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jōō-dē´a, jū-dē´a ('''Ἰουδαία''', Ioudaía):

The “land of the Jews,” the Greco-Roman equivalent of Judah. As most of the Israelites returning from the captivity belonged to the tribe of Judah, they came to be called Jews and their land Judea. In [[Tobit 1:18]] the name is applied to the old kingdom of Judah. For a general description of the physical geography and early history of this region see [[Judah]]. The limits of this district varied greatly, extending as the Jewish population increased, but in many periods with very indefinite boundaries.

Under the Persian empire, Judea (or Judah) was a district administered by a governor who, like Zerubbabel ([[Haggai 1:14]]; [[Haggai 2:2]]), was probably usually a Jew. Even as late as [[Judas Maccabeus]], Hebron and its surroundings - the very heart of old Judah was under the domination of the Edomites, whom, however, Judas conquered ([[1 Maccabees 5:65]]); in the time of his brother Jonathan (145 BC), three tetrarchies of Samaria, Aphaerema, Lydda and Ramathaim, were added to Judea ([[1 Maccabees 10:30]], 38; 11:34); in some passages it is referred to at this time as the “land of Judah” ('''Ἰούδα''') ([[1 Maccabees 10:30]], [[1 Maccabees 10:33]], [[1 Maccabees 10:37]]). The land was then roughly limited by what may be called the “natural boundaries of Judah” (see [[Judah]]).

Strabo (xvi. 11, 21) extends the name Judea to include practically all Palestine; as does Lk ([[Luke 4:44]] m; [[Luke 23:5]]; [[Acts 2:9]]; [[Acts 10:37]], etc.). In several New Testament references ([[Matthew 4:25]]; [[Mark 1:5]]; [[Mark 3:7]]; [[Luke 5:17]]; [[John 3:22]]; [[Acts 1:8]]), Judea is contrasted with its capital Jerusalem. The country bordering on the shores of the Dead Sea for some miles inland was known as the Wilderness of Judea (see [[Judah]]; [[Jeshimon]]) ([[Matthew 3:1]]), or “the wilderness” ([[Mark 1:4]]; [[Luke 3:2]]); here John the Baptist appeared as a preacher. According to [[Matthew 19:1]] (but compare [[Mark 10:1]], where the Revised Version (British and American) has “Judaea and beyond Jordan”), some cities beyond Jordan belonged to Judea. That this was an actual fact we know from [[Ptolemy]] ([[Mark 10:16]], [[Mark 10:9]]) and Josephus (Ant., XII, iv, 11).

According to Josephus (BJ, III, iii, 5), [[Judea]] extended from Anuath-Borkaeos (i.e. Khan Berkît near Khan es Sâweh, close to the most northerly frontier of [[Judah]] as described in [[Judah]] (which see)) to the village [[Jordan]], possibly Tell ‛Arād, near Arabia in the South. Its breadth was from [[Joppa]] in the West to Jordan in the East. The seacoast also as far north as Ptolemais (‛Akka), except [[Jamnia]], [[Joppa]] and (according to the Talm) Caesarea, belonged to this province.

After the death of [[Herod The Great|Herod the Great]], [[Archelaus]] received Judea, Samaria and [[Idumea]] as his ethnarchy, but on his deposition Judea was absorbed into the Roman province of [[Syria]], the procurator of which lived at Caesarea.

Of later history it is only necessary to notice that in the 5th century [[Judea]] became part of the land known as Palaestina Prima; that at the time of the Latin kingdom of [[Jerusalem]] (12th century) all the hill country of Judah from Sinjil to Tekoa was the royal domain, while the southern section to Beersheba belonged to the Seigneur de Abraham (i.e. of Hebron); and lastly that a district, the rough equivalent of the [[Kingdom Of Judah|kingdom of Judah]], though larger, and of the Judea described by Josephus (BJ, III, iii, 5), though slightly smaller, forms today the Mutaserraflic of el Kuds, an administrative area where more than in any spot in the world the problem of the “land of the Jews” is today increasingly acute.




[[Category: J]]