| Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, unto John, to be baptised by him. The northern territory of Galilee consisted of a heavy mixture of Gentiles and Jews. Its rich soils and valleys made it the richest farming district in the province. The cities of the Galilee were very Hellenized while the Jewish population was centered in the rural farms and villages. Many of Jesus sayings and aphorisms recall the imagery of the farming community of his childhood such as the "sowing and reaping" metaphors. It was the custom of villagers of the Galilee to join in the harvests to make extra income. Whether it be the "lilies of the fields" or the sparrows who neather "reap nor sow," Jesus' teachings paint a vivid picture of this agrarian rural community. Galileans were generally looked down upon by Judeans much like the people of rural farming communities in the American South by industrial northerners. The Aramaic dialect of Galileans was also noticeable by Judeans and another subject of derision. Galileans had a tendency to "drop their alefs" similar to the manner of dropping H's in Cockney English. This tendency is preserved in the Latinization of the name of Jesus' friend Alazar whom Jesus probably called `Lazar, hence "Lazarus." (Photo. Jack Kilmon) | |
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