The Geographic and Political Situation of Israel during Christ's Ministry

Next week we will be getting into John 1, but just to give you a little more background and to set up the book of John, let's look at what the geography and politics of Israel looked like around 30 A.D.

Location and Size of Israel:

Israel is a small country. In fact, it is 390 miles long and ranges from 30-80 miles wide. To give you a perspective from our part of the world, it is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Also, an interesting side note, Israel, when you look at a map of the world, it is roughly in the middle of the world. Coincidence or not?

The Perfect Country:

Climate:

Israel has every type of climate imaginable. It has snowy Mount Hermon, which is a popular Israelite ski spot, and then the tropical Dead Sea region. In fact, you could go skiing in the morning and then hit the beach in the afternoon!

Crops:

On the plains of Sharon, you can find crops of oranges and bananas. In Galilee, you can find grapes, cucumbers, and almost any type of vegetable imaginable.

As far as land is concerned, the country of Israel really is the perfect country. In fact, it makes sense why the area is called "the land flowing with milk and honey."

Christ's Itinerary:

Here is just a quick overview of Christ's itinerary through the book of John. Notice how much land he covered.

John 4:1-5—From Jerusalem to Galilee through Samaria: about 50 miles through hills
John 4:43-46—From Samaria to Galilee: about 40 miles through hills and coastal plains
John 4:54-5:1—From Galilee to Jerusalem: about 90 miles through coastal plains and hills
John 10: 40—From Jerusalem to beyond Jordan: about 20 miles through hills and the Jordan Valley
John 10:40-11:1-17—From beyond Jordan to Judea, Bethany: about 18 miles through hills and the Jordan Valley

John 11:54—From Bethany to Ephraim: about 25 miles through hills

Political Divisions During Christ's Time:

There are three major areas in Israel: Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Remember, John focuses most of his gospel on Judea. Now, Rome is ruling Israel at this point, and the Roman government divided Israel into three political areas. As we look at these divisions, try to tuck them in the back of your mind for future reference when we talk about the people Christ ministered to in these areas. It will help you understand why he said what he said and did what he did.

We have Judea and Samaria, which is made up of broken hills and valleys and was good for grazing herds and flocks. Seven different men ruled this area during Christ's lifetime.

We have Galilee and Perea, which was heavily wooded in some areas during this time, received a great amount of rain and run-off from nearby Mount Hermon (about 25 inches annually), and was a rich and fertile land. Herod Antipus ruled this area.

Lastly, we have Iturea and Trachonitis, which is in the northern Galilee area. Trachonitis was northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Because the Itureans were nomads, we don't know an exact area they lived in, but are able to narrow it down to this area around the Sea of Galilee. Philip ruled this area during this time.

Now, there is one more area I'm going to include because we will discuss it. It is not a Roman province, but was under Rome's partial control and/or influence. This area is called Decapolis and was made up of 10 Greek cities.

OK, here's a bit more geography and then I have a great illustration to share with you. These are the break down of the geographical divisions of Israel. If you look at a map of Israel, you can draw five vertical lines through Israel to create these areas. Again, tuck these in the back of your mind for future reference when looking at Christ's ministry. Here is a quick rundown of them:

The Coastal Plains
1. It is along the Mediterranean Coast to Mount Carmel
2. It ranges from 6 to 20 miles wide
3. It contains some of the richest soil in the world
4. A large part of the most desirable land in Palestine is in this area

The Shepelah
1. Found between the Coastal plan and the central hills is a series of foothills called the Shepelah
2. It has rolling hills
3. It has low hills at 500 to 1,00 feet high
4. It is suited for growing olives, grapes, and grain
5. It is also suited for pastoral farming activities
6. It once served as a buffer zone between the Philistines and the Israel.

The Cis-Jordan Hills
1. This area is commonly associated with Israel’s history
2. Most of Israel’s cities and people are located in this area
3. The hills range from 1,500 to 3,000 feet high.
4. The elevation increases to the north, and the hills become the Lebanon Mountains in northern Galilee
5. The mountains rise to an elevation of 10,000 feet

The Jordan Valley
1. It stretches from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea
2. It represents only a small section of one of the most remarkable geographic depressions on the earth, which is fully known as the Afro-Arabian Rift Valley
3. This rift is responsible for creating the Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea in Israel
4. Due to the constant moving, between 200-300 earthquakes occur here daily!
5. Although the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are only 65 miles apart in a straight line, the Jordan River winds through this area for more than two hundred miles
6. The Dead Sea is about 1,292 feet below sea level and 1,300 feet deep
7. 6 million tons of water flow into the Dead Sea every day from the Jordan River
8. The Dead Sea has no outlet, so the water evaporates during the day, leaving behind minerals—the Dead Sea is one of the greatest mineral deposits in the world.

The Trans-Jordan Hills
1. These hills and mountains lie on the other side (east of the Jordan River)
2. It is a high plateau that rises gradually from north (about 1,320 feet high) to south (higher than 3,940 feet)

Hopefully this helps you gain a better understanding of the area and peoples that Christ was ministering to and of the politics he was facing.

OK, here's the illustration I promised (actually, I want you to think about it, see what you come up with, and then I will share with you what I see). Look back at the description of The Jordan Valley. Think about the Dead Sea. How could we use the Jordan River and the Dead Sea to describe some Christians?

This picture isn't the illustration, I just thought it was funny!