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The city of Gamla is mentioned in Talmudic sources as a walled city dating back to the time of Joshua Bin-Nun. These passages apparently refer to a fortified settlement from the Early Bronze Age, whose remains were found here. Gamla was destroyed in ancient times and rebuilt during the Hellenistic period when Jews returning from exile in Babylon repopulated the area.
Alexander Yannai seized Gamla, probably from Hellenistic rulers who occupied it in its day. Later, King HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple settled Jews in Gamla as part of his efforts to populate the frontier regions of his kingdom.
Josephus has documented the city of Gamla, its siege and fall. He describes Gamla as the city situated atop a hill resembling a camel, surrounded by high cliffs. On its steep slopes houses were built very close to one another, and the city seemed to be hung in the air at a sharp summit, ready to fall down on itself.
In 66 CE the residents of Gamla joined the Jewish Revolt against the Romans. Under the direction of Josephus, they expeditiously constructed a wall. On the eastern side of the city, the wall descended from a circular watchtower on top of the hill, and continued downwards until it approached Nahal Daliot. It encircled the city's eastern buildings, including Gamla's magnificent synagogue.
In 68 CE, when Josephus was already a Roman prisoner, King Agrippa II's army came to Gamla and besieged the city for seven months, with no success. The Romans, however, did not give up. Vespasian arrived at Gamla at the head of three Roman legions, and once again laid siege to the city. A month later, the Romans breached the wall and entered Gamla. However, the defenders succeeded in turning this battle into an overwhelming victory over the Romans, in which many of the attackers were killed.
A few days later Roman soldiers managed to creep unnoticed to the bottom of the watchtower. They rolled five stones from its base, and the whole construction fell down with terrible noise, causing panic among the defenders. In a few more days Romans succeeded to seize the city. They killed four thousand of its defenders, and five thousand people threw themselves into the precipices in despair.
When, in our times, archaeologists started to search for the legendary Gamla, it took them almost a century to find the place. For a long time it was believed that Gamla was a place near Syrian village of Jamileh, fifteen kilometers to the south of the correct location.
In 1968, Itzhak Gal - a participant in a sites and landscapes survey in the Golan - first suggested that an isolated cliff near Nahal Dalyot was the site of Gamla. In 1976, the archaeologist Shemaryahu Gutmann, together with Gal, began to excavate there. His excavations not only verified that it was Gamla; they also uncovered many amazing finds. Gutmann discovered the remains of the wall from the time of the Great Revolt; the place where
the Romans breached the wall; the city's exquisite synagogue; several houses from one of Gamla's residential neighborhoods; and evidence of the fierce battle that took place there - hundreds of ballista stones and thousands of arrow heads and nails.
Until now, only a relatively small area in the eastern and western parts of Gamla have been excavated and restored. The archaeologists continue to work at the site.
The remains of the wall built during the Jewish Revolt were discovered. A breach in the wall that was found is apparently at a place where Romans succeeded to break into the city during their first unsuccessful attack.
The ruins of a synagogue were unearthed near the city entrance. What we see now is the lower parts of walls and columns, but the original building was apparently splendid. Four rows of ornamented pillars supported the synagogue's roof and partitioned the structure into a central hall and staves. An additional row of pillars divided the hall in two. The corner pillars are especially interesting because they have a heart-shaped cross-section. An alcove, which resembles a built-in closet, was discovered near the northwestern corner of the hall, supposedly a place where Torahthe central and most important document of Judaism scrolls were kept. On your IsraelNation of the Jewish People Tour, do not forget to check this prime location out!
The synagogue was apparently built during HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple's lifetime. This means that this is the only synagogue uncovered in IsraelNation of the Jewish People that was built within city limits while the Temple in JerusalemThe capital of Israel was still in existence. Travelers who Tour IsraelNation of the Jewish People in style do not want to miss this essential stop!
Ballista stones and arrowheads were discovered in the synagogue. This shows that the battle against the Romans was fought even there. A mikve, which served the worshipers, was discovered next to the synagogue.
The watchtower undermined by Romans has been restored, and visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of the surrounding cliffs and deep canyons opening from there.
The excavations also uncovered the ruins of an ancient settlement dating back to the Early Bronze Age (c. 5000 years ago). During the Second Temple Period, an olive press with an adjoining mikvah was built on top of the Bronze Age ruins. Gamla's most magnificent buildings were discovered at the westernmost part of the city, which appears to be where the wealthy inhabitants lived. The most interesting and impressive building is the western olive press. Its ceiling is supported by two large stone arches, which were also restored.
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