BEMA Episode Link: 88: Setting the Stage
Episode Length: 26:59
Published Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2018 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings set the stage for our journey through the gospels by looking at the geographical region of the Galilee where Jesus did most of his ministry.

Setting the Stage Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 88

Transcript for BEMA 88

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 88: Setting the Stage - Comprehensive Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 88 - Setting the Stage Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Geography of the Galilee region and the diverse worldviews present during Jesus’s ministry

This episode provides a crucial geographical foundation for understanding the Gospels by examining the Sea of Galilee region where Jesus conducted approximately 80% of his recorded ministry. The hosts use maps and photographs taken from Mount Arbel to illustrate how five distinct worldviews and responses to Hellenism existed within a remarkably small geographical area. This geographical understanding becomes essential for interpreting Jesus’s teachings, his instructions to those he healed, and his strategic engagement with different communities. The episode demonstrates how geography is not merely background information but a critical interpretive tool for understanding the text.

Key Takeaways

• Approximately 80% of Jesus’s recorded ministry occurred within the Sea of Galilee region, an area small enough to be viewed from a single mountaintop (Mount Arbel)
• Five distinct worldviews coexisted in this compact region: Religious Jews (Pharisees), Herodians, Zealots, Pagans, and the priestly parties (Sadducees and Essenes)
• The “religious triangle” (Chorazin, Gennesaret, Capernaum, and Bethsaida) represented where observant Jews lived who actively rejected Hellenism but did not withdraw like the Essenes
• Geography explains many seemingly contradictory instructions from Jesus, particularly why he told some people to spread the news while commanding others to remain silent
• Understanding geography reveals Jesus’s strategic positioning in Capernaum as an act of courage and confrontation with Herod Antipas, not retreat
• The distinct architectural and cultural differences between regions were stark: the religious triangle had no paved roads or Greco-Roman art, while Tiberias and the Decapolis were thoroughly Hellenized
• Each Gospel can be understood as addressing a different worldview represented in this geographical region, providing insight into their unique agendas and emphases

Main Concepts & Theories

The Geography of Ministry

The Sea of Galilee region served as a natural laboratory where Jesus could engage with radically different worldviews within walking distance of each other. Mount Arbel, located on the western shore, provides a vantage point from which nearly all the locations of Jesus’s ministry can be seen. This geographical concentration was not accidental but strategic, allowing Jesus to interact with diverse groups while demonstrating the universality of the Kingdom message.

The proximity of these different communities highlights the intensity of the cultural and religious tensions of the first century. A 30-45 minute walk could take someone from the religiously conservative triangle into the thoroughly Hellenized city of Tiberias or across the sea into pagan territory. This geographical reality shaped how Jesus taught, whom he engaged, and how he instructed people to respond after encountering him.

The Five Worldviews Around the Sea

1. Religious Jews (The Triangle): The communities of Chorazin, Gennesaret, Capernaum, and Bethsaida formed what is called “the triangle” where religiously observant Jews lived. These were the Pharisees’ territory, representing those who actively rejected Hellenism without withdrawing from society entirely. Archaeological evidence shows these cities lacked paved roads and Greco-Roman artistic elements, demonstrating their deliberate cultural separation. This was the world of the synagogue, Torah study, and scrupulous observance of purity laws.

2. Herodians (Tiberias): Built by Herod Antipas as his capital city, Tiberias represented the compromise position with Hellenism. The Herodians believed they could maintain Jewish identity while embracing Greco-Roman culture, architecture, and lifestyle. This thoroughly Hellenized city sat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a constant reminder to the religious Jews of what they rejected. Modern Tiberias remains a thriving city, demonstrating the enduring nature of Hellenistic urban culture.

3. Zealots (Gamla): Located east of Bethsaida, Gamla was the stronghold of the Zealot movement, representing violent resistance to Roman occupation. This was their second-to-last stand before their final defeat at Masada. The Zealots believed the answer to Hellenism was armed revolution and the forceful establishment of God’s kingdom through military means.

4. Pagans (Decapolis - Hippos/Susita): The eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, particularly the city of Hippos (also called Susita), represented the northernmost reaches of the Decapolis, a network of ten Greco-Roman cities planted by Alexander the Great. This was territory so unclean in Jewish thinking that merely speaking the name “Decapolis” made a person ceremonially unclean for seven days (equivalent to menstrual uncleanness). The Pharisees referred to this region as “the faraway land” or “the land of the cast out ones.” No Jewish child from the religious triangle would ever be caught on this side of the sea.

5. Priestly Parties (Sadducees and Essenes): While not geographically centered in the Galilee region, representatives of these groups would have been present. The Sadducees, centered in Jerusalem and the temple system, included priests who lived throughout the twelve tribes and served only two weeks per year in the temple. The Essenes, while centered at Qumran, had outposts including locations in Jerusalem and possibly the Galilee region, representing complete withdrawal from corrupted society.

Jesus’s Strategic Use of Geography

Understanding geography reveals Jesus as strategically courageous rather than cautiously avoiding conflict. When the Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill him, Jesus’s response was not to flee but to establish his home base in Capernaum, directly within Herod’s sphere of influence. The traditional interpretation that Jesus “had to leave the region” is geographically impossible. Instead, Jesus moved closer to Herod’s capital, essentially saying, “I’m not running from you; I’m running toward you. Come find me if you want.”

This geographical boldness extended to Jesus’s border-crossing ministry. By getting in a boat and sailing to “the other side” of the sea, Jesus was not just making a convenient trip across the water but leading his disciples into profoundly unclean territory. For Jewish fishermen from Bethsaida to cross into the Decapolis required them to violate deeply held purity convictions. Jesus was not just teaching about breaking down barriers; he was forcing his disciples to physically cross those barriers.

Geography and Gospel Communication Strategy

Jesus’s instructions about publicity and secrecy follow a consistent geographical pattern. In pagan territory (the Decapolis), Jesus told people to spread the news widely. The man freed from demons wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus commanded him to stay and tell everyone what had happened. In a polytheistic context with “a million gods,” Jesus offered himself as another divine option worth considering.

In the religious triangle, however, Jesus consistently commanded silence. After healings and miracles, he told people not to tell anyone what happened. This was not because they were Jewish but because they were religious and trained, convinced they already understood Scripture correctly. Jesus knew these religious experts were not ready to process what he was bringing. They would “get all wound up about stuff” he was not there to engage. The secrecy was protective, allowing Jesus to continue his ministry without premature confrontation with those who thought they had God figured out.

The Four Gospels as Addressing Different Worldviews

While not suggesting the Gospels were literally written to these geographical locations, the Sea of Galilee region provides a useful metaphor for understanding each Gospel’s intended audience and agenda:

Matthew to the Triangle (Religious Jews): Matthew addresses the religious Jewish worldview, critiquing their failure to chase prodigals and welcome outsiders. His primary concern is showing how religiosity without compassion fails to embody Torah’s heart. Matthew demonstrates how Jesus fulfills Jewish Scripture and tradition while challenging the religious establishment’s hardness of heart.

Mark to the Decapolis (Romans/Pagans): Mark writes across the sea to the people of the Decapolis, presenting the Gospel to Romans in terms they can understand. His Gospel moves quickly, emphasizes action, and presents Jesus as powerful and authoritative in ways that would resonate with Roman values.

Luke to the Triangle or Gamla (Service and Mercy): Luke’s emphasis on service, love, and mercy fits both the religious triangle’s synagogue context and the Zealots’ passionate concern for justice. Luke shows how God’s kingdom operates through sacrificial service rather than religious superiority or violent revolution.

John to Tiberias (Hellenistic Worldview): John addresses the Hellenistic worldview, engaging philosophical questions about logos, light, and life. His Gospel speaks to those influenced by Greek thought, presenting Jesus in cosmic and philosophical terms while rooted in Jewish theology.

Examples & Applications

Architectural Evidence of Worldview

The physical remains of cities around the Sea of Galilee provide concrete evidence of ideological commitments. The religious triangle cities lack paved roads, a standard feature of Roman urban planning. They contain no Greco-Roman art or decorative elements. These were not simply poor villages unable to afford such improvements; they were communities that deliberately rejected the symbols and structures of Hellenistic culture. In contrast, Tiberias and the Decapolis cities featured all the hallmarks of Greco-Roman civilization: paved streets, public baths, amphitheaters, temples, and decorative art. The choice to pave or not to pave was an ideological statement about cultural identity and theological conviction.

The Geography of the Pig Story

The story of the pigs rushing down a steep bank into the sea can be located with remarkable precision at the beach below Susita (Hippos). This is the only location around the entire circumference of the Sea of Galilee where a steep bank runs directly into deep water without the typical 100-200 yards of shoreline found elsewhere. Water levels have remained relatively stable over 2,000 years, varying perhaps 20-30 feet at most, so the topography remains essentially unchanged. This geographical specificity adds credibility to the Gospel accounts and helps modern readers visualize the event’s location.

The story’s location in the Decapolis is itself significant. This is territory where pig farming would be normal (pigs being clean animals in pagan culture but utterly unclean in Jewish thought). The demon-possessed man living among tombs in pagan territory, the presence of pigs, and Jesus’s willingness to go there all emphasize the Gospel’s boundary-breaking nature.

The Sermon on the Mount Location

The twin hills (called “eremos topos” or “a certain place” in Greek) near Gennesaret provide the most probable location for both the Sermon on the Mount and the feeding of the 5,000. These hills offer one of the few places where 5,000 people could gather and hear a single speaker. The location makes strategic sense: positioned within the religious triangle but accessible from multiple directions, it would naturally draw crowds from the surrounding communities. Jesus was not hiding in the wilderness but teaching in a location that maximized accessibility while providing the space necessary for large gatherings.

The Boat Trip that Changed Everything

When Jesus instructed his disciples to get in a boat and sail “to the other side,” modern readers might miss the revolutionary nature of this command. Bethsaida was a 20-30 minute walk along the shoreline from where they were. Taking a boat made no practical sense unless the destination was truly “the other side”—meaning across to the Decapolis, into pagan territory. For Jewish fishermen who had been taught from childhood that even speaking the name “Decapolis” made them unclean, this command represented a profound crisis of obedience. Jesus was not asking them to make a convenient trip; he was commanding them to violate one of their deepest convictions about purity and separation. This geographical understanding transforms our reading of these passages from mundane travel narratives to profound boundary-crossing moments.

Priests in Local Communities

The presence of priests in local synagogues throughout the Galilee provides context for understanding religious life outside Jerusalem. With thousands of priests but only two weeks of required temple service per year, most priests spent the majority of their time in their home communities. A priest in a local synagogue could provide the priestly blessing, offer expert interpretation of Torah, and guide community members in matters of ceremonial purity. This decentralized priestly presence meant that temple theology and Jerusalem’s religious authority extended throughout the land, even to remote villages in the Galilee.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

The Socioeconomic Implications of Geography

How did the fishing economy of the Sea of Galilee interact with the different worldviews? What were the economic relationships between Tiberias and the religious triangle? Did religious Jews sell fish to Herodians and pagans, or were there separate economic systems? How did taxation work across these ideological boundaries? Exploring the economic infrastructure could reveal how these communities interacted despite their ideological differences.

The Role of Women in These Different Contexts

How would life have differed for women in each of these regions? What freedoms or restrictions would women have experienced in Herodian Tiberias versus the religious triangle versus the Decapolis? Mary Magdalene came from Magdala, positioned between the religious triangle and Herodian Tiberias. How might this geographical position have shaped her experience and perspective?

The Sadducees’ Northern Presence

While the Sadducees were centered in Jerusalem, the episode mentions their presence throughout the twelve tribes. What influence did Sadducean theology have in the Galilee? How did their aristocratic, temple-centered worldview interact with the more populist Pharisaic movement in the north? Did the geographical distance from Jerusalem give northern Sadducees a different perspective?

The Essene Network Beyond Qumran

The hosts note that Essenes had locations in Jerusalem and possibly the Galilee, though none are confirmed in this region. What was the Essene organizational structure? How did they maintain ideological unity across multiple locations? If they had a presence in the Galilee, how would it have functioned differently from their desert community at Qumran?

Linguistic Geography

What languages would have been spoken in each region? Was Greek the primary language in Tiberias and the Decapolis while Aramaic dominated the religious triangle? How multilingual would Jesus and his disciples have needed to be to navigate this diverse region? The linguistic landscape would have reinforced or complicated the ideological boundaries.

Travel Routes and Pilgrimage Patterns

Jews from the Galilee needed to travel to Jerusalem for festivals, potentially passing through or near pagan territory. What routes did they take? How did geographical purity concerns affect travel patterns? Did Samaritans and their territory present similar boundary concerns in the north-south journey?

The Destruction’s Impact on Geography

After the Roman destruction in 70 CE and the subsequent revolts, how did the geography of worldviews change? The episode mentions that Hellenism “survived” (as evidenced by modern Tiberias) while the religious triangle remains “a pile of rocks.” What does this tell us about the resilience of different cultural systems and their relationship to physical infrastructure?

Jesus’s Nazareth Problem

The episode mentions Jesus going to Nazareth “every now and then.” Nazareth sits just outside this core Sea of Galilee region. How does Nazareth’s geography and sociology fit into these five worldviews? Why was Jesus’s home synagogue so hostile to him? What was Nazareth’s relationship to nearby Sepphoris, the previous Herodian capital?

Galilean Identity in Judean Eyes

How did residents of Judea (especially Jerusalem) view Galileans? The New Testament preserves hints of prejudice (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” and Peter’s Galilean accent giving him away). How did geography shape regional identities and prejudices? Did Judeans see all Galileans as backwards, or did they distinguish between the different communities?

The Geography of Jesus’s Final Week

The episode notes Jesus’s trips to Jerusalem for festivals and his final Passion Week. How did the Jerusalem geography present a different set of worldview challenges? How did Jesus’s geographical strategies in the Galilee translate or fail to translate to the Jerusalem context?

Comprehension Questions

1. Explain why Jesus’s move to Capernaum after being warned about Herod Antipas was an act of courage rather than retreat. What does this reveal about Jesus’s ministry approach and his view of political authority?

2. Describe the “religious triangle” and explain what its lack of paved roads and Greco-Roman architecture reveals about the Pharisaic response to Hellenism. How did this approach differ from both the Herodians and the Essenes?

3. Why did Jesus tell people in the Decapolis to spread news of their healings while commanding people in the religious triangle to remain silent? What does this strategy reveal about Jesus’s understanding of different audiences and their readiness to receive his message?

4. Using the Sea of Galilee geography as a metaphor, explain how each of the four Gospels addresses a different worldview. What is the primary concern or critique of each Gospel for its intended audience?

5. What made “going to the other side” of the Sea of Galilee such a radical act for Jewish disciples? Describe the levels of cultural and religious taboo involved in crossing from the religious triangle to the Decapolis.

Personalized Summary

This episode fundamentally reframes how we should read the Gospels by demonstrating that geography is not background scenery but essential context for understanding Jesus’s words and actions. Standing on Mount Arbel and viewing the entire region where 80% of Jesus’s ministry occurred, we see five radically different worldviews compressed into an area small enough to walk across in less than an hour. The religious Jews in the triangle, the compromising Herodians in Tiberias, the revolutionary Zealots in Gamla, and the pagans across the sea in the Decapolis all had access to Jesus within the same geographical space.

This proximity meant Jesus could not avoid diversity; he had to engage it. His ministry strategy reveals sophistication in how he addressed different audiences. In pagan contexts, he encouraged publicity because polytheists could add another god-option. In religious contexts, he demanded secrecy because those who thought they had Scripture figured out were not ready to hear what he was bringing. His geographical positioning in Capernaum, rather than being retreat from Herod, was confrontation, setting up shop under the ruler’s nose.

Understanding this geography helps modern readers grasp why the Gospels emphasize certain stories and themes. Matthew, writing to the religious triangle worldview, critiques compassionless religiosity. Mark, writing to the Decapolis mindset, presents Jesus in terms Romans can understand. Luke emphasizes service and mercy for those concerned with justice. John engages Hellenistic philosophy for those shaped by Greek thought. Each Gospel addresses one of these worldviews represented around the Sea of Galilee.

Perhaps most importantly, this episode challenges Western readers to take geography seriously as an interpretive tool. We tend to read the Bible as abstract theology when the original authors assumed readers would understand the geographical implications of every location mentioned. When Jesus got in a boat to cross the sea, went to Syrophoenicia, or positioned himself in Capernaum, these were not incidental travel details but theologically loaded movements that communicated volumes to the original audience. Learning to read geography is learning to read Scripture as it was intended to be understood.

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