Mount Arbel was a significant location during the Hasmonean period.  Josephus says that around 39-38 BCE, a clash occurred between the Hasmonean forces of Antigonus and those of Herod. After Herod took control of Sepphoris, he dispatched his forces to the village of Arbela. Following a 40-day standoff, Herod’s troops engaged the supporters of Antigonus. Herod’s forces emerged victorious, with the remnants of Antigonus’ supporters seeking refuge in caves near the village of Arbel.

The cliffs’ sheer nature made a direct assault on these caves impossible. Ingeniously, Herod’s engineers devised a plan: they constructed baskets to lower soldiers down the cliff face using machines anchored at the summit. Armed with grappling hooks, these soldiers extracted the rebels from the caves, often hurling them onto the rocks below. In some instances, fires were set to force the rebels out, leading some to throw themselves and their families off the cliffs. Herod observed this grim spectacle from a fortified position on a nearby hill.

During the First Jewish revolt against Rome, Josephus fortified the “cave of Arbel.” He likely fortified the eastern group of caves on the Arbel Cliffs, where actual fortifications remain visible. It’s also probable that he utilized the western group of caves, previously used by Antigonus’ supporters against Herod.