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Gaulanitis

geographical_term theological_term standard

Gaulanitis was a historical district east of the Sea of Galilee, associated with the wider Bashan/Golan region in later usage.

At a Glance

Historical district east of the Sea of Galilee, later associated with the Golan region.

Key Points

Description

Gaulanitis is the Greek and later historical name for a district east of the Sea of Galilee, commonly linked with the broader Bashan/Golan area. It is useful as background for reading the New Testament because it reflects the regional and administrative landscape of the Herodian and Roman periods. The exact extent of the district is not always fixed in our sources, so its boundaries should be described cautiously. As a geographical and historical term, it does not name a doctrine or a biblical theme, but it can help readers locate events and places within the wider geography of Israel and its neighbors.

Biblical Context

Gaulanitis belongs to the broader biblical world east of the Jordan, near territories associated with Bashan and the northern Transjordan. It is part of the setting behind discussions of the region around the Sea of Galilee.

Historical Context

In later historical usage, Gaulanitis was a regional district in the area east of the Sea of Galilee. Its name appears in ancient geographical and administrative discussions connected with the Roman and Herodian periods.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Second Temple and later Jewish-period geography often uses regional names that overlap or shift in meaning over time. Gaulanitis should therefore be read as a historical place-name, not as a fixed theological category.

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The name is a Greek geographical designation preserved in historical sources and Bible background literature.

Theological Significance

Gaulanitis has no direct theological significance in itself, but it helps situate the events and people of the New Testament in their historical setting.

Philosophical Explanation

This entry is a matter of historical geography: names and borders in the ancient world often shifted, so the term should be used descriptively rather than dogmatically.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not overstate the precision of Gaulanitis’s borders. The term is best treated as a historical district name within the larger eastern Galilee/Bashan-Golan region.

Major Views

Scholars generally treat Gaulanitis as a regional designation with overlapping ancient boundaries and variable administrative usage.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Gaulanitis does not establish doctrine and should not be treated as a theological category.

Practical Significance

Understanding Gaulanitis can help readers follow the geography of the Gospels and the historical setting of the wider biblical lands.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Gaulanitis

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