Bible Dictionaries
alilee

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Search for…

Enter query below:

or

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Prev Entry
alileans

Next Entry
alilee in The Time of Christ

Resource Toolbox

Print Article

Additional Links

Dictionaries
Smith Bible Dictionary
• Judas of alilee
• alilee Sea of
• alilee in The Time of Christ
•   (only first 3 shown)
Webster Dictionary
• Alilee

Gal'ilee. (circuit). This name, which, in the Roman age, was applied to a large province, seems to have been originally confined to a little "circuit" of country round Kedesh-Naphtali, in which were situated the twenty towns given by Solomon to Hiram king of Tyre as payment for his work in conveying timber from Lebanon to Jerusalem. Joshua 20:7; 1 Kings 9:11.

In the time of our Lord, all Palestine was divided into three provinces; Judea, Samaria and Galilee. Luke 17:11; Acts 9:31. Joseph. B.J. Iii. 3. The latter included the whole northern section of the country, including the ancient territories of Issachar, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali. On the west, it was bounded by the territory of Ptolemais, which probably included the whole plain of Akka to the foot of Carmel. The southern border ran along the base of Carmel and of the hills of Samaria to Mount Gilboa, and then descended the valley of Jezreel by Scythopolis to the Jordan. The river Jordan, the Sea of Galilee, and the upper Jordan to the fountain at Dan, formed the eastern border; and the northern ran from Dan westward across the mountain ridge till it touched the territory of the Phoenicians.

Galilee was divided into two sections, "Lower" and "Upper." Lower Galilee included the great plain of Esdraelon with its offshoots, which ran down to the Jordan and the Lake of Tiberias, and the whole of the hill country adjoining it on the north to the foot of the mountain range. It was thus one of the richest and most beautiful sections of Pales-tine. Upper Galilee embraced the whole mountain range lying between the upper Jordan and Phoenicia. To this region, the name "Galilee of the Gentiles" is given in the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:16.

Galilee was the scene of the greater part of our Lord's private life and public acts. It is a remarkable fact that the first three Gospels are chiefly taken up with our Lord's ministrations in this province, while the Gospel of John dwells more upon those in Judea.