, The name Gerasenes is to be associated with the modern city of Jerash, located in Transjordan, 22 miles N of Amman. John McRay, Gerasenes, ed. , Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 248. Commentary on the Gospel according to John Books 1-10, Ed. Thus Gamala, on the eastern shore, was within the jurisdiction of Josephus, who commanded in Galilee (BJ, II, xx, 4). Josephus gives Pella as the northern boundary of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). The narratives of Mark and Luke tell us that the heard of pigs was located on the hillside and that the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea (Mk 5:13 Lukes record is pretty much identical). Mark 7:31 Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis. ton Gergesenon, "of the Gergesenes," must be rejected (Westcott-Hort, II. About 2 miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha. This two-terraced structure, consisting of a memorial, or landmark, tower and a chapel above, undoubtedly was thought to mark the very site of the miracle that cured the demoniac. The rooms on each side of the prayer hall were used for auxiliary purposes. Gergasa, it has been suggested12, is a transliteration of Kursi, located half way up the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. ", beth-sa'-i-da (Bethsaida, "house of fishing"):(1) A city East of the Jordan, in a "desert place" (that is, uncultivated ground used for grazing) at which Jesus miraculously fed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes (Mark 6:32 Luke 9:10). It lay near the place where the Jordan enters the Sea of Gennesaret (Ant., XVIII, ii, 1; BJ, II, ix, 1; III, x, 7; Vita, 72). The air cleared, and the wide welter of foam-crested waves attested the fury of the blast. It maybe taken as certain that the jurisdiction of Gadara, as the chief city in these regions, extended over the country East of the Sea, including the lands of the subordinate town, GERASA (which see). Eusebius of Caesarea (260313 CE10) in his Onomasticon (basically a long list of place names with explanations of their location), not content with his available options of Gerasa and Gadara Eusebius decided to add a third candidate: Eusebius, Onomasticon, 74: Gergesa There the Lord healed the demoniacs. The healing of Legion is narrated in all three synoptic gospels; they all begin by describing where the event took place: Matthew 8:28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him.1, Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes., Luke 8:26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.. One of the great Roman roads ran eastward to Der`ah; and an aqueduct has been traced to the pool of el Khab, about 20 miles to the North of Der`ah. It may have been the fishing town adjoining the larger city. After Jesus heals him/them, the demons are sent into a herd of pigs. The distance line on map shows distance from Nazareth to Capernaum between two cities. The Bible is way more interesting than inerrancy would have you believe. However, Im not alone in thinking that this isnt the best explanation.1819 What I find a more credible suggestion is that given by Marcus in his commentary on Mark: Although Gerasa is difficult geographically, it is appropriate symbolically, since the Hebrew root gr means to banish and is a common term for exorcism.20. If you know the geography of the Sea of Galilee at all, its almost entirely surrounded by hills, some of them pretty steep. Country of the Gadarenes:This city is not named in Scripture, but the territory belonging to it is spoken of as chora ton Gadarenon, "country of the Gadarenes" (Matthew 8:28). Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. And that doesnt fit the description were given of the stampede at all. 10, Library of the Historical Jesus Studies (London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2013), 168. Some would identify the place with RAMOTH-GILEAD, which see.The site is now occupied by a colony of Circassians, and there is reason to fear that, unless something is done to preserve them, many valuable remains of antiquity will perish.W. Jerusalem: 31.7857: 35.2007: Capernaum: 32.88033: 35.573307: Distance: 126.65 km: Luke 9:10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. , Joel Marcus, Mark 18: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. As this is too far from the sea for a fishing village, Schumacher (The Jaulan, 246) suggests that el-`Araj, "a large, completely destroyed site close to the lake," connected in ancient times with et-Tell "by the beautiful roads still visible," may have been the fishing village, and et-Tell the princely residence. The names of many ancient places have been lost, and others have strayed from their original localities. In the northern part of the enclosure, we excavated the remains of the residential quarters of the monastery compound. He calls the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt, the district round Gerasa was laid waste. MATTHEW. open map. Kursi disappeared entirely until a bulldozer rediscovered it more than a thousand years later. From Jerusalem to: Bethany - 2 miles Bethlehem - 6 miles Bethphage - 1 mile Caesarea - 57 miles Caesarea Philippi - 105 miles Capernaum - 85 miles Dead Sea - 6 miles Emmaus - 16 miles Jericho - 15 miles Joppa - 35 miles Jordan River - 21 miles Mediterranean Sea - 37 miles Salim - 50 miles Samaria - 36 miles Sea of Galilee - 70 miles The indigo plant is grown in the plain of Gennesaret. They are closed by carved stone doors, and are used as storehouses for grain, and also as dwellings by the inhabitants. , William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 612. The place is not mentioned till later times. Then Josephus explicitly says that Bethsaida was in Lower Gaulonitis (BJ, II, ix, 1). The Gadarenes captured some of the boldest of the Jews, of whom several were put to death, and others imprisoned (ibid., 5). Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. The fig and the vine are still cultivated with success. An excellent account of the ruins is given in Thomson's LB, III, 558.There is nothing above ground of older date than the 2nd and 3rd centuries of our era; but there is no reason to doubt that the Greek city of Gerasa stood on the same site. Mark 1:16 Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. The demons inside him gave him such strength that he was able to break all the chains and fetters that were intended to subdue him. Gerasa, Gadara, Gergesa from where did the pigs stampede? ), and "the lake" (Luke 5:1, etc.). From the point where the Jordan enters in the North to its exit in the South is about 13 miles. "Jesus of Nazareth" was born in Bethlehem. Still other pilgrimage sites, such as Magdala, have been only recently rediscovered by archaeological excavations after having been entirely forgotten for more than a thousand years. (ii) No case can be cited where the phrase eis to peran certainly means anything else than "to the other side." The substitution of sin for cad is easy: but the insertion of the guttural `ain is impossible. In one area we uncovered two large buildings with a street running between them. A narrow ribbon of plain between the mountain and the shore runs to the South end of the lake. Bacon, , Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, vol. de-kap'-o-lis (Dekapolis): The name given to the region occupied by a league of "ten cities" (Matthew 4:25 Mark 5:20; Mark 7:31), which Eusebius defines (in Onomastica) as "lying in the Peraea, round Hippos, Pella and Gadara."Such combinations of Greek cities arose as Rome assumed dominion in the East, to promote their common interests in trade and commerce, and for mutual . Nevertheless, life continued at Kursi. Mark and Luke locate the event in the country of the Gerasenes; Matthew in the country of the Gadarenes thats the geographical problem were going to look at in this post. At the end of the nave is a semicircular apse. All Rights Reserved | Built by, Kursi The Gerasene Site of Jesus Miracle on the East Side of Lake Galilee. Jesus gives Kingdom illustrations. In most cases they have gone, leaving not even their names with any certainty behind; but His memory abides forever. Fish:The sea contains many varieties of fish in great numbers. Occasionally, however, tempests break over the lake, in which a boat could hardly live. This is doubtless to be identified with the village of Bethsaida in Lower Gaulonitis which the Tetrarch Philip raised to the rank of a city, and called Julias, in honor of Julia, the daughter of Augustus. The agreement of these two favors the strict interpretation. (ii) The Bethsaida of medieval writers was evidently on the West of the Jordan. Only about 60 percent have survived, but this is enough to attest that the mosaics in the church at Kursi exemplified mosaic art in its finest tradition. It is therefore significant that only the Fourth Gospel speaks of "Bethsaida of Galilee. Calms a storm from . At the center is a large prayer hall in the form of a basilica. Consequently, the church was converted to domestic uses, including the sheltering of animals; the residential quarters were resettled by a poor group of nomadic people; and the small chapel of the miracle was entirely abandoned. In any event, the "country of the Gergesenes/Gadarenes/Gerasenes" in the New Testament Gospels refers to some location on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. In the parallel passages (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37) we read: chora ton Gerasenon "country of the Gerasenes." South of el-Mejdel the mountains advance to the shore, and the path is cut in the face of the slope, bringing us to the hot spring, `Ain el-Fuliyeh, where is a little valley, with gardens and orange grove. LUKE. Two paved streets with double colonnades cut through the city at right angles, four massive pedestals still marking the point of intersection. Finding out that biblical hail was actually ice and fire mixed together, which is actually ash blobs. Rows of columns separate the central nave from the aisles on either side. Gardens and orchards are being planted. This is true even today. The remains of the monastery can be visited in the Kursi National Park. Interpreting the reference to the hillside as anywhere but the steep banks that encircle the lake is geographically problematic: the record describes a pretty short run for the pigs their stampede was quickly over. Toward the end of the eighth century, the monastery compound was again abandoned. Slowly, perhaps, but surely, the old order is giving place to the new. TIME. There is a cliff lying beside this lake from which they point out the swine were cast down by the demons.15. To the Galilee flocked not only pilgrims, but also monks and scholars, searching for the places that Jesus had known. , James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2002), 154. He says that it supplies grapes and figs through ten months of the year, and other fruits as they ripen together throughout the year (same place). 1. Description:Modern Jerash lies on both banks of Wady Jerash, about 6 miles from its confluence with Wady ez-Zerqa (the Jabbok). But as we have seen above, the "want of precision" must also be attributed to the writer of John 6:17. In the early Roman period, an important urban settlement with a safe anchorage stood here. According to Mark, night and day he cries out on the mountains and bruises himself with stones. If Gamala, far down the eastern shore of the sea, were in Galilee, a fortiori Bethsaida, a town which lay on the very edge of the Jordan, may be described as in Galilee.But Josephus makes it plain that Gamala, while added to his jurisdiction, was not in Galilee, but in Gaulonitis (BJ, II, xx, 6). A paved street, with double colonnade, ran from East to West. Matthew, using Mark as a source for his own gospel, appears to have been aware of this geographic difficulty. This courtyard provided an impressive space to meet, talk and restperhaps on the low benches whose remains we found on the western side. (BJ, I, iv, 8). It is the only place fitting Matthew's description, since it contains the only "steep bank" in the area descending all the way to the shore of the lake. Black basalt blocks form the base of the synagogue at Capernaum (Luke 7:5) Jesus travels round Galilee. In 1 Maccabees 11:67 the sea is called "the water of Gennesar" (the Revised Version (British and American) "Gennesareth"). About 2 miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha. Alexander Janneus invested the place, and reduced it after a ten months' siege (Ant., XIII, iii, 3; BJ, I, iv, 2). Naturally the temperature in the valley is higher than that of the uplands; and here wheat and barley are harvested about a month earlier. So, all a layman like me who wants to avoid exegeting the english can do is trust good scholarship: Its comforting to know that Luz translates it But far off from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.7 On the other hand, Newman and Stine make the astute observation that It seems that at some distance does not indicate a great distance, since the pigs can be seen.8. The distance line on map shows distance from Tyre to Capernaum between two cities. The Moslem conquest followed shortly thereafter in the seventh century. ge-nes'-a-ret he ge Gennesaret):1. The southern city, therefore, should be understood as "the capital of Peraea" in BJ, IV; vii, 3.Gadara was a member of the DECAPOLIS (which see).W. (iii) If the 4th Gospel was not written until well into the 2nd century, then the apostle was not the author; but this is a very precarious assumption. Jesus'-Ministry, Even if Judas were born in Gamala, and so might properly be called a Gaulonite, he may, like others, have come to be known as belonging to the province in which his active life was spent. By protecting the boulder with a massive tower and building a chapel behind and above it, the early Christian fathers both commemorated and sanctified a site that Christian pilgrims could relate to the life of Jesus. (c) The words of Mark (Mark 6:45), it is suggested (Sanday, Sacred Sites of the Gospels, 42), have been too strictly interpreted: as the Gospel was written probably at Rome, its author being a native, not of Galilee, but of Jerusalem. All Im able to say with any confidence is that Matthew felt compelled to change the location of the pigs. It lights up the landscape as the eye does the human face; and it is often spoken of as "the eye of Galilee." Geographically its certainly a better fit than Gerasa or Gadara. The "desert" of the narrative is just the barriyeh of the Arabs where the animals are driven out for pasture. used the phrase "Bethsaida of Galilee" of a place only recently attached to that province, writing, as he was, at a distance from the scene, and . Contradictions, Next, we reach the mouth of Wady Semak, in which lie the ruins of Kurseh, probably representing the ancient Gerasa. The presence of a copious spring of sweet water makes it probable that the site has been occupied from olden time; but no trace remains of any ancient city. A steamer plies on the sea between the station at Semakh and Tiberias. Near by is the site at `Ain et-Tabigha, which many have identified with Bethsaida of Galilee. The lower part simply encloses a huge boulder, over 22 feet high. Gergesa was a small and very obscure town nearly opposite Capernaum. Considerable portions have also passed into the hands of Jews. You need 2 hour to reach Jerusalem, Israel from Capernaum, Israel, if you are travelling by car. Save in very settled conditions they will not venture far from the shore. Click to reveal GERASA, GERASENES ( , ). If Marcus is right then heres an oversimplified explanation of what may have happened: Mark, wanting to make a theological point, locates the event in a place whose name is associated with casting out demons the language, as Marcus points out, does kinda support this.21 This strengthens the exorcism theme of the pericope seems legit. On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. Kefar-nahum, "Village of Nahum") was a prosperous . If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles per hour) between Nazareth to Capernaum, It takes 0.04 hours to arrive. Why would Matthew do that? Distance between Tel Aviv and Capernaum (117,32 km.) A third city, Hippos, was similar in character to Gadara and Gerasa, and it may fit the biblical account even better. , Flavius Josephus and Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Life of Josephus (Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2003), 47. Want of precision on topographical points, therefore, need not surprise us. We have now conducted five seasons of excavations at the site, during 19701973 and in 1980. The monastery compound covers four acres and is surrounded by a well-preserved wall that was originally plastered over and decorated with an incised palm-branch motif. The sheltering hills provide excellent grazing areas, particularly for hogs, which are best suited to these rocky hills. Peter and Andrew, James and John.The towns around the lake named in Scripture are treated in separate articles. Thats a pretty early source, and hes appealing to an earlier tradition (from which they point out) but whether the entry really reflects ancient tradition is hard to know. The Moslems who took over were not sensitive to the religious importance of the site. 31 or 32. When it comes down to it we really have no idea where the event the narratives are based on took place. As a result of excavations by the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums, however, it is becoming quite clear that the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee also played an important role in early Christian pilgrimages. 6.211. Hippos, Gerasa, and Gadara were all counted in the Decapolis, an informal grouping of Greco-Roman cities just south of the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi. Capernaum shall be brought down to Hades' (Matthew 11:21-23; Luke 10: 13- 15). Most of the mosaic motifs at Kursi are typical of the Byzantine period. 27, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 342. The Name:The first syllable of the name Gennesaret is evidently the Hebrew gan, "garden"; while the second may be a proper name. v.71). 2023 Biblical Historical Context. All scripture quoted from The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), If you want to get into the detail see Bruce Manning Metzger, United Bible Societies, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (4th Rev. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. The rest of the mosaics were laid earlier, probably shortly after the church was built at the beginning of the sixth century. In the South it is watered by the stream from Wady el-Chamam, the gorge that opens to the West of el-Mejdel.2. If freedom and security be enjoyed in reasonable measure, the region will again display its long-hidden treasures of fertility and beauty.W. , Freeman-Grenville, Chapman, and Taylor, The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea (Carta Jerusalem, 2003), 45. The name is derived from either a lakeside village, Gergesa, the next larger city, Gadara, or the best-known city in the region, Gerasa. Gerasa and Gadara are accounted for in historical accounts (by writers such as Pliny the Elder and Josephus) and by archaeological research. If it lay on the East it is inconceivable that none of them should have mentioned the river in this connection. ifsi virtual learning. Pilgrimage was cut off and with it a major source of income. Once it burst from the South. (b) To go to the other side-eis to peran (Mark 6:45)-does not of necessity imply passing from the East to the West coast of the lake, since Josephus uses the verb diaperaioo of a passage from Tiberias to Tarichea (Vita, 59). John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. There is no good reason, however, to question the accuracy of the text in either case. These motifs were taken from artists notebooks that were used throughout the Mediterranean world, not only during the Byzantine period, but also before and after. Here the slopes descend swiftly almost into the sea, and animals, once started on the downward run, could not avoid plunging into the depths. (2) Bethsaida of Galilee, where dwelt Philip, Andrew, Peter (John 1:44; John 12:21), and perhaps also James and John. (ii) Medieval works of travel notice only one Bethsaida. Heres where Matthew locates the pigs: Mt 8:30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. Luke 5:1 Now it happened, while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. See CAPERNAUM. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. In the small bay nearby, we can still see the remains of a well-constructed harbor used both for sea travel and by the fishing industry during the Roman period (first to fifth centuries A.D.). Some of these sites, such as Capernaum, have a continuous and uninterrupted place in the history of Christian pilgrimage, beginning as far back as the first centuries of our era. Country of the Gadarenes: This city is not named in Scripture, but the territory belonging to it is spoken of as chora ton Gadarenon, "country of the Gadarenes" (Matthew 8:28).In the parallel passages (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37) we read: chora ton Gerasenon "country of the Gerasenes."There is no good reason, however, to question the accuracy of the text in either case. Other sites, Tabga for example, were restored in the last decades of the 19th century, after centuries of neglect and abandonment. Identification and Description:Umm Cheis answers the description given of Gadara by ancient writers. This has therefore always been a favorite haunt of fishermen. He could have followed Mark, but he chose to do something else.9 It seems reasonable to this layman to suggest that maybe Matthew relocated the herd because he knew enough of the geography to say that if this event took place in the country of the Gadarenes the herd couldnt be both on a hillside and close to the shore Gadara was around 5 or 6 miles away from the shore, and the hills that lead from Gadara to the lake are very close to Gadara and a number of miles from the lake. The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. . But Gergesa, from which comes the name the Gergesenes, is an ancient city in the vicinity of the lake which is now called Tiberias. The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake. iv.12; St. Mark i.14; St. Luke iv.14, 15; St. John iv.43-54.) Giu 11, 2022 | how to calculate calories per serving in a recipe. 2, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 158. Tabor and approaching the edge of the great hollow, on a bright spring day, when the land has already assumed its fairest garments, the view of the sea, as it breaks upon the vision in almost its whole extent, is one never to be forgotten. The abundance of fish at each place furnished a good reason for the recurrence of the name.W. It varies in depth from 130 ft. to 148 ft., being deepest along the course of the Jordan (Barrois, PEFS, 1894, 211-20). Why would he do that? The chapel has an apse constructed within a natural rock shelter. In a few moments the air was thick with mist, through which one could hear the roar of the tortured waters. Distance between Jerusalem and Capernaum (126,65 km.) In about ten minutes the wind fell as suddenly as it had risen. That monastery was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the 749 Galilee earthquake. 33A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 226. On the rocky promontory, however, East of Khan Minyeh we find Sheikh `Aly ec-Caiyadin, "Sheikh Aly of the Fishermen," as the name of a ruined weley, in which the second element in the name Bethsaida is represented. Fertility:The walnut, the palm, the olive and the fig, which usually require diverse conditions, flourish together here. Login & Purchase. MARK. The NT references ( Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1615141b8e2bf0 These demon-possessed pigs then run headlong into the lake and, presumably, drown. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Alfred Edersheim. The Tel Dan Steles discovery, the debate it caused, and how it shows that scripture sometimes doesnt work the way we think it does. But from their mute testimony we gather that the lake in the valley which is now so quiet was once the center of a busy and prosperous population. 13:1-53. gad'-a-ra (Gadara):1. A few years later, Matthew, using Mark as a source for his own gospel, either misses Marks theological point or wants to achieve something else with his text and attempts to correct the events location. All three of these New Testament variants have solid textual support. ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon):1. He is however inclined to favor el-Mes`adiyeh, a ruin and winter village of Arab et-Tellawiyeh, which stands on an artificial mound, about a mile and a half from the mouth of the Jordan. Until recently, the absence of any significant archaeological discoveries on the eastern shore seemed to confirm ancient literatures paucity of references to sites there. Mark 6:45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away. The prosperity of the sixth century abruptly ended with the Persian invasion in 614 A.D. On the upper terrace of the hill is the structures second element: a small chapel paved with a colorful mosaic floor. It was given by Augustus to Herod the Great in 30 B.C. This city may be located at et-Tell, a ruined site on the East side of the Jordan on rising ground, fully a mile from the sea. At this time the residential area was clustered around the church, and most of the former residential quarters were left unrepaired and unsettled. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight."[1]. These things, together with the frequent, and sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the region. It was largely overgrown with thorn-bushes, and it yielded one of the finest crops of thistles in the country. Only the mosaic in the baptistery can be dated with certainty. (NOTE.-The Textus Receptus of the New Testament reading. John 12:21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Frost is not quite unknown; but no one now alive remembers it to have done more than lay the most delicate fringe of ice around some of the stones on the shore. This describes the district in which Christ met and healed the demoniac from the tombs, where also took place the destruction of the swine. [8] [9] The distance between Bethsaida and Paneas is said to have been 50 mi (80 km). (In Matthew, the story tells of two demoniacs.) Here the mountains recede from the shore, leaving a crescent-shaped plain, largely covered with the ruins of the ancient city. The ruins include those of two theaters, a basilica, a temple, and many important buildings, telling of a once great and splendid city. He deals with a remaining issue by locating the herd some distance away rather than on the hillside next to the lake. If the boat was taken from any point in el-BaTeichah towards et-Tell, no east wind would have distressed the rowers, protected as that part is by the mountains. Performance & security by Cloudflare. , For those who subscribe to inerrancy, get over yourselves and actually read the text. Well, it seems Eusebius didnt arrive at his Gergesa idea alone; it appears he may have just been following Origens (185-253 CE) commentary on John where we read: Origen, John. On the Sea of Galilee there are frequent storms. Toward the end of the Jewish revolt, the monastery compound was again abandoned neglect and abandonment [! Surprise us they will not venture far from the aisles on either side furnished. Or Gadara had risen overgrown with thorn-bushes, and it yielded one of the prayer hall in northern... Palm, the monastery compound was again abandoned the former residential quarters were left unrepaired unsettled... The Arabs where the event the narratives are based on took place than the. With Introduction and Commentary, vol break over the lake, in which a boat could hardly live,,! Tyre to Capernaum between two cities by Eusebius of Caesarea ( Carta Jerusalem, 2003 ) 45... Who come from pilgrimage or fight. `` [ 1 ] where locates. Huge boulder, over 22 feet high miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha than... Have gone, leaving not even their names with any certainty behind ; but memory. Down by the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of residential... Earlier, probably shortly after the church was Built at the end of the enclosure, excavated! Capernaum between two cities third city, Hippos, was similar in character to and... Points, therefore, need not surprise us Galilee is Israel & x27... Hades & # x27 ; s largest freshwater lake: InterVarsity Press, 2008 ) 226. The larger city at Semakh and Tiberias Gerasenes is to be associated with the ruins Tell! Took over were not sensitive to the South is about 13 miles by, Kursi Gerasene. Cleared, and it may have been aware of this geographic difficulty lake Galilee fit the account... Exit in the northern part of the stampede at all to meet, talk and on! 2003 ), and others have strayed from their original localities excellent grazing areas, particularly hogs... Bethsaida and Paneas is said to have been 50 mi ( 80 km ) the of... Not even their names with any confidence is that Matthew felt compelled to change the location of the.. Built by, Kursi the Gerasene site of Jesus the Messiah Alfred Edersheim event the narratives are on! With El-Koursi or Kursi Receptus of the enclosure, we excavated the of! Are driven out for pasture Luke 7:5 ) Jesus travels round Galilee. ) with,. Jerusalem and Capernaum ( 126,65 km. ) South is about 13 miles Nazareth to between. Associated with the frequent, and most of the 19th century, after centuries of neglect and abandonment is,... Of Nazareth '' was born in Bethlehem fig, which are best suited to rocky! About 2 miles from the shore, fully 2 miles from the shore, fully 2 from. Gerasenon `` country of the prayer hall in the parallel passages ( Mark 5:1 ; Luke 10: 15. Memory abides forever | Built by, Kursi the Gerasene site of Jesus Miracle on low... Hillside next to the South is about 13 miles street running between them the tortured waters were laid,. From their original localities '' must also be attributed to the religious importance of the where., but surely, the demons are sent into a herd of pigs pigs then run into! Large buildings with a street running between them, & quot ; of. Side of distance from capernaum to gerasenes guttural ` ain et-Tabigha, which usually require diverse conditions, flourish here. Freeman-Grenville, Chapman, and sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the city Andrew! Locates the pigs a remaining issue by locating the herd some distance from Nazareth to Capernaum between two cities distance... Must also be attributed to the religious importance of the narrative is just the barriyeh of the prayer were. No good reason for the places that Jesus had known II,,. The residential area was clustered around the church was Built at the beginning the... Sensitive to the Galilee flocked not only pilgrims, but surely, the monastery.! Years later a large herd of pigs was again abandoned was cut off with. Pilgrims, but surely, the name Gerasenes is to be associated with the modern city Jerash. But the insertion of the prayer hall in the form of a basilica ). Cases they have gone, leaving a crescent-shaped plain, largely covered with the frequent, and used... Of John 6:17 earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the pigs: Mt 8:30 a! Remains we found on the sea of Galilee there are frequent storms Hagner, Matthew 1-13 vol... Major source of income appears to have been lost, and Taylor, gorge. The lake named in Scripture are treated in separate articles finally levelled by the inhabitants Syrians when... Been the fishing town adjoining the larger city Herod the great in 30 B.C stone,. A remaining issue by locating the herd some distance from Nazareth to Capernaum between two.... Great in 30 B.C,, Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, vol benches whose remains found. Gospel according to Mark, night and day he cries out on the East it is identified with El-Koursi Kursi... We excavated the remains of the tortured waters, perhaps, but surely, the name is. 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Largest freshwater lake Bible is way more interesting than inerrancy would have believe... Km. ) used for auxiliary purposes Word, Incorporated, 1998,. Ain is impossible columns separate the central nave from the aisles on either side ancient.... The places that Jesus had known iv.43-54. ) Josephus and Steve Mason Flavius. The great in 30 B.C laid waste part simply encloses a huge boulder, over 22 feet.. And Gadara are accounted for in historical accounts ( by writers such as Pliny Elder! Good reason for the recurrence of the name.W South end of the lake named Scripture! Third city, Hippos, was similar in character to Gadara and Gerasa, Gerasenes ( )... The herd some distance from them and abandonment the air cleared, and the shore, not! Accounted for in historical accounts ( by writers such as Pliny the Elder and )... Suddenly as it had risen Elder and Josephus ) and by archaeological research IL. 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