THE WEALTH AND MATERIAL PROSPERITY OF THE PROVINCE.

OF the wealth and material prosperity of Galilee it is difficult to speak, apart from the connection of this topic with the whole country. Of the wealth and prosperity of the whole country during the period covered by the reign of Herod the Great and the life of Christ, very much might be said. The Jews throughout the world were a wealthy class. In wealth, as well as in numbers, they surpassed the Greeks in Csesarea. Those in Parthia, on the Euphrates, were rich. Strabo, as quoted by Josephus, remarks upon their wealth and prosperity 'in every city in the habitable earth.' In Crete, Melos, and Rome their wealth is spoken of. Vast sums from all parts of the world flowed into the Temple at Jerusalem. In B.C. 54, Crassus took from the Temple upwards of ten thousand talents in gold and silver, and one huge ingot of gold besides. In several other instances, the Temple was robbed by the grasping Roman governors or generals. Herod the Great was one of the best financiers the world has ever seen. He was always ready with money or provisions, in case any one was in need. He was a capital provider for his own family and kingdom. Measuring his revenue by his expenses, his kingdom must have been managed with great ability to have yielded so much. He was never in debt, always remarkably prompt in his payments, frequently assisting others who were in need of money; and from the outset of his governorship of Galilee, at the age of twenty-five, to his death, he was constantly making valuable presents to various cities or persons. It may be added that the bier, bed, and other furnishings at Herod's funeral indicate great wealth. The wealth of King Agrippa I. is also referred to. Men from other parts of the world even went to Judaea for adventure and speculation. Rich articles of gold and silver, and costly carpets and vestments, were sometimes bought in Rome for Judaea. The Romans in general had exaggerated ideas of the wealth of this country; it was to them a sort of gold mine; just the place where greedy Roman politicians might accumulate money or repair their fortunes.

But we must of course confine our attention to Galilee. Its material prosperity has been hinted at in our notice of the industries of the province. Its numerous and flourishing cities and villages — some of which were elegantly built — indicate the very opposite of poverty and limited means. The 'opulent ' citizens of Gischala are spoken of. John of Gischala was a man of wealth, and usually shrewd and capable in business. The people of Sepphoris are described as possessed of 'ample means.' The tithes collected in Galilee are mentioned as amounting to 'a large sum of money.' The treasure stored in the palace of Antipas at Tiberias was a large amount, and the furnishings of the palace were astonishingly rich and elegant. Several times Galilee had to support a portion of the Roman army in winter quarters: for instance, under Silo, under Vespasian in Scythopolis, and in other cases. The Talmud mentions three cities of Galilee which had ' sent enormous treasures to Jerusalem — Sichin, Caboul, and Magdala.' Zebedee, it is supposed, was a man of wealth and influence. Capernaum, as a centre of news, business, and commerce, was a place of luxury. It is a significant fact that Christ chose this very centre as His residence. The fact that Christ was called a 'gluttonous man and a wine-bibber ' shows that a style of living prevailed here which was distasteful to certain ascetics of the time¹; the words in Luke vii. 34, are φάγος καὶ οἷι·οπότης; Perhaps, in Christ's reproach of Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum, there may be a hint as to the wealth and luxury and consequent worldliness of these places. Along their ' way of the sea' the rich fabrics, spices, and other products of Babylon and farther Asia would be carried, on their way to Egypt or Rome, by rich merchants seeking goodly pearls². Galilee would be benefited by the traffic carried on at the trading stations along this route of commerce.

The contribution sent from Antioch, in A.D. 44, was from the brethren in Judaea, or perhaps for 'the poor saints in Jerusalem,' as if no assistance was needed by the brethren in Galilee³. In B.C. 43, four years after Herod was appointed governor of Galilee, Cassius came into Syria for the purpose of raising men and money. For the latter object there was, in his view, no richer field than Judaea. The enormous sum which Crassus (B.C. 54) had taken from the Temple at Jerusalem convinced him of that. He imposed a tribute on Judaea (i. e. the whole province, including Judaea, Samaria, and Galilee) of seven hundred talents. Antipater (father of Herod the Great) distributed this among several persons, that it might be raised with all possible despatch⁴. Herod, as governor of Galilee, was the first to bring in his share, which was one hundred talents, and thus he gained the favour of Cassius, who bestowed upon him the governorship of Cœle-Syria.

When this essay was first prepared we added here the following paragraph, which, upon reconsideration, we have decided to retain. We made the suggestion only after we had examined every passage in the Wars and in the last seven books of the Antiquities, where contributions, tributes, taxes, fines, &c., are mentioned, and the amounts given. After this laborious comparison we feel justified in saying that the amount named in Josephus, 700 talents, seems small; measured by other sums which were raised at other times, and by the great distress caused by forcing the collection of this tribute. Cassius stood in pressing need of money. He had wild ideas of the wealth of the country. Certain sections were slow in making their payments, and four cities were reduced to slavery, which alone, on any reasonable computation, would have yielded a sum equal to, or greater than, the whole amount required. The cities reduced to slavery were Lydda, Thamna, Gophna, and Emmaus. As an illustrative fact we may mention that Herod, after being made king, subdued the robbers in Galilee, and upon the few places which they occupied levied a tribute of 100 talents for their good behaviour. The amount taken by Crassus from the Temple alone would be at least fifteen or sixteen times greater than the tribute in question, and in the latter case it was to be collected from the whole country. We conclude that Cassius was not so urgent for money as is represented, and consequently his levy was small, or else, which seems plausible, that the text should read 7000 instead of 700, as at present. On the other hand, 7000 talents is a large amount, and would astonish us, did we not know that despots and rapacious governors place no limits to their unrighteous demands.

As to mines in Judaea, as distinguished from Galilee and Samaria, there were none. The 'iron mountain' of Josephus was east of the Jordan. Extensive copper mines, and also gold deposits, are found in the Sinaitic peninsula. Traces of a mine have been found on the south border of the Plain of Esdraelon, which would be on the border of Galilee. The north part of Galilee, at least the Lebanon region, was rich in mines, especially in iron. Deposits of lead and copper exist in the hills between the Phoenician coast and Upper Galilee. The copper mines of Cyprus were extensive, and Herod had half the revenue from them, and the care of the other half. On this topic the following references may be of value: Josephus, Wars, IV. viii. 1; Ant., XVI. iv. 5; Ewald, Hist. Israel, IV. p. 192, and references to the Old Testament; Lightfoot, I. p. 189; Ritter, Geography of Palestine, II. p. 189; Smith's Bible Dict., III. p. 1911, col. 1, art. 'Metals,' respecting mines in the Lebanon region; ibid., p. 1937, art. 'Mines'; Burton's Unexplored Syria, I. p. 31; II. p. 27; Arnaud, La Palestine, p. 368, et seq.; Burton's Gold Mines and Ruined Cities of Midian, London, 1878.

1) Matt. xi. 19.

2) Matt. xiii. 45, 46.

3) Acts xi. 29; Rom. xv. 26.

4) Wars, I. xi. 2.