Sephoris

SEPHORIS, a famous City of the Tribe of Zebulun, and Capital of Galilee. Afterwards it had the Name of Diocæsarea. The Jews Rabb. in Echa Rabbati, fol. 75. 2.place it at eighteen Miles from Tiberias, though others put it but at ten Miles from this City. It was not far from Tabor, and the great Plain. I do not find it in Joshua, nor in any other of the sacred Authors; but Josephus often speaks of it. He says, that Gabinius placed Jos. Antiq. l. 14. c. 10.there one of the five Tribunals, which he set up in Judea for deciding of Controversies; that Sephoris was in the Midst of Judea, that it was the largest and best City in this Country, and that it became the Capital of it, after Nero had Joseph. de bel. l. 3. c. 3. c. 1. Joseph. de vita sua, p. 1025. Joseph. de bel. l. 2. c. 23.given Galilee to the younger Agrippa; that Mount Asamon is pretty near Sephoris, which is as it were the Center of Galilee. The first City of Galilee that one came to from Ptolemais, was Sephoris.

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