OK. First up: they dont agree. 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. 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. We may assume that the cities named in the Gospels were mainly Jewish. The warm water from copious springs runs into a little bay of the sea in which fishes congregate in great numbers. Zebedee was able to hire men to assist him (Mark 1:20). Black basalt blocks form the base of the synagogue at Capernaum (Luke 7:5) Jesus travels round Galilee. Storms:The position of the lake makes it liable to sudden storms, the cool air from the uplands rushing down the gorges with great violence and tossing the waters in tumultuous billows. A paved street, with double colonnade, ran from East to West. Jesus commands the unclean spirits to come out of him. If we accept Marcan Priority (which we do around here) then weve got Mark writing country of the Gerasenes, Luke following him faithfully, but Matthew deliberately changing Gerasenes to Gadarenes in his version of events. There is scarcely any doubt that the scene of the miracle on the poor demoniac, and of the subsequent possession of the swine, must be looked for on this spot. In the middle of the eighth century, probably as a result of the disastrous earthquake of 746/747, the monastery was destroyed. If it lay on the East it is inconceivable that none of them should have mentioned the river in this connection. 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." Many are the ruins of great and splendid cities on slope and height of which almost nothing is known today. Some of these it is impossible to identify. Then Josephus explicitly says that Bethsaida was in Lower Gaulonitis (BJ, II, ix, 1). (iv) In view of the frequent repetition of names in Palestine the nearness of the two Bethsaidas raises no difficulty. Luke 9:10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. Bacon, The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. PLACE. At the end of the nave is a semicircular apse. In a few moments the air was thick with mist, through which one could hear the roar of the tortured waters. Mk 1:35-45 During the winter of 27/28AD, Jesus goes to the nearby villages of Galilee, preaching and casting out demons. Four of the apostles, and these the chief, had been brought up as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. Synoptic-Gospels. gad'-a-ra (Gadara): 1. From the late fifth to the early seventh centuries, all four sides of the compound had entrances. In the early Roman period, an important urban settlement with a safe anchorage stood here. Matthew 15:29 Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. Or something. This has therefore always been a favorite haunt of fishermen. , Origen, John. (London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 18, 72, 121. Distance between Ramat Gan and Capernaum (114,37 km.) 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. Gerasa, one of the cities of Decapolis and the capital of the country of the Gerasenes, lay around 37 miles/60 kilometres away from the Sea of Galilee in what is today the city of Jerash in Jordan.3 The country of the Gerasenes did not reach the Sea of Galilee (an important point that well get to in a bit). All three Synoptic Gospels (Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. The air cleared, and the wide welter of foam-crested waves attested the fury of the blast. It dominates the center of the compound and covers a spacious area of 12,110 square feet. 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. Jerash, ancient Gerasa , Glenn F. Chesnut, Eusebius of Caesarea (Person), ed. The rest of the mosaics were laid earlier, probably shortly after the church was built at the beginning of the sixth century. 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 . LUKE. Matthew, using Mark as a source for his own gospel, appears to have been aware of this geographic difficulty. Further, Luke places the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the sea from Galilee (Luke 8:26)-antipera tes Galilaias ("over against Galilee"). It was located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, whereas Gerasa and Gadara were several kilometers south-east of it. The Valley of Kursi, or Wadi Samak, is still rich in fertile farming land. (ii) Medieval works of travel notice only one Bethsaida. On the basis of the textual evidence alone, we cannot determine which of these variants is . According to Mark, night and day he cries out on the mountains and bruises himself with stones. The abundance of fish at each place furnished a good reason for the recurrence of the name.W. 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. It was given by Augustus to Herod the Great in 30 B.C. 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. proof that its territory reached the sea. This is true even today. The place is not mentioned till later times. The road then crosses a second promontory, and proceeds along the base of the mountain to Tiberias. Jesus gives Kingdom illustrations. The ruins of the town are not considerable; but there are remains of a strong wall which must have surrounded the place. Login & Purchase. 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. 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 ruins include those of two theaters, a basilica, a temple, and many important buildings, telling of a once great and splendid city. The absence of any name resembling Bethsaida need not concern us.Were There Two Bethsaidas? Woe to you, Bethsaida! 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. See CAPERNAUM. The modern town stands at the northern corner of the plain; while at the southern end are the famous hot baths, the ancient Hammath. 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. Gergasa, it has been suggested12, is a transliteration of Kursi, located half way up the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Description:Modern Jerash lies on both banks of Wady Jerash, about 6 miles from its confluence with Wady ez-Zerqa (the Jabbok). They refuse to drink from the Jordan, alleging that "who drinks Jordan drinks fever." The triumphal arch to the South of the city is almost entire. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. Recently the German Catholics made extensive purchases, including the village of el-Mejdel. To deal with it he changed country of the Gerasenes to country of the Gadarenes: 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.. The surface is 680 ft. below the level of the Mediterranean. TIME. It is located at the longitude of -71.522615 and latitude of 41.364855. 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. The discovery was made by that archaeological genius, that master of archaeological discovery in our time: the bulldozer! Soon after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the Wadi Samak covered this important Christian holy place. 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. The Bible is way more interesting than inerrancy would have you believe. Alexander Janneus invested the place, and reduced it after a ten months' siege (Ant., XIII, iii, 3; BJ, I, iv, 2). The remains of the monastery can be visited in the Kursi National Park. Such storms are fairly frequent, and as they are attended with danger to small craft, the boatmen are constantly on the alert. 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. Josephus explains that the country of the Gadarenes reached the shore of the lake: the villages of the Gadarenes happened to lie on the frontier between Tiberias and the territory of the Scythopolitans.4. But (i) this involved a passage from a point on the West to a point on the South shore, "crossing over" two considerable bays; whereas if the boat started from any point in el-BaTeichah, to which we seem to be limited by the "much grass," and by the definition of the district as belonging to Bethsaida, to sail to et-Tell, it was a matter of coasting not more than a couple of miles, with no bay to cross. Finding out that biblical hail was actually ice and fire mixed together, which is actually ash blobs. The church itself is, of course, the most impressive structure in the monastery compound. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. 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). The city of Gadara is represented today by the ruins of Umm Qeis on the heights south of el-Chummeh-the hot springs in the Yarmuk valley-about 6 miles Southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum (in the original Hebrew. It was conquered by the Moslems in the time of Omar (Guy le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, 462). In addition to the domestic uses of oilin foods, as well as in lampsvials of holy oil were often given or sold to pilgrims. Once it burst from the South. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. From this disaster it appears soon to have recovered, and the period of its greatest prosperity lay, probably, in the 2nd and 3nd centuries of our era. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). Possibly, however, the name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, "princely gardens." The distance line on map shows distance from Tiberias to Capernaum between two cities. History:The great and splendid city in the Decapolis is first mentioned as taken after a siege by Alexander Janneus, 85 B.C. Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. Fragments of an elaborate border, however, remain intact. ton Gergesenon, "of the Gergesenes," must be rejected (Westcott-Hort, II. The two towns were therefore practically in the same line. 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. "(iv) There could hardly have been two Bethsaidas so close together.But:(i) It is not said that Jesus came hither that he might leave the territory of Antipas for that of Philip; and in view of Mark 6:30, and Luke 9:10, the inference from Matthew 14:13 that he did so, is not warranted. Although the site was severely damaged, life continued as before, but with a lower living standard. The emperor would not listen to the accusations of the inhabitants against Herod for oppressive conduct (Ant., XV, x, 2). 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. 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. Giu 11, 2022 | how to calculate calories per serving in a recipe. A dedicatory inscription contains the date 685 A.D. GENNESARET, lake of, same as Tiberias, sea of. open map. Only twice in over 5 years the present writer witnessed such a hurricane. Christian artifacts from Kursi can be viewed at the Golan Archaeological Museum. , Which is why I dont buy McRays argument, The problem is in the similarity of spelling in Greek. 2, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 158. The first two are in the Authorized Version. (In Matthew, the story tells of two demoniacs.) The Moslems who took over were not sensitive to the religious importance of the site. 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). 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. For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. The fruits of Gennesaret had such high repute among the rabbis that they were not allowed in Jerusalem at the time of the feasts, lest any might be tempted to come merely for their enjoyment (Neubauer, Geog. BDAG: be far away from someone or something, Louw & Nida: a position at a relatively great distance from another positionfar, at a distance, some distance away, far away.. Distances. Luke 8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. Conclusion: we just dont know where this event is supposed to have taken place. Where vegetable gardens are planted they yield plentifully. When he sees Jesus, the demoniac begs Jesus not to torment him. The distance is about 19 miles from the river. It is as if this chamber (which once had a tower) was built to protect or preserve the boulder. Why swap out one territory for another? ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon):1. The indigo plant is grown in the plain of Gennesaret. Now there is no question that Capernaum was on "the other side," nor is there any suggestion that the boat was driven out of its course; and it is quite obvious that, sailing toward Capernaum, whether at Tell Chum or at Khan Minyeh, it would never reach Bethsaida Julius. Jesus is in Capernaum, he gets on a boat, sails across the Sea of Galilee, ends up in a storm, and calms the water. Date 685 A.D. 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