Gamla

Gamla (Imperial Aramaic: גמלא, lit. 'the camel'), also Gamala, was an ancient 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 rule in 81 BCE. The town's name reflects its location on a high, elongated ridge with steep slopes resembling a camel's hump. Gamla served as a key rebel stronghold during the Great Jewish Revolt against 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. The Jewish historian Josephus, who accompanied the Roman army, provides detailed accounts of these events in his work, The Jewish War. The remains of Gamla were discovered in the 1968 survey of the Golan, with geographical features matching Josephus' descriptions. Located approximately 10 kilometers inland from the Sea of Galilee, the town was built on the southeastern slope of Mount Gamla.

Archaeological excavations, starting in 1970 and continuing periodically, have unearthed city walls enclosing an area of about 180 dunams, a water conduit system, ritual baths, Herodian...