Galilee was divided into two sections (Cyrill, c. Jul. ii), "Lower" (?) kutu) and "Upper" (// (ii'oi VaXiXaia, Josephus, War, ii, 20, G ; Ant. v, 1, 22). The Talmud has ii threefold division, with reference to the Sabbati- cal year (Shebiilh, ix, 2; "Upper Galilee ["|*^^"n] embraces all above Capharananias, and does not pro- duce sycamores; Lower [""mm], all below C, and bears sycamores ; the valley is the territory of Tilie- rias" [the Ghor]). A single glance at the countrj' shows that the division was natural. Lower Galilee included the great plain of Esdraelon, with its off- ("hoots, which run down to the Joi'dan and the Lake of Tiberias ; and the whole of the hill-country adjoining it on the north to the foot of the mountain range. The words of Josephus are clear and important (ITrtr, iii, 3, 1) : " It extends from Tiljerias to Zabulon, adjacent to which, on the sea-coast, is Ptolemais. In breadth it stretches from a village called Xaloth, lying in the Great Plain, to Bersabe." "The village of Xaloth" is evidently the Chesulloth of Josh, xix, 12, now called Iksal, and situated at the base of Mount Taboi', on the northern border of the Great Plain (Porter, Ilmidbool; p. 859). But a comparison of Josephus, Ant. xx, G, 4, with War, iii, 2, 4. ].roves that Lower Galilee ex- tended as far as the village of Ginen, the modern Je- nln, on the extreme southern side of the plain. The site of the northern border town, Bersabe, is not known ; but Ave learn incidentally that both Arbela and Jotopata were in Lower Galilee (Josephus, Life, S7 ; liar, ii, 20, G) ; and as the former was situated near the north-west angle of the Lake of Tiberias, and the latter about eight miles north of Nazareth (Porter, Handbook, p. 432, 377), wo conclude that Lower Galil':'e included the whole region extending from the plain of Akka, on the west, to the shores of the lake on the east. It was thus one of the richest and most beauti- ful sections of Palestine. The plain of Esdraelon pre- sents an unbroken surface of fertile soil — soil fo good that to enjoy it the tribe of Issachar condescended to a semi-nomadic state, and "became a servant to trib- ute" (Deut. xxxiii,'l8; Gen. xlix, 14, 15). With the exception of a few rocky rummits around Nazareth the hills are all wooded, and sink down in graceful slopes to broad winding vales of the richest green. The out- lines are varied, the colors soft, and the whole land- scape is characterized by that picturesque luxuriance which one sees in parts of Tuscany. The blessings promised by Jacob and IMoses to Zebulun and Ashcr seem to lie here inscribed on the features of the coun- try. Zebulnn, nestling amid these hills, "oft'ers sac- rilices of righteousness" of the abundant flocks nour- ished by their rich pastures ; he rejoices " in his goings out" along tlic fertile plain of Esdraelon ; "he sucks of the al)undance of the seas" — his ]>ossessions skirting the Bay of Haifa at the base of Carmel ; and he " sucks of treasures hid in the sand," jiossibly in allusion to the r/lass, which was first made from the sands of the Liver Belus (Deut. xxxiii, 18, 19; Pliny, v, 19; Taci- tus, Hist. v). Asher, dwelling amid the hills on tlio north-west of Zebulun, on the borders of Phnenicia, "dips his feet in oil," the ])rodnce of luxuriant olive groves, such as .still distinguish this region; "his bread," the i)roduce of the plain of Phoenicia, and the fertih? upland vall-ev's " is fat;" "he yields royal dain- ties"— oil and wine from Ins olives and vineyards, and milk and butter from his jiastures (Gea. xlix, 20; Deut. xxxiii, 24, 25). The chief towns of Lower Gal- ilee were Tiberias, Tarichica, at the southern end of
the Sea of Galilee, and Sepphoris (Josephus, Lije, 9, 25, 29, 37). The latter played an important part in the last great Jewish war (Jose|i]nis, Li^fe, 45; War, ii, 18, 11). It is now called Scfuiieh, and is situated about three miles north of Nazareth (Porter, I/aiidboolc, p. 378). There were, Ijesides, two strong fortresses. Jo- tapata, now called Jefat, and Mount Tabor (Josephus, War, iii, 7, 3 sq. ; iv, 1, G). The towns most celebra- ted in N.-T. history are Nazareth, Cana, and Tiberias (Luke i, 2G; John'ii, 1 ; vi, 1).
Upper Galilee, according to Josephus, extended from Bersabe on the south to the village of Baca, on tlie bor- ders of tlie territory of Tyre, and from ]Meloth on the west to Thella, a city near the Jordan (^War, iii, S, 1). None of these places are now known, but there is no difficulty in ascertaining the position and approximate extent of the province. It embraced the whole moun- tain range lying between the upper Jordan and Phoeni- cia. Its southern border ran along the foot of the Safed range from the north-west angle of the Sea of Galilee to the plain of Akka. To this region the name " Galilee of the Gentiles" is given in the O. and N. T, (Isa. ix, 1 ; Matt, iv, 15). So Eusebius states {Onom. s. v. TaXika'ui). The town of Capernaum, on the north shore of the lake, was in Upper Galilee {Onom. s. v. Capharnaum), and this fact is important, as showing how' far the province extended southward, and as prov- ing that it, as well as Lower Galilee, touched the lake. The mountain range of Upper Galilee is a southern prolongation of Lebanon, from which it is separated by the deep ravine of the Leontes. See Lf,b.\xon. The summit of the range is table-land, pait of which is beau- tifully wooded with dwarf oak, intermixed with tangled shrubberies of hawthorn and arbutus. The wliole is vari d liy fertile upland plains, green forest glades, and wild picturesque glens breaking down to the east and west. The population is still numerous and industri- ous, consisting chicil}' of jMetawileh, a sect of Jloham- medans. Safed is the principal town, and contains i.ljout 4000 souls, one third of whom are Jews. It is one of the four holy Jcwisli cities of Palestine, and has for three centuries or more been celebrated for the sa- credness of its tombs and the learning of its rabbins. Safed seems to be the centre of an extensive volcanic district. Shocks of earthquake are felt every few years. One occurred in 1837 which killed about 5000 persons (Porter, Handbook, p. 438). On the table-land' of Upper Galilee lie the ruins of Kedcsh-Naphtali (Josh. XX, 7), and Giscala (now cl-Jish), a city fortified by Jo- se])hus, and celelirated as the last place in (ialilee that held out arainst (he Eomans {War, ii, 22. C ; iv, 1, 1 ; 2,1-5).