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Bible Q

What does “Jew” mean in the Bible?

The meaning of the word “Jew” has changed over time, and we need to be careful in applying the meaning from one period to a passage written at a different period. Up until the exile, “Jew” meant somebody from the tribe of Judah. There are hardly any occurrences of this in Scripture; one exception is […]

Was Galilee not part of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) after being destroyed by the Assyrians? If so, why were Galileans not stigmatized to the same degree as Samaritans?

The region of Galilee is in Northern Palestine, and thus would have formed part of the Kingdom of Israel. The Israelite population of Galilee was deported by the Assyrians (cf. 2 Kings 15:29). This region would have been repopulated by Gentiles from other parts of the Assyrian empire (like the Samaritans). Under the Maccabees this region […]