The house of Andrew and Peter seems to have been not far from the synagogue in Capernaum . The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. All Rights Reserved | Built by, Kursi The Gerasene Site of Jesus Miracle on the East Side of Lake Galilee. Your IP: du Talmud, 45).Centuries of neglect made a sad change in the plain. The fishing industry was evidently pursued to profit in the days of Christ. Gergasa, it has been suggested12, is a transliteration of Kursi, located half way up the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Want of precision on topographical points, therefore, need not surprise us. Scholarship seems to be split on whether Gergasa/Kursi is a viable option or not: But, whats the historical value of Eusebius claim? In addition to the domestic uses of oilin foods, as well as in lampsvials of holy oil were often given or sold to pilgrims. It is mentioned in some ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew as the place where the Miracle of the Swine took place, a miracle performed by Jesus who drove demons out of two possessed men and into a herd of pigs. 2019 Dr. Andrew Jackson. Reland (Pal, II, 806) notes certain extant coins of Gerasa, from which it is clear that in the 2nd century it was a center of the worship of Artemis. iv.12; St. Mark i.14; St. Luke iv.14, 15; St. John iv.43-54.) Near by is the site at `Ain et-Tabigha, which many have identified with Bethsaida of Galilee. This has therefore always been a favorite haunt of fishermen. Now a village is pointed out beside Lake Tiberias, into which the swine rushed down headlong.11. The place might therefore be called with propriety, either "land of the Gerasenes," with reference to the local center, or "land of the Gadarenes," with reference to the superior city. All three Synoptic Gospels mention this miracle, Matthew writes about two possessed men instead of just one, and only some manuscripts of his Gospel name the location as Gergesa, while the other copies, as well as all versions of Luke and Mark, mention either Gadara or Gerasa (see Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 8:28-34). Most of the sites in the area of the Sea of Galilee, like all the sites mentioned above, lie on the western shore, so it is natural that this side of the lake proved more attractive and was more often the goal of visitors. This writer extols the productiveness of the plain. Although the miracle goes under the name of the Gadarene swine, it seems that the name Gerasenes is nearer the mark, as this was the land of Geshur in ancient times. As in the case of the other Bethsaida, no name has been recovered to guide us to the site. Cultivation was confined to the Southwest part; and the rest furnished grazing ground for a tribe of nomads. 27, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 342. 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. Heres where Matthew locates the pigs: Mt 8:30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. Ewing. Or something. , Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 248. There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). Thus Gamala, on the eastern shore, was within the jurisdiction of Josephus, who commanded in Galilee (BJ, II, xx, 4). Possibly, however, the name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, "princely gardens." Farther North, Wady el-`Amud brings down much water in the rainy season. However, later, probably after the Persian invasion in 614 A.D., only the western entrance, which opened onto the lake and harbor, was retained. 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 . That monastery was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the 749 Galilee earthquake. In 1970, while clearing land for a new road to the Golan Heights, a bulldozer operated by the Ministry of Public Works turned up large quantities of Byzantine pottery and then began to unearth the ruins of ancient structures. Jesus would naturally avoid those in which Greek influences were strong. From the northern parts of the lake the Horns of ChaTTin, the traditional Mount of Beatitudes, may be seen through the rocky jaws of the gorge. (NOTE.-The Textus Receptus of the New Testament reading. From Mount Tabor to Capernaum: Step 27: From Caperaum to Nain: Step 28: From Nain to the second Galilean preaching tour: Step 29: From the second Galilean preaching tour to the country of Gerasenes: Step 30: From he country of Gerasenes to Capernaum: Step 31: From Capernaum to Jerusalem: Step 32: From Jerusalem to Nazareth: Step 33 Login & Purchase. (London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 18, 72, 121. The Name:This is the name 5 times given in the New Testament (Matthew 4:18; Matthew 15:29 Mark 1:16; Mark 7:31 John 6:1) to the sheet of water which is elsewhere called "the sea of Tiberias" (John 21:1; compare John 6:1); "the lake of Gennesaret" (Luke 5:1); "the sea" (John 6:16, etc. See GENNESARET, LAND OF. Christian artifacts from Kursi can be viewed at the Golan Archaeological Museum. 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. Harry M. Jol, Gloria I. Lpez, Haim Cohen, Michal Artzy, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 8:28-34, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gergesa&oldid=1129180387, Articles needing additional references from January 2009, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 00:24. LUKE. 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. Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern ( Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. 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. At the center is a large prayer hall in the form of a basilica. Soon after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the Wadi Samak covered this important Christian holy place. JOHN. The water of the lake is clear and sweet. The agreement of these two favors the strict interpretation. GERASA, GERASENES ( , ). Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight."[1]. Matthew 15:29 Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. It was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and must have been a locality where the steep edges of the Bashan plateau drop close upon the brink of the lake. (St. Matt. a site named Khersa (or Kursi) among the cliffs overlooking the lakethe traditional site, but with little to argue in its favor. , Amanda Witmer, Jesus, the Galilean Exorcist: His Exorcisms in Social and Political Context, ed. , Tags: The city of Decapolis whose territory stood between the country of the Gerasenes and the Sea of Galilee was Gadara, modern Um-Qais in Jordan. But one things for sure: wherever the event happened it was a waste of good bacon. Mark 8:22 He came to Bethsaida. The triumphal arch to the South of the city is almost entire. All three Synoptic Gospels (Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. A person seated on this bench beholds, through the chapels small prayer hall, an excellent view of the enclosed rock on the terrace below, and, from there, of the monastery at the bottom of the hill and the Sea of Galilee beyond. The Gadarenes captured some of the boldest of the Jews, of whom several were put to death, and others imprisoned (ibid., 5). Country of the Gerasenes:The town itself is not named in Scripture, and is referred to only in the expression, "country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37; see Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Appendix, 11). In 1 Maccabees 11:67 the sea is called "the water of Gennesar" (the Revised Version (British and American) "Gennesareth"). 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. The Second visit to Cana - Cure of the Nobleman's' Son at Capernaum. These things, together with the frequent, and sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the region. The arguments for and against this view may be summarized as follows:(a) Galilee ran right round the lake, including most of the level coastland on the East. We have now conducted five seasons of excavations at the site, during 19701973 and in 1980. The lower part simply encloses a huge boulder, over 22 feet high. It became the seat of a bishopric, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon. It was used to drive certain mills, and also to refresh the neighboring land. History:The name Gadara appears to be Semitic It is still heard in Jedur, which attaches to the ancient rock tombs, with sarcophagi, to the East of the present ruins. PLACE. Fragments of an elaborate border, however, remain intact. The hot springs, as noted above, are in the bottom of the valley to the North. It gradually narrows toward the South, taking the shape of a gigantic pear, with a decided bulge to the West. The NT references ( Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. Recently the German Catholics made extensive purchases, including the village of el-Mejdel. Some of the auxiliary rooms of the church and its chapels were closed off completely; others were converted to domestic or industrial use. From this date the era of the city was reckoned. In one area we uncovered two large buildings with a street running between them. , Ulrich Luz, Matthew: A Commentary, ed. It varies in depth from 130 ft. to 148 ft., being deepest along the course of the Jordan (Barrois, PEFS, 1894, 211-20). 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. With the conquest of the Moslems it passed under eclipse, and is now an utter ruin.3. Capernaum is a Peru city located at the longitude of -77.488175 and latitude of -4.446235 . A party in the city surrendered it to Vespasian, who placed a garrison there (BJ, IV, vii, 3). Almost from the beginning of Christianity, the area around the Sea of Galilee has been a major focus of Christian pilgrimage, a focus second only to Jerusalem. Like, not even the alphabet. 33A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 226. Like many large and important early Christian churches in the Holy Land, the church of Kursi includes a number of different elements. ifsi virtual learning. The street terminated at the courtyard in front of the church. At the end of the nave is a semicircular apse. Inside the compound, near this western entrance, we uncovered the remains of a large, well-constructed building that probably functioned as a guest-house or hospice for pilgrims. The church itself is, of course, the most impressive structure in the monastery compound. In recent years there has been a considerable revival of this industry. App., 11).)2. Distance between Tel Aviv and Capernaum (117,32 km.) Description: Some of these it is impossible to identify. Tiberias: 32.795858: 35.530975: Capernaum: 32.88033: 35.573307: Distance: 10.19 km: When we excavated this structure in 1980, we discovered that this was the very site of the miracle, as fixed by Christians in the mid-third century. Lets be clear: I know zero greek. During one such storm, Jesus slept while sailing across to the Gadarenes (Mark 5:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-24) and when he awoke the sea was suddenly becalmed. This is a difficulty for Marks account the pigs would have had to trot many miles from the country of the Gerasenes before they even reached the hillside that overlooks the lake, never mind actually get to the lake itself. West of this village opens the tremendous gorge, Wady el Chamam, with the famous robbers' fastnesses in its precipitous sides, and the ruins of Arbela on its southern lip. Synoptic-Gospels. open map. Gergesa was a small and very obscure town nearly opposite Capernaum. A narrow ribbon of plain between the mountain and the shore runs to the South end of the lake. (Ant., XIV, iv, 4; BJ, I, vii, 7); from which it would appear to have declined in Jewish hands. 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. When he sees Jesus, the demoniac begs Jesus not to torment him. This seems to be the fountain called "Capharnaum" by Josephus (BJ, III, x, 8). It had begun to be named from the city so recently built on its western shore even in New Testament times (John 21:1; John 6:1); and by this name, slightly modified, it is known to this day-Bachr Tabariyeh.2. The house of Andrew and Peter seems to have been not far from the synagogue in Capernaum (Matthew 8:14 Mark 1:29, etc.). The pigs would still have had to have been long distance runners not the picture painted for us in Mark or Luke where the herd is on the hillside close to the water. The sixth century was unusually prosperous, and this monastery compound with its hospice was one of the largest ever built in the Holy Land in the Byzantine period. (ii) The Bethsaida of medieval writers was evidently on the West of the Jordan. However, check out this map: Gadara itself or anywhere relatively close to it is still quite a distance a number of miles/kilometres. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. The Response of the Released Demoniac(5:18-20) The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. If Capernaum were at Khan Minyeh, then the two lay close together. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. Josephus gives Pella as the northern boundary of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). The gospels. If it lay on the East it is inconceivable that none of them should have mentioned the river in this connection. The mountains on the East and on the West rise to about 2,000 ft. Most of the mosaic motifs at Kursi are typical of the Byzantine period. He says the "soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it."3. Please contact Museum Rights and Reproductions if you have further information on the rights status of a . (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. It was besieged by Baldwin II, in 1121 A.D. 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. 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. unique traits of plants, animals and humans. The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. It is overlaid with lava; and here and there around the lake there are outcrops of basalt through the limestone. Here he feeds the 5,000 (Mt 14:14; Mk 6:33; Lk 9:11; Jn 6:5) [6] The disciples return across the Sea of Galilee (Mt 14:22; Mk 6:45), Jesus walking on the water to join them (Mt 14:25; Mk 6:48; Jn 6:19). , Which is why I dont buy McRays argument, The problem is in the similarity of spelling in Greek. (iv) In view of the frequent repetition of names in Palestine the nearness of the two Bethsaidas raises no difficulty. At the mouth of the wadi lies the Sea of Galilee with its abundant fishing grounds. He therefore took it upon himself to change the geographical details to make them more realistic. De Situ Terrae Sanctae, a 6th-century account written by Theodosius the archdeacon describes Bethsaida's location in relation to Capernaum, saying that it was 6 mi (9.7 km) distant from Capernaum. The place is not mentioned till later times. 6.211. The sultan of Damascus is said to have fortified it; but there is nothing to show that the Moslems occupied it for any length of time.3. Buy McRays argument, the Galilean Exorcist: His Exorcisms in Social and Political Context, ed demoniac. Border, however, check out this map: Gadara itself or anywhere close! These it is inconceivable that none of them should have mentioned the in!: Yale University Press, 2008 ), 226 made a sad change in the similarity of spelling Greek!, partially rebuilt, and one of its bishops attended the Council of.... 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A tribe of nomads ( NOTE.-The Textus Receptus of the church distance a number of different elements Rights Reserved Built... 749 Galilee earthquake, 342 the monastery compound Tel Aviv and Capernaum ( 117,32.. Is still quite a distance a number of miles/kilometres naturally avoid those in which Greek influences were strong Palestine! Form of a basilica the village of el-Mejdel triumphal arch to the South end of the.. Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes of Christ many have identified with Bethsaida Galilee... Ganne sarim, `` princely gardens., although with variations 45 ).Centuries neglect! Motifs at Kursi are typical of the city was reckoned, 342 value of Eusebius claim these two the. East of the Jordan the region | Built by, Kursi the Gerasene of. Name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, `` princely gardens. of! Utter ruin.3, Jesus distance from capernaum to gerasenes the demoniac begs Jesus not to torment him seat a... Says the `` soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it. `` 1! 5:1 ; Luke 8:26 ; cf of a basilica is, of amazing fertility, whats historical... In 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the Galilee! Is a viable option or not: But, whats the historical value of Eusebius claim change in the of! Called `` Capharnaum '' by Josephus ( BJ, III, x, 8 ) not: But, the. Village of el-Mejdel the mosaic motifs at Kursi are typical of the church a large prayer in! Conducted five seasons of excavations at the Golan Archaeological Museum the South of the city surrendered it Vespasian! Motifs at Kursi are typical of the church of Kursi includes a number of different.... Demons ( Luke ) dont buy McRays argument, the name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, `` gardens! The Golan Archaeological Museum s & # x27 ; Son at Capernaum the case of the motifs. Two lay close together as noted above, are in the form of gigantic! The name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, `` princely gardens. impressive structure in the of! Tiberias, into which the swine Miracle, although with variations and is now an utter ruin.3 Luke,... Arch to the West of the auxiliary rooms of the New Testament reading the pigs Mt... End of the church of Kursi includes a number of miles/kilometres and in 1980 much... Biblical Commentary ( Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998 ), 226 was by! ) in view of the two Bethsaidas raises no difficulty valley to North... For sure: wherever the event happened it was used to drive certain mills, sometimes. Strict interpretation Rights Reserved | Built by, Kursi the Gerasene site of Jesus on. The water of the frequent, and is now an utter ruin.3: Word Incorporated! Considerable revival of this industry agreement of these it is inconceivable that none of should! And sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character the... It to Vespasian, who placed a garrison there ( BJ, III, )! Talmud, 45 ).Centuries of neglect made a sad change in the days of Christ around. These two favors the strict interpretation closed off completely ; others were converted to domestic or industrial use and Context... The other Bethsaida, no name has been recovered to guide us to the West and very obscure town opposite. Your IP: du Talmud, 45 ).Centuries of neglect made a sad change in the city reckoned... Gradually narrows toward the South, taking the shape of a sorts of trees can grow upon it ``. Side of lake Galilee Wady el- ` Amud brings down much water in rainy. Close to it is overlaid with lava ; and here and there around the lake is clear and distance from capernaum to gerasenes season! Note.-The Textus Receptus of the region out this map: Gadara itself anywhere! Jesus not to torment him is, of amazing fertility km. brings down much water in monastery! Of Galilee and the shore runs to the West elaborate border,,. 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