Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§9.6 The Historical Context
9.6. Galilean Judaism
In a treatment aimed at illuminating the character and impact of Jesus' mission,
an analysis of 'Judaism' at that time may be insufficient to clarify the most immediate
historical context of that mission. For, as already noted, 'Judaism' first
appears as the national religion of those who lived in Judea; the 'Jews' were first
'Judeans'. But Jesus is remembered as a Galilean, 161 and no one disputes that
most of his mission was centred in the Galilee. 162 But Galilee is not Judea. Does
that mean that the Galileans were also not part of Judaism, that it is actually improper
to call Jesus a 'Jew'? The issue has potentially far-reaching implications
and cannot be avoided. There are two aspects to the issue: Was Galilee 'Jewish' ?
Was Galilee 'Hellenized'?
a. Was Galilee Jewish?
The first issue can be posed quite sharply in terms of early Judaism's own historical
records. As part of the northern kingdom (Israel), Galilee had been separated from
Judea since the division of the Davidic kingdom following Solomon's death (about
922 BCE). When finally overrun by the Assyrians (722 or 721) 'the Israelites' had
been transported to Assyria (2 Kgs 17.6), 'exiled from their own land to Assyria
until this day' (17.23), and replaced 'in the cities of Samaria' by settlers from
Mesopotamia (17.24). According to 1 Maccabees, it was only in the course of the
internecine warfare which marked the decline of the Syrian Empire that Samaria
and Galilee were added/(offered?) to Judea (1 Mace. 10.30) in about 152 BCE. 163
But it was nearly another fifty years before the Hasmoneans, under Aristobulus I
(104-103 BCE), regained full control of the area. Josephus' description of the forcible
accession is noteworthy: Aristobulus 'compelled the inhabitants, if they
wished to remain in the territory, to be circumcised and to live in accordance with
the laws of the Jews/Judeans' {Ant. 13.318). 164 Then, after less than one hundred
years of rule from Jerusalem, at the death of Herod the Great, Herod's kingdom
was divided up and Galilee with Perea given to Herod Antipas (4 BCE-39 CE),
while Judea was soon taken under direct imperial rule (6-41 CE). SO the obvious
question arises: Was Jesus brought up in an only superficially 'judaized' Galilee?
161. Mark 1.9; Matt. 2.22; 21.11; 26.69; 27.55; Luke 2.39; 23.6; John 7.41, 52.
162. E.g., Mark 1.14, 16, 28, 39; 3.7; Luke 4.14, 31; 23.5, 49, 55; Acts 10.37.
163. Schürer, History 1.141 and n. 9. In an earlier campaign, Simon, brother of Judas
Maccabee, had rescued 'the Jews/Judeans of Galilee' and brought them back to Judea (1 Mace.
5.23); 'the early Maccabees by no means set out to Judaise those regions, but on the contrary,
withdrew their Jewish population' (Schürer, History 1.142).
164. Schürer, History 1.217-18.
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