Meaning of the Name "Galilee"

Galilee derives from Hebrew גָּלִיל (Galil), meaning "district," "region," or "circle"—from the root גלל (galal), "to roll" (as in rolling hills or a circuit).

In the Second Temple period, it designated the northern region of historic Israel. The Greek New Testament uses Γαλιλαία (Galilaia).