Syrian, and formed part of Syria Decapolis;15 while the other, along the coast of the
Mediterranean, was Phoenician. Thus `the land' was hemmed in, east and west, within its own
borders, while south and north stretched heathen or semi-heathen districts. The strictly Jewish
territory consisted of Judæa proper, to which Galilee, Samaria and Peræa were joined as
Toparchies. These Toparchies consisted of a group of townships, under a Metropolis. The
villages and townships themselves had neither magistrates of their own, nor civic constitution,
nor lawful popular assemblies. Such civil administration as they required devolved on `Scribes'
(the so-called κωµογραµµατεις or τοπογραµµατεις). Thus Jerusalem was really, as well
as nominally, the capital of the whole land. Judæa itself was arranged into eleven, or rather, more
exactly, into nine Toparchies, of which Jerusalem was the chief. While, therefore, the Hellenic
cities were each independent of the other, the whole Jewish territory formed only one `Civitas.'
Rule, government, tribute - in short, political life - centred in Jerusalem.
15. The following cities probably formed the Decapolis, though it is difficult to feel quite sure in
reference to one or the other of them: Damascus, Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos
Dion, Pella, Gerasa, and Canatha. On these cities, comp. Caspari, Chronol. Geogr. Einl. in d. Leben J.
Christ, pp. 83-90.
But this is not all. From motives similar to those which led to the founding of other Hellenic
cities, Herod the Great and his immediate successors built a number of towns, which were
inhabited chiefly by Gentiles, and had independent constitutions, like those of the Hellenic cities.
Thus, Herod himself built Sebaste (Samaria), in the centre of the country; Cæsarea in the west,
commanding the sea-coast; Gaba in Galilee, close to the great plain of Esdraelon; and Esbonitis
in Peræa.16 Similarly, Philip the Tetrarch built Cæsarea Philippi and Julias (Bethsaida-Julias, on
the western shore of the lake); and Herod Antipas another Julias, and Tiberias.17 The object of
these cities was twofold. As Herod, well knowing his unpopularity, surrounded himself by
foreign mercenaries, and reared fortresses around his palace and the Temple which he built, so
he erected these fortified posts, which he populated with strangers, as so many outworks, to
surround and command Jerusalem and the Jews on all sides. Again, as, despite his profession of
Judaism, he reared magnificent heathen temples in honour of Augustus at Sebaste and Cæsarea,
so those cities were really intended to form centres of Grecian influence within the sacred
territory itself. At the same time, the Herodian cities enjoyed not the same amount of liberty as
the `Hellenic,' which, with the exception of certain imposts, were entirely self-governed, while in
the former there were representatives of the Herodian rulers.18
16. Herod rebuilt or built other cities, such as Antipatris, Cypros, Phasaelis, Anthedon, &c. Schürer
describes the two first as built, but they were only rebuilt or fortified (comp. Ant. xiii. 15. 1; War i. 21. 8.)
by Herod.
17. He also rebuilt Sepphoris.
18. Comp. on the subject of the civic institutions of the Roman Empire, Kuhn, Die Städt. u. bürgerl. Verf.
d. Röm. Reichs, 2 vols.; and for this part. vol. ii. pp. 336-354, and pp. 370-372.
Although each of these towns and districts had its special deities and rites, some being
determined by local traditions, their prevailing character may be described as a mixture of