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impugned; he was a Puritan of the strictest school; the platform of his sect or party looked well on paper, a grand idea about which to rally, but it was thoroughly impracticable in those unfortunate times; 4. That this was the home, also, of Eleazar, the missionary to Adiabene and the court of Izates. This man "was very skilful in the learning of his country." His words, "not only to read the law, but to practise it," represent the thorough style of his teaching. He seems to have been zealous, familiar with the law, skilful and eloquent in presenting his views, and perhaps we have a right to regard him as a representative man of Galilee.1 Again, we hold the opinion that the Sermon on the Mount, whether regarded as one discourse, or as the substance of many discourses, could not have been preached in Judea, at the beginning of Christ's ministry, at least, - considering the fact that Jerusalem was the hot-bed of tradition, and considering, also, the excited state of the public mind there, wild as it was with dreams of the coming Messiah. The sermon presupposes the ability, and also a willingness, on the the part of the listeners, to look beyond tradition and the mere letter of the law, to a somewhat new and enlarged. application of old sayings and truths. Such a state of mind would not be looked for in Judea at that time; but we should expect just that in the region of Capernaum.2

XIV. THE POETICAL TALENT FINELY DEVELOPED AMONG THE GALILEANS.

Besides the physical and moral vigor of this people, we discover, also, an elasticity and freshness of spirit which did not prevail among the people of the south. On this account

Galilee. Herod Philip and Herod Antipas both settled the affairs of their respective provinces irrespective of Rome, Ant. 18. 2. 1. Judas proclaimed his doctrines and founded his sect in Jerusalem.

1 Ant. 20. 2. 4; Keim, 1. 314; Graetz, 3. 334.

"On the general character of the people of Judea as distinguished from those of Galilee, and how easily they were misled by false Messiahs, - strange proceedings such as were never reported from Galilee, see passage in Hausrath, 1. 41, 42. It would have been difficult for Christ to have planted himself in Judea.

it was, perhaps, that here the poetical talent was so finely developed. We have already quoted the statement that, "if nature could influence mind, if it could create genius, Naphtali would be a land of poets."1 "The vine-covered slopes, the plains brilliant with flowers, the wooded glens and knolls, sparkling with springs," the beautiful lake deep within the bosom of the hills, the distant but ever visible "great sea"-symbol of the Infinite-would all contribute to awaken and stimulate the richest, and perhaps grandest, spirit of poetry.2 One of the earliest triumph-songs of Israel, as well as one of the noblest, sounded forth from the hills of Galilee on the occasion of Barak's victory over the Canaanites in the plain of Jezreel. And, if we were to adopt the view held by many eminent scholars, the Song of Songs had also its origin among these beautiful scenes of nature the music of a heart about which earth and sky had lavished their charms the song of one whose eyes delighted in beholding the beauty of the flowers and the richness of the fig-tree, the olive, and the vine.3

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XV. THE PROPHETS, JUDGES, AND OTHER FAMOUS MEN OF

GALILEE.

In this connection, a brief notice must be taken of the famous persons whose birth-place, or home, was in this northern province. We may be obliged here to go beyond the strict limits of our period, in order to answer the flippant and prejudiced remark: "Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet "4 -a remark which should never have been believed at all, but which, being accepted without reflection, has had much influence in shaping the common notion of the character of Galilee. In the time of the Judges, Naphtali furnished Barak, the victor over the Canaanites, with whom should be mentioned Deborahı, "a prophetess," the "mother in Israel," whose presence and words inspired those bold sons of the north to heroic deeds, and also Jael, "the wife of

1 Porter, Bashan, 263.

2 See Isaac Taylor, Hebrew Poetry, 73.

* See Hausrath, 1. 12. Gesenius and others hold this view. John vii. 52.

Heber the Kenite," a heroine of that bloody day.1 Zebulon furnished Ibzan, who judged Israel seven years,2 and after him Elon, who judged Israel for ten years. Still later this country sent forth a number of prophets, whose memories were always cherished by the people, and whose tombs were built and guarded by a grateful posterity with pious care. If it is doubtful whether Elijah was born in Galilee, yet the scene of his labors was chiefly this northern region, and the home of his successor Elisha was in the tribe of Issachar. Hosea also belonged to Issachar; Jonah, the son of Amittai, came from Gath Hepher in Zebulon; and the prophet Nahum from Elkosh in Galilee.4 In the Assyrian captivity, under Shalmaneser, appears Tobit, from Naphtali. He was 66 a godly man," and "in the account of him we have a very instructive picture of his home and of his times." 5 Alexander, the first renowned Jewish philosopher in Alexandria,—a peripatetic and the forerunner of Philo,

is supposed by some to have been born in Paneas. Nitai, a learned doctor of the Mishna, came from Arbela.7 Two other Mishna doctors also came from this region, and 1 On these characters, see Ewald, Hist. Isr. 2. 374-379. Deborah and Barak "whose valor delivered the nation from a vassalage of twenty years "9 to Jabin king of Hazor, Ritter, 2. 225; Barak, Judges, iv.; Jael, Judg. iv. 17; Deborah judged Israel at this time, Judg. iv. 4.

2 He was of Bethlehem in Zebulon, Judg. xii. 8.

3 Judg. xii. 11; Issachar furnished also Judge Zola, "who judged Israel twenty-three years," Judg. x. 1, 2; see Ewald, Hist. Isr. 2. 375 note. On Ibzan, see Keil, Com. on Judg. xii. 8.

This last statement has been disputed; but many able scholars hold the view expressed in the text; see Smith's Dict. Bib., Art. "Elkosh," 1. p. 724. Ritter, 4. 340; Keim, 1. 317; Tobit, 1. 1 sq.

Keim, 1. 317, is inclined to adopt this view; see his note on p. 318; Herzfeld, Gesch. des Volkes Isr. 3. 473; Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 7. 32. See on Aristobulus Heinichen's ed. of Euseb. Hist. Eccl. (Leipzig, 1828), vol. ii. p. 420, note 22, an important note. That Aristobulus was born at Paneas is made very doubtful. Graetz, 3. 40, 50, 51; Dähne, Jüd. Alexand. Religions-Philos. (ed. Halle, 1834), 2. 73 et seq., and note 6.

7¬¬¬807). Ginsburg, Kitto's Cyclop. Bib. Lit. 1. 729, places him B.C. 140-110. See Neubauer, 219; Chiarini, Le Talmud, 1. 117, No. 143, says, "lived towards the year 200 B.C." For the two other Mishna doctors from Galilee, see Chiarini, ibid. p. 106, No. 15, and p. 114, No. 103; see Graetz, 3. 107 for Nitai's rule of life: "Avoid a bad neighbor; associate not with sinners; and do not forget a future recompense."

There

king Alexander Jannaeus, son of Hyrcanus, calls Galilee his fatherland. In Christ's time, Anna the prophetess belonged to Asher, and, we may mention again, the missionary Eleazar and Judas the Galilean zealot, and with the latter his sons, James, Simon, and Manahem.2 Perhaps Hezekiah, the brigand chief whom Herod slew, and his son Judas, who on Herod's death raised a revolt, and took Sepphoris, and was captured only after a hard struggle, may be mentioned as showing, though outlaws, the metal of the Galileans. was also Eleazar, the son of Jairus, a kinsman of Manahem, and a descendant of Judas the zealot, just mentioned, and who was the founder of the sect of the Galileans. This Eleazar boasted of himself and his companions: "We were the first of all to revolt" against the Romans," and we are the last in arms against them"; "We determined to serve as master no one but God, and the time has come for us to show the sincerity of our words by our actions"; and they all perished then and there, in the bloody slaughter at Masada.1 Galilee had Herod the Great for governor, and afterwards Antipas, the ablest of his sons, and still later, as military governor, Josephus. At that time flourished the famous John of Gischala; also, Silas, the governor of Tiberias by Josephus's appointment, and Joshua, in authority there, but opposed to Josephus; also, Julius Capellus, leader of the most respectable party in Tiberias, and his associates, namely, Herod son of Miarus, Herod son of Gamalus, Compsus and Crispus these two the sons of Compsus; also, Pistus and his son Justus-the latter a friend of Greek learning, and the author of a history in Greek of his own times, but the implacable enemy of Josephus. Other names are given in

1 Ant. 13. 12. 1; as soon as he was born he was removed to Galilee, and brought up there, because his father took such a dislike to him. See Keim, 1.

317.

2 James and Simon crucified, Ant. 20. 5. 2; Manahem killed in Jerusalem, Wars, 2. 17. 9.

8 Wars, 2. 4. 1.

♦ Wars, 2. 17. 9; 7. 8. 6; Graetz, 3. 452, makes him a descendant of Judas the Zealot.

the note.1 We might, perhaps, include Nathanael of Cana of Galilee; Peter, as a representative man of Galilee;" Zebedee and his two sons, James and John-a family of wealth; Andrew and Philip, of Bethsaida in Galilee; Joseph and Mary; James, the brother of Christ and the first bishop of Jerusalem; also Salome, sister of Mary and wife of Zebedee.

And if we were to look beyond the destruction of Jerusalem, we should find Galilee the abode of many famous and learned men, and the seat of flourishing schools. From the second to the sixth century Galilee was the chief seat of Jewish learning.3

XVI. THE WEALTH AND MATERIAL PROSPERITY OF THE

PROVINCE.

Of the wealth and material prosperity of Galilee it is difficult to speak, apart from the connection of this topic with the whole country. Of the wealth and prosperity of the whole country during the period covered by the reign of Herod the Great and the life of Christ very much might be said. The Jews throughout the world were a wealthy class. In wealth, as well as in numbers, they surpassed the Greeks

1 Dassion and Jannaeus, leading persons in Tiberias; Joshua and Jeremiah employed by Josephus; Joseph, "a turbulent person of Gamala"; see Life, 9; Traill's Joseph. 1. p. 27, "Designation of the persons mentioned in the Life of Josephus"; Keim, 1. 317, 318; Graetz, 3. 397; Simon "the leading person in Gabara," and the friend of John of Gischala, Life, 25; Aeneas “the person of greatest influence in Tarichaea," and the friend of Josephus, Wars, 2. 21. 3; also a woman is mentioned, a relative of Eleazar (of Massada fame), "in understanding and education superior to most of her sex," Wars, 7. 9. 1; Keim, 1. 427. There was in the early church a tradition that the parents of the Apostle Paul came from Gischala (see Arnaud, 577), in Galilec. It is given by Jerome (refs. in Arnaud, 577; Robinson, 2. 446). It is easy to reject the tradition; but quite difficult to see how such a tradition should become attached to this partisular place; somebody at some time must have believed it, and perhaps with

reasons.

2 Keim, 1.315. See fine passage on the men of Galilee in Stanley, Jewish Church, 2. 300; also, ibid. 308 and 413 for notice of Tobit.

8 Keim, 1. 318.

NOTE. Graetz, on all occasions, takes decidedly the ground of John of Gischala as against Josephus, 3. 396; against Josephus he is always very bitter. This feeling sometimes warps his judgment of facts.

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