A small area east of the Sea of Galilee. It was located between Mount Hermon and the Yarmuk River, and possibly reached the Jordan River.
Gaulanitis took its name from the ancient town of Golan. Researchers have found large ruins 27 kilometers (17 miles) east of the Sea of Galilee, which they think are the remains of Golan. Moses chose Golan as a city of refuge for the half-tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 4:41, 43). Joshua gave it to the members of the Levite family descended from Gershon (Joshua 20:8; 21:27; 1 Chronicles 6:71).
According to Josephus, the Jewish king Alexander Janneus lost a major battle here and later destroyed the town (Antiquities 8.2.3). Josephus also said a man named Judas who led a tax protest was from Gaulanitis (18.1.1). Luke called him a Galilean (Acts 5:37). Later, Josephus called him a Galilean, too (Antiquities 20.5.2; War 2.8.1). It is possible that Judas lived in these places at different times.
After Herod died in 4 BC, Philip inherited Gaulanitis. He made his capital Bethsaida Julias, which he rebuilt and named after Augustus Caesar’s daughter. Jesus traveled in this area (Mark 6:45; 8:22). It stayed under strong Roman control until AD 66, when the Jewish war started. Jewish fighters later hid in its high areas and the Romans fought several battles here.