After the Captivity this name was applied to the whole of the country west of the Jordan ( Haggai 1:1 Haggai 1:14 ; 2:2 ). But under the Romans, in the time of Christ, it denoted the southernmost of the three divisions of Palestine ( Matthew 2:1 Matthew 2:5 ; 3:1 ; 4:25 ), although it was also sometimes used for Palestine generally ( Acts 28:21 ).

The province of Judea, as distinguished from Galilee and Samaria, included the territories of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Dan, Simeon, and part of Ephraim. Under the Romans it was a part of the province of Syria, and was governed by a procurator.

These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.