Josephus Flavius notes that there are 204 cities and villages in Galilee. Is the number of settlements in Galilee that Josephus cites reliable, or does it belong to the series of figures that most scholars believe is exaggerated? To examine this issue, the article will first define the boundaries of Galilee at the time of Josephus and deal with the secondary question of whether this also included Gaulanitis. Then three different methods will be used to determine the veracity of this statement, counting: (1) the number of settlements from the Ottoman period, (2) the number of settlements in the Late Roman period according to rabbinic literature, and (3) the number of settlements at the time of Josephus according to archaeological surveys. The evidence suggests that Josephus’ number of 204 settlements is probably not far from the actual number of settlements that existed in Galilee and Gaulanitis prior to the first Jewish revolt.
Scholars have long doubted the historical accuracy of Cassius Dio's account of the consequences of the Bar Kokhba War (Roman History 69.14). According to this text, considered the most reliable literary source for the Second Jewish Revolt, the war encompassed all of Judea: the Romans destroyed 985 villages and 50 fortresses, and killed 580,000 rebels. This article reassesses Cassius Dio's figures by drawing on new evidence from excavations and surveys in Judea, Transjordan, and the Galilee. Three research methods are combined: an ethno-archaeological comparison with the settlement picture in the Ottoman Period, comparison with similar settlement studies in the Galilee, and an evaluation of settled sites from the Middle Roman Period (70–136 CE). The study demonstrates the potential contribution of the archaeological record to this issue and supports the view of Cassius Dio's demographic data as a reliable account, which he based on contemporaneous documentation.
Five pottery production sites, for vessel types ranging in date from the late first century BCE to the early fifth century CE, were identified in Gaulanitis, employing data from surface surveys and shovel tests. The evidence for identification of production included disproportionate concentrations of particular vessel types, as well as pieces showing obvious production defects (wasters). Vessels produced include cooking bowls, cooking pots and storage jars: cooking ware and storage jars were made at two locations, storage jars alone were produced at two other sites, and only cooking vessels were made at the last location. The finds were analyzed along with comparative data from surveys and shovel tests conducted at other sites in Gaulanitis. The discussion deals with the large number of cooking vessel fragments, compared to those of storage jars, found at the production sites, and possible reasons for the development of pottery-making – in several instances, of the same vessel types – at relatively close settlements in Roman Gaulanitis.
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