Galilee East - Golan - Gamla

Gamla Nature Reserve

According to Josephus the ancient town of Gamla (Aramaic for “Camel”) "was situated upon a rough ridge of a high mountain… that it is like a camel in figure". The ruins of the town can be found about 10 km northeast from the Sea of Galilee perched on a camel shaped ridge above the deep gorges of the Daliyot and Gamla streams.

Gamla appears to have been settled sometime after the return of the Jews from Babylon and over time was built up as a fortified city. Josephus tells us that it came under control of the Jews when the Hasmonean King Alexander Janneus "took the strong fortress of Gamala". Twenty years later, in 63 B.C.E. Rome annexed Gamla under Pompei. In 66 C.E. Gamla joined the Jewish rebellion against the Romans and Josephus - then the General of the Galilean army - wrote of battling the Romans for seven months before General Vespasian breached the walls costing the lives of all the residents. The city lay hidden until the lost city of Gamla was rediscovered in 1968 by Yitzchaki Gal and excavation began under Shmarya Guttman.

Today restored ruins of Gamla contains perhaps the oldest Synagogue found in Israel, one of the first built from the second temple period, along with other impressive residences of the town. The archaeological finds are now part of the Gamla Nature reserve, which also includes the remains of the 4th Century Byzantium village Deir Qeruh. The reserve has an unusual variety of ecosystems on the hills, cliffs, plateaus and river banks that is particularly impressive in the spring.

The Gamla Nature reserve is an important breeding grounds and migration stop for birds and raptors including rare species of vultures and eagles that nest in the cliffs. It is also is home to a number of rare or endangered mammals like the striped hyena and the Nubian ibex.

Kursi

Kursi National Park is located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in the foothills of the Golan Heights plateau. The ruins of a 5th century C.E. Byzantium monastery were discovered here during road construction in the 1960’s. Origen of Alexandria suggested Kursi as the site at which the Miracle of the Swine from Mr 5:1-17 took place.

The hill gives a lovely west facing view of the Sea of Galilee.

Ofir

Ofir Lookout (Ramot)

On the east side of the Sea of Galilee, off of highway 789 is a small park on the top of the Golan foothills named Ofir Lookout that has one of the finest views of the Sea of Galilee, Mount Arbel to the west, and the Golan Plateau and Mount Hermon.

daniel campbellMarch 27, 2020