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  A lot like California  Many ecosystems – coastal, valley, mountain, desert,  Water  Scarcity a serious issue now and in Jesus’ time  People dug wells  strict rules governed the use of water  Vegetation  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  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.