, Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, vol. At the center is a large prayer hall in the form of a basilica. On the second occasion the wind blew from the East, and the phenomena described above were practically repeated.4. Want of precision on topographical points, therefore, need not surprise us. Two paved streets with double colonnades cut through the city at right angles, four massive pedestals still marking the point of intersection. The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). Jesus would naturally avoid those in which Greek influences were strong. The lake and mountains are, in main outline, such as His eyes beheld. The ruins of the town are not considerable; but there are remains of a strong wall which must have surrounded the place. , Freeman-Grenville, Chapman, and Taylor, The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea (Carta Jerusalem, 2003), 45. John 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 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. On the basis of the textual evidence alone, we cannot determine which of these variants is . 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). 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. Some of the auxiliary rooms of the church and its chapels were closed off completely; others were converted to domestic or industrial use. The discovery was made by that archaeological genius, that master of archaeological discovery in our time: the bulldozer! From the late fifth to the early seventh centuries, all four sides of the compound had entrances. 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. 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. Judas of Gamala (Ant., XVIII, i, l) is also called Judas of Galilee (ibid., i, 6). A friend recently asked about the geographical problem of Mark 5 so I thought Id write up some thoughts on the topic. This is true even today. This has therefore always been a favorite haunt of fishermen. 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. (2) Bethsaida of Galilee, where dwelt Philip, Andrew, Peter (John 1:44; John 12:21), and perhaps also James and John. The "green grass" of Mark 6:39, and the "much grass" of John 6:10, point to some place in the plain of el-BaTeichah, on the rich soil of which the grass is green and plentiful compared with the scanty herbage on the higher slopes. Northward the plain widens into the marshy breadths of el-BaTeichah, and once more we reach the Jordan, flowing smoothly through the fiat lands to the sea.3. 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. We have now conducted five seasons of excavations at the site, during 19701973 and in 1980. fine for parking in handicap spot in ohio. Alexander Janneus invested the place, and reduced it after a ten months' siege (Ant., XIII, iii, 3; BJ, I, iv, 2). (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. Naturally the temperature in the valley is higher than that of the uplands; and here wheat and barley are harvested about a month earlier. The natives use it for all purposes, esteeming it light and pleasant. 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 soil on the level parts around the sea is exceedingly fertile. A third city, Hippos, was similar in character to Gadara and Gerasa, and it may fit the biblical account even better. When they arrive on the shore he gets out and is met by two demoniacs/a guy called Legion. About 2 miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha. MARK. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. A steamer plies on the sea between the station at Semakh and Tiberias. Unless they had moved their residence from Bethsaida to Capernaum, of which there is no record, and which for fishermen was unlikely, Bethsaida must have lain close to Capernaum. 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 names of many ancient places have been lost, and others have strayed from their original localities. Robert L. Webb and Mark Allan Powell, vol. The most likely answer is to the country of the Gerasenes: i.e., Gerasa, a Greek town thought to be the same as the similarly-named Kersa on the east shore of Lake Tiberias. Possibly, however, the name may represent the Hebrew ganne sarim, "princely gardens." Jesus'-Ministry, 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. With these, however, the Gerasenes dealt mercifully, letting such as wished go free, and escorting them to the border (BJ, II, xviii, 1, 5). (NOTE.-The Textus Receptus of the New Testament reading. Lets be clear: I know zero greek. 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. After Herod's death it was joined to the province of Syria, 4 B.C. A herd of swine running headlong down the mountain would here inevitably perish in the lake (Matthew 8:32, etc.). 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. The ancient walls may be traced in almost their entire circuit of 2 miles. 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. 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. a site named Khersa (or Kursi) among the cliffs overlooking the lakethe traditional site, but with little to argue in its favor. On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. The name Samak, which means fish both in Aramaic (the vernacular of Jesus time) and in Arabic, reflects the fact that these fish were as important to the ancients as to people today. Gergasa, it has been suggested12, is a transliteration of Kursi, located half way up the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. Ed.) 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." 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. LUKE. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. 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. All three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39; Matthew 8:28-34) mention the "swine miracle," although with variations. The town of Kursi (if thats what its name was) and its harbor must have played an important role in the economic life and the religious functioning of the monastery. The total distance between Galilee and Capernaum is 5131 KM (kilometers) and 307.05 meters. The air cleared, and the wide welter of foam-crested waves attested the fury of the blast. The street terminated at the courtyard in front of the church. , Joel Marcus, Mark 18: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. These variations caused little concern to the early Christian fathers who, in the late third century (as we know from literary sources), fixed the site of the miracle on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, at the mouth of Wadi Samak, also known as the Valley of Kursi (KOOR-see). (iii) The East coast of the sea was definitely attached to Galilee in A.D. 84, and Ptolemy (circa 140) places Julius in Galilee. So, Matthew is aware that on the face of it Marks account doesnt work. A dedicatory inscription contains the date 685 A.D. [5] From Capernaum, they go off by boat with Jesus to a quiet place (Mk 6:32) near Bethsaida (Lk 9:10). The land is almost entirely cleared, and it rewards the toil of the husbandman with all its ancient generosity.W. 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. 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