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Josephus’s Jewish War describes not only the events but also the locations where the conflict with the Romans took place, the actual theaters of war (in general see: Möller and Schmitt 1976; Bieberstein and Bloedhorn 1994; Shahar 2004; van Henten and Huitink 2012). The prologue mentions in this connection “the extent and nature of both parts of the Galilee [i.e. Upper and Lower Galilee], the borders of Judaea, the special features of the country, its lakes and springs” (BJ 1.22; on the region see also ssss1). Jerusalem is highlighted as the central location, with its walls and defense systems, the plan of the temple complex and the inner sanctuary, “the measurements of these buildings and the altar being all precisely stated” (1.25–26). Frequently Josephus offers detailed descriptions of the places where the Romans fought the Jews: Iotapata/Yodfat (3.158–160), where Josephus was arrested, Joppa (3.419–421), the Lake of Gennesareth (also called Sea of Galilee, Lake Tiberias, and Kinneret) and the area surrounding it (3.506–521), Gamala (4.5–8), Jericho and its vicinity (4.451–485), and last but not least Masada (7.280–294). The description of Gamala at the beginning of book 4, a town that joined the rebels together with the cities of Tiberias and Tarichaea, is an interesting example. Like most descriptions of towns in the War, it coincides with the moment the Roman troops, led by Vespasian, are about to march on it. Josephus remarks that Gamala refused to surrender because it relied upon “the natural difficulties of its position” (4.4) and then briefly describes its location: “from a lofty mountain there descends a rugged spur rising in the middle to a hump, the declivity from the summit of which is of the same length before as behind, so that in form the ridge resembles a camel” (4.5). The simile of a camel, which fits and matches the town’s name (gāmāl means “camel” in Hebrew), enables those unfamiliar with the location to visualize the scene. Next Josephus gradually zooms in to the town itself: first to the ravines that surround it on all sides, partly made deeper by the besieged people themselves under the leadership of Josephus; then to the houses “built against the steep mountain flank and astonishingly huddled together,” and finally to the southern part of the city, which, by virtue of its greater height, forms a citadel. Then follows another awe-inspiring piece of figurative language: the city “seems to be suspended in air and to be falling headlong upon itself” (4.7). Josephus also mentions that there is a spring inside the town and rounds his description off with the remark that he himself had fortified the town with walls and secured it further by mines and trenches (4.10). The description of Gamala is clearly selective, because it focuses on the defense system of the town and its ability to withstand a siege. The subsequent narrative about the siege and defeat of Gamala refers again to elements from the initial description of the place, which explains the Romans’ strategic and military difficulties and highlights the dramatic end for the Jews: the ravines which “had been excavated to a vast depth beneath the citadel” (4.79) became a deadly trap, causing the death of many inhabitants, who plunged into them with their wives and children rather than surrendering themselves (4.11–83).