Galilee

In the Bible

In the Old Testament, Galilee first appears as part of the hill country of the tribe of Naphtali. The city of refuge Kedesh was located there (Joshua 20:7). Solomon gave twenty cities in the land of Galilee to Hiram, king of Tyre (1 Kings 9:11). Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, conquered the region (2 Kings 15:29). Isaiah called it "Galilee of the nations" and prophesied that the people dwelling in darkness would see a great light (Isaiah 9:1-2).

In the New Testament, Galilee is the center of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus grew up in Nazareth. When he began his ministry, he moved to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13), and he performed his first sign at Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-11). By the sea he called his disciples, including Peter and Andrew (Mark 1:16-20). Events such as the calming of the storm, walking on the water, and the feeding of the five thousand also took place around this lake. After his resurrection, Jesus met his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and gave them the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). He also appeared to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1).

Background

The name "Galilee" is generally understood to derive from the Hebrew galil, meaning "circle" or "district." The lake has been called by various names depending on the period and the text. Numbers 34:11 calls it the sea of Chinnereth, Luke 5:1 the lake of Gennesaret, and John 6:1 the sea of Tiberias. It is a freshwater lake fed by the Jordan River. Its surface lies about 200 meters (roughly 650 feet) below the level of the Mediterranean Sea, and because it is surrounded by hills, it is known for frequent sudden winds and storms. Fishing flourished there, and several of Jesus' disciples were fishermen.

In Jesus' time, Galilee was ruled by Herod Antipas as tetrarch (Luke 3:1). The people of the region appear to have been recognizable by their speech (Matthew 26:73). Some in Jerusalem also seem to have looked down on Galilee (John 7:52).

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Matthew presents Jesus' Galilean ministry as the fulfillment of Isaiah 9's prophecy concerning "Galilee of the nations" (Matthew 4:15-16). Galilee thus comes to signify the borderland where the light of the gospel first shone. Churches were later established in Galilee as well (Acts 9:31).

Interpretations and Issues

• Geography of the ministry: The Synoptic Gospels narrate a ministry in Galilee followed by a single journey up to Jerusalem, whereas the Gospel of John portrays Jesus traveling to and from Jerusalem several times. Some interpreters seek to harmonize this difference, while others regard it as reflecting each Gospel's theological emphasis.
• Location of the resurrection appearances: Matthew and Mark focus on Galilee, while Luke centers on the area around Jerusalem.
• "Despised Galilee": Sermons often portray Galilee as a poor, despised Gentile region. However, scholars differ on the composition of Galilee's Jewish and Gentile population and on its economic conditions at the time.
• Traditional sites: The biblical text does not identify the exact locations shown to visitors as holy sites, such as the mountain where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered or the site of the feeding of the five thousand. Most of these identifications rest on later tradition.

In the Korean Church

The expression "back to Galilee" is frequently used in sermons as a call to return to the place where one was first called. The Sea of Galilee and Capernaum are major destinations on Holy Land pilgrimages, and some churches and groups take "Galilee" as their name.