Galilee

Israel

Galilee is a region of northern Israel, extending into southern Lebanon, around the Sea of Galilee. According to the New Testament, much of Jesus' ministry took place there, with many of his miracles set on the shores of the lake. In the Roman period Sepphoris, rebuilt by Herod Antipas, and Tiberias, which he founded around 18-19 CE, were its main towns, and Galilee became the centre of Jewish life in the land: the Mishnah was redacted there under Judah ha-Nasi, and the Jerusalem Talmud took shape mainly in Tiberias, reaching its final form around 400. In the Ottoman era Safed became a centre of kabbalah. Today its population is mixed Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze.