In the twelfth year of Christ, about the time that Archelaus
was sent away from his government, a secession was made from the sect of
the Pharisees, and a new sect arose, called the Galileans. Not long
after this time, Judea, which was a Roman province, was added, for civil
purposes, to Syria, over which Quirinus was governor. It happened, when
the tax was levied by Quirinus, that one Judas, of Galilee, otherwise
called Gaulonites, in company with Zaduk, a Sadducee, publicly taught,
that such taxation was repugnant to the law of Moses, according to which
the Jews, they maintained, had no king but God. The tumults which this
man excited were suppressed, Acts v, 37; but his disciples, who were
called Galileans, continued to propagate this doctrine, and,
farthermore, required of all proselytes that they should be circumcised.
It was in reference to this sect that the captious question was proposed
in Matt. xxii, 17, &c; namely, whether it was lawful to give tribute to
Cæsar. The Galileans, whom Pilate slew in the temple, Luke xiii, 1, 2,
appear to have been of this sect. By degrees, the Galileans swallowed up
almost all the other sects; and it is highly probable that the zealots,
particularly mentioned at the siege of Jerusalem, were of this faction.
GALILEE was one of the most extensive provinces into which the Holy Land
was divided. It exceeded Judea in extent, but probably varied in its
limits at different times. This province is divided by the rabbins into,
1. The Upper; 2. The Nether; and, 3. The Valley. Josephus divides it
into only Upper and Lower; and he says that the limits of Galilee were,
on the south, Samaria and Scythopolis, unto the flood of Jordan. Galilee
contained four tribes, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Asher; a part,
also, of Dan, and part of Peræa, that is, beyond the river. Upper
Galilee abounded in mountains. Lower Galilee, which contained the tribes
of Zebulun and Asher, was sometimes called the Great Field, “the
champaign,” Deut. xi, 30. The Valley was adjacent to the sea of
Tiberias. Josephus describes Galilee as very populous, and containing
two hundred and four cities and towns. It was also very rich, and paid
two hundred talents in tribute. The natives were brave and good
soldiers; but they were seditious, and prone to insolence and rebellion.
In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the inhabitants of Galilee and Peræa
are scarcely mentioned, whether they were Jews returned from Babylon, or
a mixture of different nations. The language of these regions differed
considerably from that of Judea; as did various customs, in which each
followed its own mode. Our Lord so frequently visited Galilee, that he
was called a Galilean, Matt. xxvi, 69. The population of Galilee being
very great, he had many opportunities of doing good in this country;
and, being there out of the power of the priests at Jerusalem, he seems
to have preferred it as his abode. Nazareth and Capernaum were in this
division. From such a mixture of people, many provincialisms might be
expected. Hence, we find Peter detected by his language, probably by his
phraseology, as well as his pronunciation, Mark xiv, 70. Upper Galilee
had Mount Lebanon and the countries of Tyre and Sidon on the north; the
Mediterranean Sea on the west; Abilene, Ituræa, and the country of the
Decapolis, on the east; and Lower Galilee on the south. Its principal
city was Cæsarea Philippi. This part of Galilee, being less inhabited by
Jews, was thence called Galilee of the Nations, or of the Gentiles.
Lower Galilee had the upper division of the same country to the north;
the Mediterranean on the west; the sea of Galilee. or lake of
Gennesareth, on the east; and Samaria on the south. Its principal cities
were Tiberias, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum, Nain,
Cæsarea of Palestine, and Ptolemais. This district was of all others
most honoured with the presence of our Saviour. Here he was conceived;
here he was brought back by his mother and reputed father, after their
return from Egypt; here he lived with them till he was thirty years of
age; and, although after his entrance on his public ministry he
frequently visited the other provinces, it was here that he chiefly
resided. Here, also, he made his first appearance after his resurrection
to his Apostles, who were themselves natives of the same country, and
were thence called men of Galilee.
was sent away from his government, a secession was made from the sect of
the Pharisees, and a new sect arose, called the Galileans. Not long
after this time, Judea, which was a Roman province, was added, for civil
purposes, to Syria, over which Quirinus was governor. It happened, when
the tax was levied by Quirinus, that one Judas, of Galilee, otherwise
called Gaulonites, in company with Zaduk, a Sadducee, publicly taught,
that such taxation was repugnant to the law of Moses, according to which
the Jews, they maintained, had no king but God. The tumults which this
man excited were suppressed, Acts v, 37; but his disciples, who were
called Galileans, continued to propagate this doctrine, and,
farthermore, required of all proselytes that they should be circumcised.
It was in reference to this sect that the captious question was proposed
in Matt. xxii, 17, &c; namely, whether it was lawful to give tribute to
Cæsar. The Galileans, whom Pilate slew in the temple, Luke xiii, 1, 2,
appear to have been of this sect. By degrees, the Galileans swallowed up
almost all the other sects; and it is highly probable that the zealots,
particularly mentioned at the siege of Jerusalem, were of this faction.
GALILEE was one of the most extensive provinces into which the Holy Land
was divided. It exceeded Judea in extent, but probably varied in its
limits at different times. This province is divided by the rabbins into,
1. The Upper; 2. The Nether; and, 3. The Valley. Josephus divides it
into only Upper and Lower; and he says that the limits of Galilee were,
on the south, Samaria and Scythopolis, unto the flood of Jordan. Galilee
contained four tribes, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Asher; a part,
also, of Dan, and part of Peræa, that is, beyond the river. Upper
Galilee abounded in mountains. Lower Galilee, which contained the tribes
of Zebulun and Asher, was sometimes called the Great Field, “the
champaign,” Deut. xi, 30. The Valley was adjacent to the sea of
Tiberias. Josephus describes Galilee as very populous, and containing
two hundred and four cities and towns. It was also very rich, and paid
two hundred talents in tribute. The natives were brave and good
soldiers; but they were seditious, and prone to insolence and rebellion.
In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the inhabitants of Galilee and Peræa
are scarcely mentioned, whether they were Jews returned from Babylon, or
a mixture of different nations. The language of these regions differed
considerably from that of Judea; as did various customs, in which each
followed its own mode. Our Lord so frequently visited Galilee, that he
was called a Galilean, Matt. xxvi, 69. The population of Galilee being
very great, he had many opportunities of doing good in this country;
and, being there out of the power of the priests at Jerusalem, he seems
to have preferred it as his abode. Nazareth and Capernaum were in this
division. From such a mixture of people, many provincialisms might be
expected. Hence, we find Peter detected by his language, probably by his
phraseology, as well as his pronunciation, Mark xiv, 70. Upper Galilee
had Mount Lebanon and the countries of Tyre and Sidon on the north; the
Mediterranean Sea on the west; Abilene, Ituræa, and the country of the
Decapolis, on the east; and Lower Galilee on the south. Its principal
city was Cæsarea Philippi. This part of Galilee, being less inhabited by
Jews, was thence called Galilee of the Nations, or of the Gentiles.
Lower Galilee had the upper division of the same country to the north;
the Mediterranean on the west; the sea of Galilee. or lake of
Gennesareth, on the east; and Samaria on the south. Its principal cities
were Tiberias, Chorazin, Bethsaida, Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum, Nain,
Cæsarea of Palestine, and Ptolemais. This district was of all others
most honoured with the presence of our Saviour. Here he was conceived;
here he was brought back by his mother and reputed father, after their
return from Egypt; here he lived with them till he was thirty years of
age; and, although after his entrance on his public ministry he
frequently visited the other provinces, it was here that he chiefly
resided. Here, also, he made his first appearance after his resurrection
to his Apostles, who were themselves natives of the same country, and
were thence called men of Galilee.