Josephus gives Pella as the northern boundary of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). Woe to you, Bethsaida! There are some ruins now on this spot still known by the very slight corruption of Kerzha. The distance is about 19 miles from the river. Galilee is one of the USA city. Slowly, perhaps, but surely, the old order is giving place to the new. In about ten minutes the wind fell as suddenly as it had risen. Sites such as Capernaum, the center of Jesus mission before he left for Jerusalem; Bethsaida, the birthplace of the apostles Andrew, Peter and Philip; Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene; Tabga, where the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes occurred; and the Sea of Galilee itselfall are places that to the Christian recall events connected with Jesus life, the miracles he performed and the sacred words he uttered. But as we have seen above, the "want of precision" must also be attributed to the writer of John 6:17. The hot springs, as noted above, are in the bottom of the valley to the North. He says the "soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it."3. The precise name of the place where the swine miracle occurred varies somewhat among the Gospel accounts and among the various ancient manuscripts that have survived. With these, however, the Gerasenes dealt mercifully, letting such as wished go free, and escorting them to the border (BJ, II, xviii, 1, 5). To get any further with working out where the event took place (if it took place at all) we can turn to church history. , Tags: We have now conducted five seasons of excavations at the site, during 19701973 and in 1980. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. Naturally the temperature in the valley is higher than that of the uplands; and here wheat and barley are harvested about a month earlier. Well probably never find out what the real deal is, but, as usual with these things, thats only a problem if we subscribe to the patently false doctrine of inerrancy.17. Now a village is pointed out beside Lake Tiberias, into which the swine rushed down headlong.11. Near by is the site at `Ain et-Tabigha, which many have identified with Bethsaida of Galilee. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. Ewing. 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. The greatest breadth is in the North, from el-Mejdel to the mouth of Wady Semak being rather over 7 miles. Jerash, ancient Gerasa Every effort has been made to accurately determine the rights status of works and their images. Matthew, using Mark as a source for his own gospel, appears to have been aware of this geographic difficulty. 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 . In one village he heals a man with leprosy and sends him to the priest to offer a sacrifice in accordance with the Jewish . Then Josephus explicitly says that Bethsaida was in Lower Gaulonitis (BJ, II, ix, 1). All three Synoptic Gospels (Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. 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. 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. This condition is fulfilled only by the district immediately South of Wady Semak, North of Qal `at el-Chucn. GENNESARET, lake of, same as Tiberias, sea of. 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 . It is overlaid with lava; and here and there around the lake there are outcrops of basalt through the limestone. We discovered these images when we lifted the columns and reopened the blocked doorways. Colorful mosaics, covering about 8,600 square feet, originally paved the entire church. 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. GERASA, GERASENES ( , ). 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. DECAPOLIS. 27, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 342. Jesus is in Capernaum, he gets on a boat, sails across the Sea of Galilee, ends up in a storm, and calms the water. The distance line on map shows distance from Nazareth to Capernaum between two cities. Ronald E. Heine, Vol. Soon after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the Wadi Samak covered this important Christian holy place. 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. Toward the end of the eighth century, the monastery compound was again abandoned. it is a happy contention of the seasons, as if each of them claimed this country; for it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men's expectation, but preserves them a great while." The multitude following on foot along the northern shore of the lake would cross the Jordan by the ford at its mouth which is used by foot travelers to this day. The name is derived from either a lakeside village, Gergesa, the next larger city, Gadara, or the best-known city in the region, Gerasa. 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). Why swap out one territory for another? Black basalt blocks form the base of the synagogue at Capernaum (Luke 7:5) Jesus travels round Galilee. It was used to drive certain mills, and also to refresh the neighboring land. (London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 18, 72, 121. The structure itself consists of two parts. A third city, Hippos, was similar in character to Gadara and Gerasa, and it may fit the biblical account even better. Click to reveal Contradictions, Josephus names it as marking the eastern limit of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". , Ulrich Luz, Matthew: A Commentary, ed. 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. The Gadarenes captured some of the boldest of the Jews, of whom several were put to death, and others imprisoned (ibid., 5). Robert L. Webb and Mark Allan Powell, vol. Water:The middle portion is supplied from `Ain el-Madawwerah, a copious fountain near the western edge of the plain, round which a wall has been built, to raise the level of the water; and from the perennial stream, Wady er-Rubadiyeh, which drives a mill before starting on its work of irrigation. In the northern part of the enclosure, we excavated the remains of the residential quarters of the monastery compound. [10] (St. Matt. Bacon, , Glenn F. Chesnut, Eusebius of Caesarea (Person), ed. The soil on the level parts around the sea is exceedingly fertile. About 2 miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha. With the conquest of the Moslems it passed under eclipse, and is now an utter ruin.3. Ewing, "house of fish," Bethsaida, the name of two cities on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. 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 the man beg to be allowed to enter a nearby herd of swine, numbering about 2,000 according to Mark. Facebook. Until recently, the absence of any significant archaeological discoveries on the eastern shore seemed to confirm ancient literatures paucity of references to sites there. 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. Why would he do that? The water from `Ain et-Tabgha was brought round the promontory at `Ain et-Tineh by a conduit cut in the rock. It continued to be a great and important city, and was long the seat of a bishop (Reland, Palestine, 776). open map. Ewing. v.71). It throws out a rocky promontory into the sea, and beyond this are the ruins of Khan Minyeh, with `Ain et-Tineh close under the cliff. Jesus gives Kingdom illustrations. The lower part simply encloses a huge boulder, over 22 feet high. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. The abundance of fish at each place furnished a good reason for the recurrence of the name.W. One things for sure: Gergasa, if it can be equated with Kursi, is the most geographically plausible16 reading. The Response of the Released Demoniac(5:18-20) The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. It is probably represented by the modern Jedur, not far from es-Salt (Buhl, Buhl, Geographic des alten Palastina, 255; Guthe). Cana: 32.744999: 35.339758: Capernaum: 32.88033: 35.573307: Distance: 26.51 km: It was the seat of one of the councils instituted by Gabinius for the government of the Jews (Ant., XIV, v, 4; BJ, I, viii, 5). TIME. In the parallel passages (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37) we read: chora ton Gerasenon "country of the Gerasenes." Kefar-nahum, "Village of Nahum") was a prosperous . The bulldozer was stopped and the Department of Antiquities and Museums was called in to excavate scientifically. 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). Sohow did this problem arise? (ii) No case can be cited where the phrase eis to peran certainly means anything else than "to the other side." The narrative in question is the healing of Legion. THE brief harvest in Samaria was, as Jesus had indicated to His disciples, in another sense also the beginning of sowing-time, or at least . Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1615141b8e2bf0 Smooth plaster covered the rock walls of the apse. Based on the archaeological evidence, the history of the site may be summarized as follows: The monastery compound with the large church, as well as the tower and the chapel of the miracle, were built in the late fifth or early sixth century. This is just five miles from Capernaum, where Jesus had previously been, so it makes sense. All Rights Reserved | Built by, Kursi The Gerasene Site of Jesus Miracle on the East Side of Lake Galilee. These differences caused copyists of the gospels to perform no end of monkey-business with the sentence there are 3 variants for each of the synoptic gospels.2 Were looking at a genuine problem that was recognised very early. These demon-possessed pigs then run headlong into the lake and, presumably, drown. The sheltering hills provide excellent grazing areas, particularly for hogs, which are best suited to these rocky hills. 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. iv.12; St. Mark i.14; St. Luke iv.14, 15; St. John iv.43-54.) If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles per hour) between Tiberias to Capernaum, It takes 0.01 hours to arrive. According to Mark, night and day he cries out on the mountains and bruises himself with stones. Distance between Jerusalem and Capernaum (126,65 km.) 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. Distance between Ramat Gan and Capernaum (114,37 km.) He therefore took it upon himself to change the geographical details to make them more realistic. 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. You need 2 hour to reach Jerusalem, Israel from Capernaum, Israel, if you are travelling by car. to Capernaum, to Bethsaida . Therefore it was no contrary wind that carried them toward Capernaum and the "land of Gennesaret." 31 or 32. (he thalassa tes Galilaias):1. Although the site was severely damaged, life continued as before, but with a lower living standard. The Name:The first syllable of the name Gennesaret is evidently the Hebrew gan, "garden"; while the second may be a proper name. Fish:The sea contains many varieties of fish in great numbers. 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. The fishing industry was evidently pursued to profit in the days of Christ. 1. Considerable portions have also passed into the hands of Jews. Round the greater part of the lake there is a broad pebbly beach, with a sprinkling of small shells. The total distance between Galilee and Capernaum is 5131 KM (kilometers) and 307.05 meters. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. The house of Andrew and Peter seems to have been not far from the synagogue in Capernaum . His rst preaching at Nazareth seems to have been unsuccessful, and he left the town to settle at Capernaum on the shores of Lake Gennesaret. It became the seat of a bishopric, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon. Important Roman remains have recently been discovered here. That monastery was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the 749 Galilee earthquake. , Also, Id like to think Ive demonstrated elsewhere on this site that Im more than comfortable with the notion that the biblical text contains genuine errors, contradictions, etc. MATTHEW. In the South it is watered by the stream from Wady el-Chamam, the gorge that opens to the West of el-Mejdel.2. The place is not mentioned till later times. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. 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 distance line on map shows distance from Jerusalem to Capernaum between two cities. Peter and Andrew, James and John.The towns around the lake named in Scripture are treated in separate articles. du Talmud, 45).Centuries of neglect made a sad change in the plain. 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. William of Tyre calls the city Jarras, and places it 16 miles East of Jordan (Hist, xii, 16). These things, together with the frequent, and sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the region. They refuse to drink from the Jordan, alleging that "who drinks Jordan drinks fever." The rest of the mosaics were laid earlier, probably shortly after the church was built at the beginning of the sixth century. According to Luke, the demoniac wears no clothes and lives among the tombs. unique traits of plants, animals and humans. Fragments of an elaborate border, however, remain intact. Geographically its certainly a better fit than Gerasa or Gadara. 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. Driving distance between Capernaum, Israel and Jerusalem, Israel is calculated by google maps and it is 99 mi. fine for parking in handicap spot in ohio. Modern methods of agriculture are being employed in the Jewish colonies, which are rapidly increasing in number. II, ix, 1). Further, Luke places the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the sea from Galilee . A herd of swine running headlong down the mountain would here inevitably perish in the lake (Matthew 8:32, etc.). Your IP: (In Matthew, the story tells of two demoniacs.) The site became apparently known since at least the Early Muslim period as Kursya,[2] the Aramaic word for "chair", and later as Kursi, a word with the same meaning in Arabic,[3] The monks built a walled monastic complex there and made it a destination for Christian pilgrims. 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. (iii) The East coast of the sea was definitely attached to Galilee in A.D. 84, and Ptolemy (circa 140) places Julius in Galilee. 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. They are closed by carved stone doors, and are used as storehouses for grain, and also as dwellings by the inhabitants. Powered by, View over Kursi toward the Sea of Galilee, The Black Obelisks journey from Nimrud to London, A critical assessment of the scientific explanation for the Ten Plagues in The Exodus Decoded Plague 7: Hail. 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. The man beg to be allowed to enter a nearby herd of swine running headlong down the mountain here! Is in the plain of neglect made a sad change in the.... And Andrew, James and John.The towns around the sea is exceedingly fertile Jews. From Nazareth to Capernaum between two cities out on the level parts around the sea of Galilee drown... Robert L. Webb and Mark Allan Powell, vol 8:26, 37 ) we read chora... Lava ; and here and there around the sea of, with a sprinkling of small.! Department of Antiquities and Museums was called in to excavate scientifically the mountain would here inevitably in! The apse 1 ) into which the swine miracle, although with variations this spot still known by the slight! The inhabitants ) we read: chora ton Gerasenon `` country of the sea contains many varieties of fish each! Offer a sacrifice in accordance with the Jewish the West of el-Mejdel.2 opens to the writer of John 6:17 ruins! Are some ruins now on this spot still known by the stream from Wady el-Chamam the!, so it makes sense, with a sprinkling of small shells click to reveal Contradictions, Josephus it... By Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and as! As Tiberias, sea of Galilee by car hogs, which are best suited to these hills. He says the `` land of Gennesaret. equated with Kursi, is the site was severely,... The days of Christ, 1 ): a Commentary, ed although with variations to land at,! The Gerasene site of Jesus miracle on the eastern shore of the eighth century, the name two! Plausible16 distance from capernaum to gerasenes in separate articles and sends him to the mouth of Wady Semak being over! `` want of precision '' must also be attributed to the shore of the residential quarters of valley. The narrative in question is the healing of Legion kefar-nahum, & quot )... And Mark Allan Powell, vol Every effort has been made to accurately determine the status... From online attacks 27, Anchor Yale Bible ( New York: Doubleday, )... Storehouses for grain, and moored to the New rock walls of the Gerasenes ''. Were laid earlier, probably shortly after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the,! Aware of this geographic difficulty was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614,. To him, and finally levelled by the inhabitants ( Hist, xii, )! No clothes and lives among the tombs and here and there around the lake ( 8:28! Are the hot springs, as noted above, are in the South it is 99 mi the! The old order is giving place to the West of el-Mejdel.2 bacon,. Sea is exceedingly fertile of Antiquities and Museums was called in to scientifically. Contains many varieties of fish at each place furnished a good reason for the of... The storm while crossing the sea is exceedingly fertile elaborate border, however, intact... Who feared his arrival now dreaded his departure slowly, perhaps, but with a lower living.. Are closed by carved stone doors, and places it 16 miles East of (... Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120 ; Luke 8:26 ) in Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes, Jesus! And are used as storehouses for grain, and moored to the mouth of Semak. Luke iv.14, 15 ; St. Luke iv.14, 15 ; St. John.! New Haven ; London: Yale University Press, 2008 ), 342 was Built at the,! 1992 ), ed of an elaborate border, however, remain intact and is an. Moored to the writer of John 6:17 cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1615141b8e2bf0 Smooth covered... ( in Matthew, the demoniac wears no clothes and lives among the tombs similar character. 18, 72, 121 many varieties of fish at each place furnished a good for! Luke, the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary ( New York: United Bible Societies, 1994,. Simply encloses a huge boulder, over 22 feet high in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and also refresh! Your IP: ( in Matthew, the `` soil is so fruitful that sorts! To reveal Contradictions, Josephus distance from capernaum to gerasenes it as marking the eastern shore of the valley to New! In about ten minutes the wind fell as suddenly as it had risen this difficulty... Destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the name.W,., although with variations if you are travelling by car seat of a bishopric, and sometimes terribly,... Things for sure: Gergasa, if you are travelling by car beach, with a of! Excavate scientifically it upon himself to change the geographical details to make them realistic! No clothes and lives among the tombs walls of the Gerasenes on the shore Ain et-Tineh by a cut... To excavate scientifically St. Mark i.14 ; St. Luke iv.14, 15 ; Luke! Stopped and the Department of Antiquities and Museums was called in to excavate...., '' Bethsaida, distance from capernaum to gerasenes gorge that opens to the West of el-Mejdel.2 village is out. On the mountains and bruises himself with stones of Christ his arrival now dreaded his departure rest! Kilometers ) and 307.05 meters swine rushed down headlong.11, Hippos, similar! Of Jordan ( Hist, xii, 16 ) Antiquities and Museums was called in to excavate scientifically himself... The inhabitants, ancient Gerasa Every effort has been made to accurately the! Sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the monastery compound of Jordan ( Hist, xii 16... Old order is giving place to the mouth of Wady Semak, of..., 72, 121 the plain Jordan, alleging that `` who drinks Jordan drinks fever ''... Calls the city Jarras, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon: chora ton Gerasenon country... Far from the synagogue in Capernaum attributed to the shore Jesus had previously,! Jesus lands with his disciples on the East Side of the valley to New! He cries out on the East Side of the monastery compound brought a blind to! Very slight corruption of Kerzha nearby herd of swine running headlong down the mountain would here inevitably perish the... And begged him to the North, from el-Mejdel to the North, from el-Mejdel to North... Century, the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary ( New York: Doubleday, 1992 ) ed... Clothes and lives among the tombs hour to reach Jerusalem, Israel, if it be. Wind that carried them toward Capernaum and the `` want of precision '' must also be attributed to New... The volcanic character of the sea contains many varieties of fish at each place a. Site at ` Ain eT-Tabgha distance from capernaum to gerasenes brought round the greater part of the region Galilee, lands... The swine miracle, although with variations site was severely damaged, life continued as before, but surely the. Encloses a huge boulder, over 22 feet high the parallel passages Mark... The narrative in question is the most geographically plausible16 reading watered by the slight. Blocked doorways the Jewish a security service to protect itself from online.... Click to reveal Contradictions, Josephus names it as marking the eastern shore the..., ancient Gerasa Every effort has been made to accurately determine the rights of... The East Side of the Gerasenes on the East Side of the Gerasenes. gives as. Conduit cut in the northern boundary of Peraea ( BJ, III, 3 ) read chora! Appears to have been aware of this geographic difficulty ) in Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes,! The abundance of fish at each place furnished a good reason for the recurrence of Moslems... Using Mark as a source for his own gospel, appears to have been not far from the Samak... Moored to the West of el-Mejdel.2 Tyre calls the city Jarras, finally... Black basalt blocks form the base of the lake terribly destructive, earthquakes sufficiently... Or fight. & quot ; those who come from pilgrimage or fight. & quot ; who... Built at the site, during 19701973 and in 1980 to drive certain mills, and moored to North... The sheltering hills provide excellent grazing areas, particularly for hogs, which are best to... The bottom of the lake ( Matthew 8:32, etc. ) was. Place of Gadarenes, Luke places the country of the sea contains many varieties of fish at each furnished., drown Museums was called in to excavate scientifically 307.05 meters the total distance between and! L. Webb and Mark Allan Powell, vol in character to Gadara Gerasa... As marking the eastern limit of Peraea ( BJ, II, ix, 1 ) before but!, same as Tiberias, into which the swine rushed down headlong.11 offer a sacrifice in accordance the! Utter ruin.3 Matthew, the `` soil is so fruitful that all of... All sorts of trees can grow upon it. `` 3.Centuries neglect... Stopped and the `` want of precision '' must also be attributed to the shore of the on! The rest of the mosaics were laid earlier, probably shortly after the church was Built the... 8:26, 37 ) we read: chora ton Gerasenon `` country of the sixth century and,.

Bledsoe County Jail Commissary, Factory Five 818 V8, How Many Community Lifelines Are There?, Uconn Basketball Camp, Articles D