The world of
JESUS
Palestine= Place;
Israel = People
 Palestine
 name given to the Land of Canaan
by the Greeks
 Has 4 main regions
 Galilee
 Samaria
 Judea
 Idumea
 Homeland of Jesus
 born in Judea, raised in Galilee
 Israel
 no longer a name for the land, now
for the descendents of Jacob
(except for the Samaritans)
Palestine
 Varied climate
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A lot like California
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Many ecosystems – coastal, valley, mountain,
desert,
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 Water
Scarcity a serious issue now and in Jesus’ time
People dug wells
strict rules governed the use of water
 Vegetation
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wide variety and abundance
juniper , oak common;
olive and fig trees most valuable - oil and fruit
Imported plants from various conquerors
Palestine
 Animals
 Both wild and domestic
animals were abundant
 Among the common wild
animals that Jesus would
have know were boars,
foxes, hyenas, wolves,
leopards, bears, and lions.
 Domestic animals included
sheep, oxen, donkeys,
cows, pigs, roosters, hens,
geese, fish and birds.
Geographical
Factions in Palestine
 Judea.
 Region of central
Palestine
 Idumea
 South of Judea
 Samaria
 North of Judea
 Galilee
 North of Samaria
Food and Meals
 Sharing a Meal: A Sacred Act
 To “break a bread” was an outward sign
of unity and friendship
 Sharing a meal showed that
 Meat: on special occasions only
 considered a luxury
 available on a regular basis only to the
wealthy.
 Staples
 Bread most common; then fish
 Fish preserved by drying and salting
 fresh fish cooked over a charcoal fire
 Dinner table
 Meals were often eaten in the open air
and at flexible times of the day
 People ate in reclining position rather
than a sitting position.
 ate with their hands, used bread as a
“dipper” from a flattened metal cup
rather than using forks, spoons, and
plates.
The typical house
 Design and Construction
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Most houses were neither large nor
impressive.
The majority of the people belonged to the
lower class
 House- one room- divided in half with the
people living on one side other room and
their animals living on the other side.
 Only one door
 Some houses were built into the side of a
hill
 Most houses were made of clay, sometimes
baked into bricks.
 Only the homes of the rich were made of
stone
 The roof was made of wattling- which
consisted of poles bound together by reeds
and grass and then covered with earth.
 People kept tools on the roof, spread lined
there to dry after washing.
 People often slept on roofs in hot weather
 Quite common to sit on the roof during
times of prayer and meditation.
 Pictures are from a reconstructed village
called Katzrin in modern Israel.
Common occupations
 Agriculture
 Jewish people had a particular love
for work related to earth.
 Farmers
 Many people were farmers and
shepherds
 Fishers
 Fishing was another common and
respected occupation.
 Traders
 This ranges from carpentry- trade
of Jesus and Joseph- to tent
making- trade of Paul.