Acts v. 37. Joseph. Antiq. l. xx. c. 3. Ib. l. 2. de Bello, c. 13. & Plin. l. 5. c. 15. Euseb. in Isai. ix.GALILEE, a Province in Palestine. It extends itself principally into the northern part of Palestine, beyond the Plain of Jezreel, or the Great Plain. It is divided into upper and lower Galilee. Lower Galilee extends itself into the Tribes of Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali, on this side Jordan, westward of the Sea of Tiberias. Upper Galilee extends itself principally beyond Jordan, inclining towards the Trachonitis, Libanus, and Batanæa. It was called Galilee of the Gentiles, because it was in the possession of the Gentiles, with Jews interspersed among them; or rather because it bordered upon Gentile nations, such as the Phœnicians, Syrians, and Arabians.
Joseph. de Bello, l. 3. c. 2. p. 832.As what we have said of Galilee’s extending itself beyond Jordan, admits of some difficulty, it is necessary to support our assertion with some proofs. Judas Gaulanites is called the Galilæan in the Acts, and in Josephus. Now Gaulan was beyond Jordan; Galilee therefore extended itself into this country. Besides, Josephus places Bethsaida on the other side of Jordan; this city was certainly part of Galilee, and such of the Apostles as were of Bethsaida, are called Galilæans; Galilee therefore, part of it at least, reached beyond Jordan. Eusebius, in his Comment on Isaiah, says clearly that Galilee lay on the other side Jordan. The Septuagint in Isaiah xxxiii. 9. translate Basan, Galilee. Now no one questions but that Basan was beyond Jordan. St. Jerom in his Comment on this passage of Isaiah, remarks, that these Interpreters have put the name of a Province for a certain place in that Province. He believed therefore, that Basan was in Galilee. For this opinion see Lightfoot1, and Cellarius2; and for the contrary opinion, Reland. Palæstin. t. 1. l. 1. c. 31. p. 181. See likewise our Dissertation on the Geography of Scripture prefixed to our Comment upon Joshua.
Josephus sets out the limits of Galilee in this manner. It is terminated westward, says he, by the City of Ptolemaïs, and Mount Carmel, (which do not belong to Galilee;) on the South side it is bounded by the country of Samaria and Scythopolis, which is situated upon the river Jordan. Its Eastern limits are the cantons of Hippos, Gadara and Gaulan. Lastly, on the North side, the confines of the Tyrians are its bounds.
Lower GALILEE reaches in length from Tiberias, as far as Chabulon, or Zabulon, the frontier of Ptolemaïs; and in width from Chaloth, situated in the Great Plain, as far as Bersabee: and the breadth of Upper Galilee begins at Bersabee, and extends as far as the town of Baca, which separates it from the Province of the Tyrians. Its length reaches from Tella, a village situated upon the river Jordan, to Meroth. But as the exact situation of these places Bersabee, Chaloth, Baca, Tella, and Meroth, is not known, we cannot accurately describe the extent of Upper Galilee.
Josephus says, that the Galilæans were naturally good soldiers, bold and intrepid, that they always bravely resisted the foreign nations that surrounded them; that this country was fruitful and well cultivated, and that the people were very laborious and industrious. That the number of towns and villages in it was very great, and that all these places were so well peopled, that the least towns did not contain less than fifteen thousand inhabitants.
Every one knows, that our Saviour was surnamed Galileean, because he was brought up at Nazareth, a city of Galilee. His Disciples, and Christians in general, were likewise called Galileeans3, because Matth. iv. 15. Isai. ix. 1, 2.the Apostles were of Galilee. St. Matthew applies these words of Isaiah to the preaching of our Saviour; The land of Zebulon and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness, saw great light. The Galileeans were not thought to be very knowing in matters of Religion, and the Jews did not believe that a Prophet would come out of Galilee. Their John vii. 41, 52. Matth. xxvi. 73.language and their accent were different from those of the other Jews of the Country. St. Peter was known to be a Galileean by his accent.
Read this article in its place on the printed pages