Gamla is a town in the southern Golan Heights that flourished in the first century B. C.E. and first century C. E. The name Gamla/Gamala comes from the Hebrew and Aramaic word for “camel" and refers to the steep rocky ridge on which the town was built, which resembles a camel's hump. Josephus provides a dramatic account of Gamla's fall to the Romans in 67 C. E. during the First Jewish Revolt, when intense fighting ended with a mass suicide of inhabitants who threw themselves over the cliffs rather than surrender to the Romans.
The town was protected on all sides by deep riverbeds (wadis) that flow into the Sea of Galilee, with the only approach from the east, along a natural spur or ridge. A fortification wall — almost 20 feet thick! — was erected only on the eastern side of the town. The wall and other buildings in the town are constructed of basalt. Square towers projected from the wall and flanked the main gate, and a circular tower was erected at the crest of the hill.
The layout of the town followed the natural contours of the steep hills, with the structures supported on artificial terraces and arranged in quarters separated by stepped streets. Just inside and abutting the fortification wall is a Jewish public building (synagogue), consisting of a single hall surrounded by stone benches, with columns to support the roof (see Chapter 14). A miqveh located in a room adjacent to the synagogue apparently was used by congregants. Other miqva'ot, some in private dwellings and others for public use, are scattered around the town.
Excavations inside the town have concentrated on several areas. The western area seems to have been a wealthy residential quarter consisting of houses built of ashlar masonry and evidence of Roman style (but non-figured) wall paintings. A large olive press was found nearby, installed in a room with a column supporting two stone arches that were roofed with basalt slabs. A miqveh adjacent to the press suggests that the inhabitants produced olive oil according to biblical law, which dictated that the first fruits must be donated to priests, who were required to consume these offerings in a state of ritual purity. The eastern area contained two blocks of densely packed rooms and dwellings
9.6 View of Gamla looking west. Photo by Jim Haberman.
Separated by a narrow street. Midway between the western and eastern areas, a mansion was uncovered that was built on three different levels. The mansion had a beautifully cut stone facade, with columns from the second story level that had fallen to the ground.
World History
