Judea

Judea was the term used by the Greeks and Romans for the land of Judah.

It extended from the Great Sea (Mediterranean) in the west, to the Dead Sea in the east; from the southern tip of the Dead Sea and below Gaza in the south to Joppa in the north. In distance, it stretched approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles) north to south and east to west.

Herod Archelaus was banished in 6 AD and Judea was annexed into the Roman province of Syria, which was ruled by a proconsul based in Antioch. Judea had a governor, appointed by the Emperor and supervised by the proconsul. The governor, usually called a prefect or procurator, resided officially at Caesarea. This was the political system under which Jesus lived and ministered. Luke 3: 1,2