended siege and battle, Roman forces under [[Vespasian]] ultimately captured the town and massacred its inhabitants.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Rogers |first=Guy MacLean |title=For the Freedom of Zion: the Great Revolt of Jews against Romans, 66-74 CE |date=2021 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-24813-5 |location=New Haven |pages=252, 258-259, 537}}</ref> The Jewish historian [[Josephus]], who accompanied the Roman army, provides detailed accounts of these events in his work, "[[The Jewish War]]."<ref>''Gamla III (1)''. p. 12</ref>
 
The remains of Gamla were discovered in the 1968 survey of the Golan,<ref name=":1" /> with geographical features matching Josephus' descriptions.<ref name=":2">{{Citation |last=Aviam |first=Mordechai |title=The archaeological illumination of Josephus’Josephus' narrative of the battles at Yodefat and Gamla |date=2007-01-01 |work=Making History |pages=373 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789047409069/Bej.9789004150089.i-471_020.xml |access-date=2024-06-06 |publisher=Brill |language=en |doi=10.1163/ej.9789004150089.i-471.126 |isbn=978-90-474-0906-9}}</ref> Located approximately 10 kilometers inland from the [[Sea of Galilee]],<ref name=":1" /> the town was built on the southeastern slope of Mount Gamla.<ref name=":2" /> Archaeological excavations, starting in 1970 and continuing periodically, have unearthed city walls enclosing an area of about 180 dunams, a water conduit system, [[Mikveh|ritual baths]], Herodian lamps, [[Stone vessels in ancient Judaea|stone vessels]], and thousands of [[Hasmonean coinage|Hasmonean coins]].<ref name="evidence" /><ref name="YA" /> One of the earliest [[Gamla Synagogue|synagogues]] in the [[Land of Israel]], believed to date back to the late 1st century BCE, was discovered near the town wall in 1976.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name="YUP" />
 
Due to its historical significance during the revolt, Gamla is a symbol for the modern state of Israel and an important archaeological site.<ref name="evidence" /> It is located within the [[Gamla nature reserve|Gamla Nature Reserve]] and serves as a prominent tourist attraction. The site features ruins available for visitation and is home to various wildlife, including [[Rock hyrax|rock hyraxes]], wild boars, and numerous species of [[Raptor (bird)|raptors]].<ref name=":6" />
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Gamla gained historical significance during the [[First Jewish–Roman War|Great Jewish Revolt]] against Rome as a major rebel stronghold. Initially loyal to the Romans, Gamla turned rebellious under the influence of refugees from other locations,<ref name="evidence" /> after Philip, son of Yakim, one of [[Herod Agrippa II|Agrippa II]]'s generals, left the town. A man named Joseph, son of the midwife, persuaded the town's elders to revolt.<ref name=":4">''Gamla III (1)''. p. 11</ref> The town grew as it became a haven for refugees fleeing the Roman advance in Galilee. Archaeological evidence, such as hearths and storage jars, confirms the presence of a large population. During the revolt, the town minted its own coins, likely more as propaganda than currency.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Popovic |first1=Mladen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tmCWlYQDrOoC&pg=PA368 |title=The Jewish Revolt Against Rome: Interdisciplinary Perspectives |date=2001 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004216686 |page=368}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Syon |first1=Danny |title=Tyre and Gamla: A Study in the Monetary Inlfluence of Southern Phoenicia on Galilee and the Golan in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods |date=2004 |publisher=Hebrew University}}</ref> These coins, bearing the inscription "For the redemption of Jerusalem the H(oly)" in a mixture of paleo-Hebrew (biblical) and Aramaic, have been found in only six instances.<ref name="evidence" />
 
According to [[Josephus|Flavius Josephus]], who served as the commander of [[Galilee]] during the early phases of the revolt, he fortified Gamla by building a city wall.<ref>[[Gamla#JosephusB|Josephus, ''The Wars of the Jews'']] 2, 574.</ref><ref>''Gamla III (1)''. p. 14</ref> Josephus gives a very detailed topographical description of the city, which he also referred to as ''Gamala'',<ref>BibleWalks.com, [http://www.biblewalks.com/sites/Gamla.html Gamla], accessed 12 December 2015</ref> 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 metersmeter-long wall built. It was constructed by blocking gaps between existing houses and destroying houses that lay in its way.<ref name="aviam" /><ref name="rocca1" /> It was one of only five cities in the [[Galilee]] and Golan whichthat stood against [[Vespasian]]'s legions, reflecting the cooperation between the local population and the rebels.<ref name="rocca2" />
 
The city sustained the first seven-month siege, which was organized in 66 CE by [[Herod Agrippa II]]. On October 12, 67 CE a total of about 60 thousand soldiers under the command of Vespasian began a second siege.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Aune|first1=David E.|title=Gamla|url=http://www3.nd.edu/~daune/near_east_arch/gamla/gamla.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503142554/http://www3.nd.edu/~daune/near_east_arch/gamla/gamla.htm|archive-date=2013-05-03}}</ref> The inhabitants of the city, including armed rebels, were, according to Josephus, only 9,000 people. Kenneth Atkinson calls this number clearly exaggerated. Nevertheless, Danny Syon writes that before the siege Gamla became a refuge city, into which both insurgents from all over the Galilee and residents of the surrounding villages flocked. There were not enough places in the city, and even the [[Gamla Synagogue|city synagogue]] was adapted to accommodate refugees.<ref name=":4" />
 
The seizure of the city was of fundamental importance to Vespasian. According to the existing strategy, it was necessary to seize and suppress all the centers of resistance along the route, however small. In addition, the Jews expected, albeit unreasonably, the possible assistance of [[Jews of Babylonia|Jews from Babylonia]] and the military intervention of [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Syon|first1=D|title='City of Refuge': The Archeological Evidence of the Revolt at Gamla|url=https://www.academia.edu/360711}}</ref> Although Josephus, who led the consolidation of the defense of Gamla, describes it as a fortress, archaeological findings show that in fact the walls were constructed in fragments, filling in the gaps between buildings to create a continuous line of fortifications.
 
Josephus also provides a detailed description of the Roman siege and conquest of Gamla in 67 CE by components of legions [[Legio X Fretensis|X ''Fretensis'']], [[Legio XV Apollinaris|XV ''Apollinaris'']] and [[Legio V Macedonica|V ''Macedonica'']].<ref name=josephus>[[#JosephusB|Josephus, ''The Wars of the Jews'']] 4, 1-83.</ref> The Romans first attempted to take the city by means of a siege ramp, but were repulsed by the defenders. Only on the second attempt did the Romans succeed in breaching the walls at three different locations and invading the city. They then engaged the Jewish defenders in hand-to-hand combat up the steep hill. Fighting in the cramped streets from an inferior position, the Roman soldiers attempted to defend themselves from the roofs. These subsequently collapsed under the heavy weight, killing many soldiers<ref name=aviam/> and forcing a Roman retreat. The legionnaires re-entered the town a few days later, eventually beatingovercoming Jewish resistance and completing the capture of Gamla.<ref name=rocca3/>
 
Gamla is often compared with the more famous story of the fortress of [[Masada]], where the defenders, not wanting to surrender to the Romans, committed suicide. Sometimes Gamla is even called the "Northern Masada" or "Masada Golan." However, Dani Zion emphasizes that Masada was a fortress, originally built as a fortification facility, where several hundred families of rebels were hiding and where there was no battle as such. Gamla, onin the other handcontrast, was a city where fortification was carried out in connection with military operations and where real heavy fighting took place before theits capture and destruction. According to Josephus, some 4,000 inhabitants were slaughtered, while 5,000, trying to escape down the steep northern slope, were either were trampled to death, fell or perhaps threw themselves down a ravine.<ref name=josephus/> These numbers appear to be exaggerated and the number of inhabitants on the eve of the revolt has been estimated at 3,000–4,000.<ref name=weiss/>
 
==Identification==
[[File:Gamla – Ballista model (2).JPG|thumb|Reconstruction of the Roman Ballista]]
The [[Israel Antiquities Authority]] has, of late,{{When|date=July 2024}} taken the position that the ancient site of Gamla is to be identified with the site known as ''Tell es Salām'' (shown on map) which, itself, is a corruption of the Arabic word, ''es-Sanām'' (the hump).<ref>Danny Syon, [http://www.antiquities.org.il/Article_eng.aspx?sec_id=17&subj_id=296&id=509 Identification of Gamla], [[Israel Antiquities Authority]].</ref> In previous years, the site had been identified with ''Tell ed-Drāʿ'', a place ca. {{convert|20|km|mi|sp=us}} east of Lake Tiberias in the [[Ruqqad]] river-bed, based on Konrad Furrer's identification of the site in 1889.<ref>The identification of Gamla with ''Tell ed-Drāʿ'' was mainly based on the similarity of the old name with that of the nearby village called ''Gamle'' (''al-Jamlah'', Syria), and on the shape of the spur which resembles a camel. For a discussion on this dispute, see Bezalel Bar-Kochva, ''Gamla in Gaulanitis'', pub. in: Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins, Bd. 92, H. 1 (1976), pp. 54-71 (English), who presents arguments in favor of the priority of the earlier identification; (see: {{cite journal |last=Bar-Kochva |first=Bezalel |title=Gamla in Gaulanitis |journal=Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins |volume=92|issue=1 |pages=54–71 |jstor=27931028 |date=1976 }}).</ref> It was only properly identified in 1968 by surveyor Itzhaki Gal, after the Israeli conquest of the Golan Heights during the [[Six-Day War]].<ref name=kinneret/> The site ''Tell es Salām'' was excavated by [[Shmarya Guttman]] and Danny Syon on behalf of the Israeli [[Israeli Antiquities Authority|Department of Antiquities]] between 1977 and 2000. The excavations have uncovered 7.5 dunnams, about 5% of the site, revealing a typical Jewish city featuring [[mikveh|ritual baths]], Herodian lamps, limestone cups and thousands of Hasmonean coins.<ref name=evidence/><ref name="YA">{{cite book|last1=Arbel|first1=Yoav|title=Ultimate Devotion: The Historical Impact and Archaeological Expression of Intense Religious Movements|date=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1845532260|page=126|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8JTCBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA126}}</ref> Additional excavations were carried out on the site in 2008 and 2010, by Haim Ben David and David Adan-Bayewitz on behalf of [[Bar Ilan University]]'s Land of Israel Studies Department, and by Danny Syon on behalf of the [[Israel Antiquities Authority]] (IAA).<ref>[[Israel Antiquities Authority]], [http://www.antiquities.org.il/m_digs_eng.aspx?shana=2008 Excavators and Excavations Permit for Year 2008], Survey Permit # G-79; [http://www.antiquities.org.il/m_digs_eng.aspx?shana=2010 Excavators and Excavations Permit for Year 2010], Survey Permit # G-69</ref>
 
With the destruction of the town by the Roman army, Gamla was abandoned, never to be rebuilt. Archaeological excavations there have revealed widespread evidence for the battle that took place at the site. About 100 [[catapult]] bolts have been uncovered, as well as 1,600 arrowheads and 2,000 [[ballista]] stones, the latter all made from local [[basalt]]. This is a quantity unsurpassed anywhere in the Roman Empire.<ref name=evidence/> Most were collected along and in close proximity to the wall, placing the heavy fighting in the vicinity and the Roman siegecraft to the north east of the town. Next to a heavy concentration of the stones, the excavators have identified a man-made breach in the wall, probably made by a battering ram.<ref name=evidence/><ref name=aviam/>
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==Archaeological finds==
[[File:Gamla – Breach in the Wall (3).JPG|thumb|Break in the fortress wall]]
Archaeological finds in Gamla provided historians with a unique opportunity to study Jewish life at the end of the [[Second Temple period]]. In particular, studies prove that, although the active development of the Golan began under Alexander Jannaeus, the Jews began to settle here much earlier - at least in the second century BCE. This is shown by the large number of coins of the period of the reign of [[John Hyrcanus]]. In addition to coins, a large number of weapons were found in Gamla, a [[Gamla Synagogue|synagogue]] of the Second Temple period, various ritual objects, many different household items and jewelry.{{cn|date=September 2022}}
 
About 200 artifacts excavated at Gamla have been identified as the remains of Roman army equipment. These include parts of Roman [[lorica segmentata]], an officer's helmet visor and cheek-guard, bronze scales of another type of armor, as well as Roman identification tags.<ref name=evidence/><ref name=aviam/>