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Tiberius
Augustus
5 BC
5 AD
10 A D
15 A D
20 A D
25 A D
30 A D
35 A D
palestine
Herod Philip (northeast)
Herod Antipas (Galilee, Perea)
Herod the Great
Pontius Pilate governor of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea
5 BC
5 AD
10 A D
15 A D
20 A D
25 A D
30 A D
35 A D
The Life
of Christ
114
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ed
ite
rra
nea
n
Sea
U L A
T H
and was close to an important eastwest route that connected in a clockwise direction around the north shore of the Sea of
the cities of the area with the port of Ptolemais.
Galilee is Capernaum. Apart from Jerusalem, this is the most
Jesus was raised in the small village of Nazareth, only 3.5 important town mentioned in the Gospels, for here Jesus estabmiles southeast of Sepphoris. Although Nazareth itself was lished his headquarters for the major portion of his public minsmall, its residents probably came into contact with caravans istry. Several of his disciples were from Capernaum (Mark 1:21,
and Greek-speaking Gentile traders who passed through Sep- 29). Fishing was probably its major occupation.
phoris on the north or the Esdraelon Valley (= OT Jezreel ValCapernaum sat astride a branch of the international
ley) on the south.
route that ran from the Mediterranean Sea to Transjordan
When Jesus began to minis#1 Palestine (Old Galilee)
ter at about age 30, he spent much
The division of Herods kingdom
more time in Lower than in Upper
Galilee (map p. 116). He minisSidon
tered at Cana of Galilee: turning
Damascus
water into wine and healing the
son of a Roman official (John
2:111; 4:4354). Two sites have
Tyre
Caesarea
TYRE
been suggested for Cana: Khirbet
Philippi
Qana (8 miles north of Nazareth)
Raphana
Gischala
Thella
A
and Kafr Kana (4 mi. northeast of
UPPER GALILEE
Ptolemais
E
G
A
U
L
A
N
I
T
I
S
Bersabe
Baca
Nazareth).
(Acco)
N TRACONITIS
Kefar Hananiya
A
Gabara
It is about 12 miles from
Chabulon
Taricheae
T
A
Jotapata LOWER Sea of Galilee
Canatha
Cana to the Sea of Galilee, about
B Dion
GALILEE
Hippus
Sepphoris
Kafr Kana Tiberias
Es
a six-hour walk. There, along
dr
AU RANI T I S
Nazareth
ae
Abila
Dora
l o Japhia
Gadara
n
the northern shore, Jesus spent
Va
Edrei
lle D
y
much of his public ministry.
E
Caesarea
Scythopolis
C
Bostra
The largest city on the lake was
Pella
the newly built city of Tiberias,
Sebaste
Gerasa
which Herod Antipas made his
Apollonia
Mt. Gerizim
Ammathus
capital (AD 1822; Josephus,
S A M A R I A
Ant. 18.2.3 [3638]). In John
Antipatris
Joppa
6:1 and 21:1, the Sea of Galilee is
Lydda
Archelais
Gadora
called (lit.) the Sea of Tiberias,
J U D E A Neara
Philadelphia
Jamnia
Abila
and on one occasion, boats from
Jericho
Emmaus
Beth-ramatha
Tiberias arrived with passengers
Azotus
(Nicopolis)
Bethany, on the
Jerusalem
other side of
wanting to see Jesus (6:23).
Ascalon
the Jordan
I D U M E A
Four miles to the north of
Machaerus
Tiberias, on the western shore
Gaza
Hebron
0
10 km.
of the sea, is the probable site
Dead
0
10 miles
Sea
of Magadan (Matt 15:39; Mark
Masada
Cities of the Decapolis (Pliny)
8:10 calls it Dalmanutha). Jesus
Beersheba
Territory under Antipas
visited it after feeding the 4,000
Territory under Philip
on the other side of the lake. ProE
N
Territory under Procurator of Judea
ceeding from Magadan 6 miles
A B A T
Territory under the Proconsul of Syria
P
P E
R E
A
S
L I
Jo rd a n R .
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p. 168__Jesus in Galilee
J esus in Galilee
dit
Sea
ean
Tyre
UPPER
GALILEE
Gischala
Thella
Bersabe
Korazin
Gabara
Asochis
Cana
Gennesaret
LOWER
GALILEE
Sepphoris
Dalmanutha,
Taricheae
(Magadan)
(Magdala)
Kafr Kana
Nazareth
Japhia
Capernaum
Heptapegon
Gergesa
Tiberias
Hippus
Sea of
Galilee
Philoteria
Nain
Emmatha
Jo r d a n
Gadara
R.
Hi l l o f
Mo re h
Agrippina
Mt.
Ag r i p p i n a
116
Julias (Bethsaida?)
Bethsaida?
(in Galilee?)
Plain of
Gennesaret
Sennabris
Mt.
Ta b o r
To Damascus
Ptolemais
H. Omrit
Mt.
Me ro n
Baca
Cadasa
AT
UL
R
T
Dan Caesarea
(Antiochia) Philippi
Daphne
Jo r d a n R .
Me
an
err
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117
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along the road that led from Damascus to Tyre and Sidon. In
this vicinity Peter made his great confession, stating that
he believed that J esus was the Messiah, the Son of the living
God (Matt 16:1320). Soon afterward Jesus was transfigured
in the presence of Peter, James, and John (Matt 17:18; Mark
9:28; Luke 9:2836). It is possible that the transfiguration
also occurred in this region, perhaps on Mount Hermon.
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Galilee)
J esus ministryS idon to Jerusalem
Sidon
er
t.
Damascus
on
U L A
T H
Caesarea
Philippi
GAULANITIS
Se
a
Tyre
TRACONITIS
Raphana
G A L I L E E
Ptolemais
Cana
Sepphoris
Nazareth
Es
dr
Dora
ae
lo
Va
l
Kafr
Kana
Tiberias
Mt.
Tab or
Abila
Ginae
Aenon
Gerasa
Gadora
Phasaelis
Archelais
Abila
Jericho
Emmaus?
Jerusalem
Nicopolis Emmaus?
Bethany
(Imwas) Qaloniya
(Mozah)
Mesad Bethany, on the
Bethlehem
Hasidim other side of
(Qumran) the Jordan
Esbus
Azotus
Philadelphia
Bethennabris
J U D E A
Jamnia
Bethel
Ephraim
(Ophrah)
Lydda
Ammathus
Anuathu Borcaeus
Lebonah
Joppa
Wa
d
Salim
Sychar F
Mt. Shechem
Geri z i m
Coreae
Acrabeta
Antipatris
Apollonia
C
A
Sebaste
(Samaria)
Mt.
Eb al
Edrei
Pella
Jo r d a n R .
ah
ar
Geba
AU R A N I T I S
Gadara
ley
S A M A R I A
Canatha
Hippus
Scythopolis
Caesarea
BATANE A
Bethsaida
Capernaum
Med
iter
ran
ean
Gischala
Ascalon
Medeba
I D U M E A
Gaza
Hebron
0
0
10 km.
10 miles
En Gedi
Dead
Sea
Machaerus
Cities of the Decapolis (Pliny)
Major routes
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Church and olive grove at the traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane on the western foot of the Mount of Olives
12 0
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tling in for the night, possibly in the el-Lubban (= OT Lebonah) region. The last day of their journey took them into
Jerusalem.
On one occasion Jesus, heading north, stopped at Jacobs
well near the town of Sychar (modern Askar) at midday
(John 4:46); it is about a half-days journey north from
the el-Lubban overnight stop to Sychar. There, near the foot
of the Samaritan holy mountain, Mount Gerizim, he pointed
the Samaritan woman to the real source of living water so that
she, and others like her, could worship God in spirit and truth
(vv.442).
Only one event in the Gospels is placed west of Jerusalem.
This was his appearance to the two disciples on the road to
Emmaus (Luke 24:1335). According to the best Greek manuscripts, Emmaus was 60 stadia (ca. 7 mi.) from Jerusalem. One
possible site is near modern Qaloniya/Motzaa site 3.5 miles
west of Jerusalem on the Roman road leading to Joppa (map p.
119). If so, the distance in Luke 24:13 is the distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus and back, i.e., the distance of a round trip.
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