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Ancient History Sourcebook
Josephus (37- after 93 CE):
Galilee, Samaria, and Judea in the First Century CE
The New Testament is somewhat hazy about geography. The historian
Josephus gives an admirably clear account in his book on the Jewish
War.
Book3 :CHAPTER 3.
A DESCRIPTION OF GALILEE, SAMARIA, AND JUDEA.
1. NOW Phoenicia and Syria encompass about the Galilees, which
are two, and called the Upper Galilee and the Lower. They are
bounded toward the sun-setting, with the borders of the territory
belonging to Ptolemais, and by Carmel; which mountain had formerly
belonged to the Galileans, but now belonged to the Tyrians; to
which mountain adjoins Gaba, which is called the City of Horsemen,
because those horsemen that were dismissed by Herod the king dwelt
therein; they are bounded on the south with Samaria and Scythopolis,
as far as the river Jordan; on the east with Hippeae and Gadaris,
and also with Ganlonitis, and the borders of the kingdom of Agrippa;
its northern parts are hounded by Tyre, and the country of the
Tyrians. As for that Galilee which is called the Lower, it, extends
in length from Tiberias to Zabulon, and of the maritime places
Ptolemais is its neighbor; its breadth is from the village called
Xaloth, which lies in the great plain, as far as Bersabe, from
which beginning also is taken the breadth of the Upper Galilee,
as far as the village Baca, which divides the land of the Tyrians
from it; its length is also from Meloth to Thella, a village near
to Jordan.
2. These two Galilees, of so great largeness, and encompassed
with so many nations of foreigners, have been always able to make
a strong resistance on all occasions of war; for the Galileans
are inured to war from their infancy, and have been always very
numerous; nor hath the country been ever destitute of men of courage,
or wanted a numerous set of them; for their soil is universally
rich and fruitful, and full of the plantations of trees of all
sorts, insomuch that it invites the most slothful to take pains
in its cultivation, by its fruitfulness; accordingly, it is all
cultivated by its inhabitants, and no part of it lies idle. Moreover,
the cities lie here very thick, and the very many villages there
are here are every where so full of people, by the richness of
their soil, that the very least of them contain above fifteen
thousand inhabitants.
3. In short, if any one will suppose that Galilee is inferior
to Perea in magnitude, he will be obliged to prefer it before
it in its strength; for this is all capable of cultivation, and
is every where fruitful; but for Perea, which is indeed much larger
in extent, the greater part of it is desert and rough, and much
less disposed for the production of the milder kinds of fruits;
yet hath it a moist soil [in other parts], and produces all kinds
of fruits, and its plains are planted with trees of all sorts,
while yet the olive tree, the vine, and the palm tree are chiefly
cultivated there. It is also sufficiently watered with torrents,
which issue out of the mountains, and with springs that never
fail to run, even when the torrents fail them, as they do in the
dog-days. Now the length of Perea is from Macherus to Pella, and
its breadth from Philadelphia to Jordan; its northern parts are
bounded by Pella, as we have already said, as well as its Western
with Jordan; the land of Moab is its southern border, and its
eastern limits reach to Arabia, and Silbonitis, and besides to
Philadelphene and Gerasa.
4. Now as to the country of Samaria, it lies between Judea and
Galilee; it begins at a village that is in the great plain called
Ginea, and ends at the Acrabbene toparchy, and is entirely of
the same nature with Judea; for both countries are made up of
hills and valleys, and are moist enough for agriculture, and are
very fruitful. They have abundance of trees, and are full of autumnal
fruit, both that which grows wild, and that which is the effect
of cultivation. They are not naturally watered by many rivers,
but derive their chief moisture from rain-water, of which they
have no want; and for those rivers which they have, all their
waters are exceeding sweet: by reason also of the excellent grass
they have, their cattle yield more milk than do those in other
places; and, what is the greatest sign of excellency and of abundance,
they each of them are very full of people.
5. In the limits of Samaria and Judea lies the village Anuath,
which is also named Borceos. This is the northern boundary of
Judea. The southern parts of Judea, if they be measured lengthways,
are bounded by a Village adjoining to the confines of Arabia;
the Jews that dwell there call it Jordan. However, its breadth
is extended from the river Jordan to Joppa. The city Jerusalem
is situated in the very middle; on which account some have, with
sagacity enough, called that city the Navel of the country. Nor
indeed is Judea destitute of such delights as come from the sea,
since its maritime places extend as far as Ptolemais: it was parted
into eleven portions, of which the royal city Jerusalem was the
supreme, and presided over all the neighboring country, as the
head does over the body. As to the other cities that were inferior
to it, they presided over their several toparchies; Gophna was
the second of those cities, and next to that Acrabatta, after
them Thamna, and Lydda, and Emmaus, and Pella, and Idumea, and
Engaddi, and Herodium, and Jericho; and after them came Jamnia
and Joppa, as presiding over the neighboring people; and besides
these there was the region of Gamala, and Gaulonitis, and Batanea,
and Trachonitis, which are also parts of the kingdom of Agrippa.
This [last] country begins at Mount Libanus, and the fountains
of Jordan, and reaches breadthways to the lake of Tiberias; and
in length is extended from a village called Arpha, as far as Julias.
Its inhabitants are a mixture of Jews and Syrians. And thus have
I, with all possible brevity, described the country of Judea,
and those that lie round about it.
Source:
Flavius Josephus: The Jewish War. III.3, trans.
William Whiston. Complete works of Josephus online at CCEL - http://ccel.wheaton.edu/j/josephus/JOSEPHUS.HTM
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