Archaeology and the Itinerant Jesus: A Historical Enquiry into Jesus’ Itinerant Ministry in the North

New Testament scholars generally agree that the historical Jesus was itinerant. Mark claims that Jesus travelled among the towns and villages of Galilee, preached in their synagogues, attracted large crowds, and journeyed through the surrounding regions. Yet few settlements are named, there is no clear itinerary of Jesus’ travels, and the summary travel statements belong to Mark’s editorial material. Consequently, there is a high degree of uncertainty concerning Jesus’ itinerant ministry. However, archaeological surveys have discovered approximately 200 Early Roman period towns and villages in Galilee, with a material culture that is distinctively Jewish. Jewish identity markers have also been found at sites in surrounding regions. In this study, J. A. Lloyd draws on archaeological data and literary sources to explore the extent and plausibility of Jesus’ itinerant ministry as depicted in Mark 1.14-8.30.