region

Galilee

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History

Galilee is the north of the land west of the Jordan, between the plain of Jezreel and the mountains of Lebanon, bounded on the east by the Sea of Galilee and the upper Jordan. The Hebrew galil means a circle or district; Isaiah calls it "Galilee of the nations", and in Joshua Kedesh "in Galilee in mount Naphtali" is a city of refuge. Upper Galilee is a highland rising to 1,200 m at Mount Meron; Lower Galilee is a country of low ridges and fertile valleys, with Nazareth, Cana and Sepphoris, falling to the lake 210 m below sea level. Josephus praises its rich soil and its many towns and villages.

Solomon gave Hiram of Tyre "twenty cities in the land of Galilee". In 733–732 BC Tiglath-pileser III took "Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria", and the region was thinly settled for centuries. The Hasmonean kings brought it under Jewish rule about 104 BC; how many Jews lived there before then is debated, but by the first century Galilee was a Jewish country of villages and synagogues, ruled by Herod Antipas, tetrarch from 4 BC to AD 39, from Sepphoris and then from Tiberias, the city he built about AD 20. Judas of Galilee led a revolt at the census of AD 6.

Jesus grew up at Nazareth and, when John was imprisoned, "departed into Galilee" and settled at Capernaum, where Matthew sees Isaiah fulfilled: "Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light". He "went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues", called fishermen on the lake, made water wine at Cana and reproached Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. In Jerusalem some objected, "Shall Christ come out of Galilee?", and Peter was known by his Galilean speech. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod on learning that he was a Galilean, and after the resurrection the disciples went "into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them".

In the war of AD 66–67 Josephus commanded Galilee and surrendered to Vespasian at Jotapata. After the revolt of Bar Kokhba the Jewish leadership moved north: the Mishnah was compiled at Sepphoris about AD 200 and the Jerusalem Talmud at Tiberias, and the synagogues of Capernaum, Chorazin and Baram belong to the following centuries. Galilee is today the Northern District of Israel, with Nazareth, Tiberias, Safed and Acre, home to Jews, Arabs, Druze and the country's largest Christian communities.

Scripture: Josh 20:7; 1 Kgs 9:11; 2 Kgs 15:29; Isa 9:1; Matt 4:12–16; Matt 4:23; Matt 11:21–23; Matt 26:69; Matt 28:7; Matt 28:16; Mark 14:70; Luke 23:5–7; John 2:1–11; John 7:41; John 7:52; Acts 1:11; Acts 5:37; Acts 9:31; Acts 10:37

Checked against its sources; not yet read by a historian.

Verses (78)

Josh 20:7

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

Josh 21:32

And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

1 Kgs 9:11

( Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

2 Kgs 15:29

In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

1 Chr 6:76

And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.

Isa 9:1

Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

Matt 2:22

But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

Matt 3:13

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Matt 4:12

Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

Matt 4:13

And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

Matt 4:15

The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

Matt 4:23

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matt 4:25

And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Matt 11:1

And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Matt 14:1

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

Matt 15:21

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

Matt 17:22

And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

Matt 19:1

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

Matt 21:11

And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Matt 26:32

But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Matt 26:69

Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

Matt 27:55

And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Matt 28:7

And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Matt 28:10

Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Matt 28:16

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

Mark 1:9

And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mark 1:14

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mark 1:28

And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

Mark 1:39

And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

Mark 3:7

But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judæa,

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King James Version

Tours through this place

• The resurrection and the appearances →