[138 words]
Palestine in the first century was less prosperous than some other regions, but Josephus tries to present the country as quite prosperous. He accurately depicts the Jewish population there as primarily engaged in agriculture:
“Ours is not a maritime country, neither commerce nor the intercourse with the outside world has any attraction for us. Our cities are built inland, remote from the sea, and we devote ourselves to cultivation of the productive country with which we are blessed” (Against Apion 1.60).
The chief products of Palestine were the staples of olives, wine and cereals. The Jordan valley was noted for its groves of date palms and balsam trees. Sheep and goats were raised and fishing was common.
The parables give an accurate account of the life of the common people.
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