Original Research

Were the Galileans "religious Jews" or "ethnic Judeans"?

Markus Cromhout
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 64, No 3 | a68 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v64i3.68 | © 2008 Markus Cromhout | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 15 January 2008 | Published: 04 March 2008

About the author(s)

Markus Cromhout, University of Pretoria, South Africa

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Abstract

This article focuses on an investigation into the ethnic identity of first-century Galileans. Its aim is to argue that the Galileans were not descendents of northern Israelites but were mostly descendents of “Jews” who came to live in the region during the Hasmonean expansion. The article demonstrates that this thesis is supported by Josephus and also by archaeological evidence. From the perspective of this thesis, the article contends that the term “Jew” does not apply to Galileans. First-century Galileans should rather be understood as “ethnic Judeans”.

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