ABSTRACT
The siege and battle of Gamla are described in detail by Josephus (War 4.1-83). Elsewhere (Life 11, 24, 35, 37, 58-61, 71-2; War 2.20.6) Josephus tells of the prelude to these events: how Gamla was initially loyal to the Romans because it was in the hands of Agrippa II; how it turned rebellious under the influence of the refugees flowing 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 to Gamla. In the following pages I will attempt to assess the events at Gamla during the Revolt, as reported by Josephus and filtered through the archaeological evidence.1
