house." "At any rate," observed the Rabbi, "you can join with me"; and when the latter

had agreed to this, Jannai said, "A dog has eaten of the bread of Jannai!"

Impartial history, however, must record a different judgment of the men of Galilee from

that pronounced by the Rabbis, and that even wherein they were despised by those

leaders in Israel. Some of their peculiarities, indeed, were due to territorial circumstances.

The province of Galilee--of which the name might be rendered "circuit," being derived

from a verb meaning "to move in a circle"--covered the ancient possession of four

tribes: Issachar, Zebulon, Naphtali, and Asher. The name occurs already in the Old

Testament (compare Josh 20:7; 1 Kings 9:11; 2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chron 6:76; and especially

Isa 9:1). In the time of Christ it stretched northwards to the possessions of Tyre on the

one side, and to Syria on the other; on the south it was bounded by Samaria --Mount

Carmel on the western, and the district of Scythopolis (in the Decapolis) on the eastern

side, being here landmarks; while the Jordan and the Lake of Gennesaret formed the

general eastern boundary -line. Thus regarded, it would include names to which such

reminiscences attach as "the mountains of Gilboa," where "Israel and Saul fell down

slain"; little Hermon, Tabor, Carmel, and that great battle -field of Palestine, the plain of

Jezreel. Alike the Talmud and Josephus divide it into Upper and Lower Galilee, between

which the Rabbis insert the district of Tiberias, as Middle Galilee. We are reminded of

the history of Zaccheus (Luke 19:4) by the mark which the Rabbis give to distinguish

between Upper and Lower Galilee--the former beginning "where sycomores cease to

grow." The sycomore, which is a species of fig, must, of course, not be confounded with

our sycamore, and was a very delicate evergreen, easily destroyed by cold (Psa 78:47),

and growing only in the Jordan valley, or in Lower Galilee up to the sea-coast. The

mention of that tree may also help us to fix the locality where Luke 17:6 was spoken by

the Saviour. The Rabbis mention Kefar Hananyah, probably the modern Kefr Anan, to

the north-west of Safed, as the first place in Upper Galilee. Safed was truly "a city set on

an hill"; and as such may have been in view of the Lord, when He spoke the Sermon on

the Mount (Matt 5:14). In the Talmud it is mentioned by the name of Zephath, and

spoken of as one of the signal-stations, whence the proclamation of the new moon,

made by the Sanhedrim in Jerusalem (see The Temple), and with it the beginning of

every month, was telegraphed by fire -signals from hill to hill throughout the land, and

far away east of the Jordan, to those of the dispersion.

The mountainous part in the north of Upper Galilee presented magnificent scenery, with

bracing air. Here the scene of the Song of Solomon is partly laid (Cant 7:5). But its caves

and fastnesses, as well as the marshy ground, covered with reeds, along Lake Merom,

gave shelter to robbers, outlaws, and rebel chiefs. Some of the most dangerous

characters came from the Galilean highlands. A little farther down, and the scenery

changed. South of Lake Merom, where the so-called Jacob's bridge crosses the Jordan,

we come upon the great caravan road, which connected Damascus in the east with the

great mart of Ptolemais, on the shore of the Mediterranean. What a busy life did this

road constantly present in the days of our Lord, and how many trades and occupations

did it call into existence! All day long they passed--files of camel, mules, and asses,

laden with the riches of the East, destined for the far West, or bringing the luxuries of

the West to the far East. Travellers of every description--Jews, Greeks, Romans,

dwellers in the East--were seen here. The constant intercourse with foreigners, and the

settlement of so many strangers along one of the great highways of the world, must

have rendered t he narrow-minded bigotry of Judaea well-nigh impossible in Galilee.

We are now in Galilee proper, and a more fertile or beautiful region could scarcely be

conceived. It was truly the land where Asher dipped his foot in oil (Deu 33:24). The

Rabbis speak of the oil as flowing like a river, and they say that it was easier in Galilee to

rear a forest of olive-trees than one child in Judaea! The wine, although not so plentiful

as the oil, was generous and rich. Corn grew in abundance, especially in the

neighbourhood of Capernaum; flax also was cultivated. The price of living was much

lower than in Judaea, where one measure was said to cost as much as five in Galilee.

Fruit also grew to perfection; and it was probably a piece of jealousy on the part of the