Galilee in the Bible: You may remember hearing a song in the past about laying hands on the man who calmed the waters. Maybe you learned something about Galilee in your childhood, in religious education classes or religious ceremonies.
Galilee, which is now in northern Israel, was one of the three provinces of Palestine. This area included the northern part of the country, the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. It was a green and beautiful land, while Upper Galilee was covered with mountains. There is a deep valley between these two regions. Agriculture flourished in the Lower Galilee.
Galilee contained about 20 cities. According to theologians, it was full of pagans. As part of the Roman Empire, it was located between Syria and Egypt.
فرست محتوا
In which parts of the Bible is Galilee mentioned?
Jalil’s name is mentioned many times in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Here are some examples of important references to Galilee:
anciant times:
A hopeful prophecy: In the book of Isaiah, chapter 9 verse 1, it is prophesied that darkness will no longer rule over people who are in trouble. Isaiah then mentions Galilee as a land that will be favored. This region was known as “Jalil of the Nations” due to its geographical location.
Fulfilled Prophecy: In the same chapter, Isaiah further refers to a bright light that shines on people who live in darkness. Many commentators have interpreted this light as the coming of Christ and the beginning of his ministry in Galilee.
Description of the land: In the book of First Chronicles, chapter 6, verse 76 and the book of Joshua, chapter 21, verse 32, Galilee is mentioned as a fertile region. Also, in the first book of Kings, chapter 9 verse 11, the prophet Solomon gives a part of this land as a gift to King Hiram of Tyre.
New Testament:
Christ from Galilee: In the Gospels, Jesus is often referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” or “Jesus of Galilee”. The Bible says that Jesus spent his youth in Nazareth, located in the lower Galilee.
The main place of Christ’s activities: Many of Christ’s teachings and miracles took place in Galilee. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4 verses 12 to 17, we read that he began to preach and announce the kingdom of heaven from Galilee.
How many disciples of Jesus were from Galilee?
According to the scientific sources of the Bible, the only apostle who was not from Galilee was Judas Iscariot. Jesus chose ordinary people as his disciples to spread the message of God.
Peter and his brother Andreas: They were fishermen. Jesus told them to follow him to catch men instead of fish. They were from the house of Sidon by the Sea of Galilee.
Jacob and his brother John: Zebedee’s sons, they were also fishermen. Jacob was the first apostle to be martyred.
Philip: He was also from the house of Sidon and after the ascension of Jesus, he was present in the group that prayed in the upper room.
Bartholomew/Nathaniel: He asked, can anything good come from Nazareth?
Matthew: Jesus saw him collecting taxes and asked him to follow and he accepted.
Thomas: He is famous for saying that the apostles should go with Jesus to die with him. His other nickname is “Doubting Thomas”.
Jacob son of Halfa: He was probably the brother of Matthew.
Tadaus/Judas: He is known as a bold missionary of the Gospel.
Simon the Zealot: His name was changed to Peter by Jesus.
Matthias: He replaced Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
Judas Iscariot was not from Galilee. He was from the village of Keriot in Judea.
Ali Vahidi’s conclusion:
Galilee is a land of historical and religious importance that is mentioned several times in the Bible. As the birthplace of Jesus and the location of many of his activities, this area plays an important role in the story of the Bible.
Today in the article : What Do We Learn about Galilee in the Bible? We reviewed useful information about the Bible and the way of Jesus. If you wish, you can view other articles of Ali Vahidi about Christianity
