Luke 17:11

“On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.”

In this verse made famous by Conzelmann, Luke is criticized for his confusing geography.[i] However, using the same information, Weissenrieder located the spot being described by Luke in the Valley of Jezreel.[ii] This area is the boundary between Samaria to the south and Galilee to the north. These two links show the strategic location of the valley and why Luke would say Jesus was “passing along between Samaria and Galilee”.


http://www.ourfatherlutheran.net/biblehomelands/galilee/jezreel.htm

http://www.cresourcei.org/phototour/pfjezreel.html

Weissenrieder includes a discussion of the border conditions and uncertainty of the boundary lines between Lower Galilee and Samaria. Today we travel on highways from one township, county, state, country to another and see the reminders on the signs that we have entered another governmental unit. This travel route through the valley of Jezreel was very important and I suspect the subject of dispute as to what political territory it belonged.

[i] Conzelmann, Hans, The Theology of St. Luke, (London, ET, 1960).

[ii] Weissenrieder, Images of Illness in the Gospel of Luke: insights of ancient medical texts, Tübingen (2003).

copyrighted 2005