There are some ruins now on this spot still known by the very slight corruption of Kerzha. Gardens and orchards are being planted. , 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. 10, Library of the Historical Jesus Studies (London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2013), 168. 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. 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). Among the variants are the Land of Gadarenes, the Land of Gergesenes, the Land of Gerasenes and the Land of Gergustenes. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. 2019 Dr. Andrew Jackson. The pilgrimage sites associated with the swine miracle, as opposed to the urban settlement of Tell el-Kursi, were discovered quite by accident in the late 20th century. John 6:1 After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. The distance line on map shows distance from Jerusalem to Capernaum between two cities. , The manuscripts are confused as to the place name, but this is no reason to accuse Mark himself of lack of knowledge of Palestinian geography. R. Alan Cole, Mark: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. This has therefore always been a favorite haunt of fishermen. 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. fine for parking in handicap spot in ohio. This it is that lends its highest charm to "the eye of Galilee. William of Tyre calls the city Jarras, and places it 16 miles East of Jordan (Hist, xii, 16). 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 . Further, Luke places the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the sea from Galilee . In a few moments the air was thick with mist, through which one could hear the roar of the tortured waters. There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). Recently the German Catholics made extensive purchases, including the village of el-Mejdel. Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. If Capernaum were at Khan Minyeh, then the two lay close together. 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. Or something. , William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 612. 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. 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. John, writing after 84 A.D., would hardly have 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 recalling the former familiar conditions. 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. (iii) Mark says that the boat started to go unto the other side to Bethsaida, while John, gives the direction "over the sea unto Capernaum" (Mark 6:17). 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. Byzantine Christian monks venerated a site situated a few kilometres north of Hippos on the lake shore, as the location of the miracle. Today they are the modern towns of Jerash and Umm Qais. Fish:The sea contains many varieties of fish in great numbers. Around 150 years later Origen comes along, and, knowing that Matthews attempted fix isnt watertight, relocates the event to Gergasa based on what is probably an ancient tradition. 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. Heres where Matthew locates the pigs: Mt 8:30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The monastery compound lies at the foot of a hill, on a plain by the Sea of Galilee. Like, not even the alphabet. Some are of the opinion that Gergesa was the country of the ancient Girgashites; but it is more probable that 'Gergesenes' was introduced by Origen upon mere conjecture; as before him most copies seem to have read 'Gadarenes', agreeable to the parallel passages and the ancient Syriac version. Other sites, Tabga for example, were restored in the last decades of the 19th century, after centuries of neglect and abandonment. 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. It was conquered by the Moslems in the time of Omar (Guy le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, 462). GADARA. This condition is fulfilled only by the district immediately South of Wady Semak, North of Qal `at el-Chucn. 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 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. This writer extols the productiveness of the plain. 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. The Valley of Kursi, or Wadi Samak, is still rich in fertile farming land. 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. At the beginning of the Jewish revolt the country around Gadara was laid waste (BJ, II, xviii, 1). It was used to drive certain mills, and also to refresh the neighboring land. Jesus commands the unclean spirits to come out of him. See FISHING. Alexander Janneus invested the place, and reduced it after a ten months' siege (Ant., XIII, iii, 3; BJ, I, iv, 2). Luke 9:10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. (Ant., XV, vii, 3; BJ, I, xx, 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. Distance between Haifa and Capernaum (51,83 km.) (iii) The East coast of the sea was definitely attached to Galilee in A.D. 84, and Ptolemy (circa 140) places Julius in Galilee. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the Sea of Galilee, one of the cities of the Decapolis; the inhabitants of the city. Robert L. Webb and Mark Allan Powell, vol. The agreement of these two favors the strict interpretation. TIME. According to Mark, night and day he cries out on the mountains and bruises himself with stones. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Superior buildings are rising outside the ancient walls. The Tel Dan Steles discovery, the debate it caused, and how it shows that scripture sometimes doesnt work the way we think it does. Your IP: The distance line on map shows distance from Cana to Capernaum between two cities. Save in very settled conditions they will not venture far from the shore. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. In the parallel passages (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37) we read: chora ton Gerasenon "country of the Gerasenes." Why swap out one territory for another? 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. 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. 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. The "desert" of the narrative is just the barriyeh of the Arabs where the animals are driven out for pasture. 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. The main street of the monastery compound led from the western gate to the church in the center. 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). These demon-possessed pigs then run headlong into the lake and, presumably, drown. Was Marks knowledge of the Decapolis shaky? Jesus gives Kingdom illustrations. Soon after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the Wadi Samak covered this important Christian holy place. In the side aisles were images of birds and other animals, but in the eighth century, after the church had been abandoned by Christians, Moslem iconoclasts systematically and intentionally destroyed these images in accordance with the Islamic prohibition against human or animal representations. Black basalt blocks form the base of the synagogue at Capernaum (Luke 7:5) Jesus travels round Galilee. Gerasa, Gadara, Gergesa from where did the pigs stampede? It is overlaid with lava; and here and there around the lake there are outcrops of basalt through the limestone. Laid waste ( BJ, I, xx, 3 ; BJ, I, xx, ;. North of Hippos on the lake and, presumably, drown Sea from.... 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