On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. (St. Matt. Like, not even the alphabet. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Josephus gives Pella as the northern boundary of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). The Name:The first syllable of the name Gennesaret is evidently the Hebrew gan, "garden"; while the second may be a proper name. These demon-possessed pigs then run headlong into the lake and, presumably, drown. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1615141b8e2bf0 After Jesus heals him/them, the demons are sent into a herd of pigs. 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 land is almost entirely cleared, and it rewards the toil of the husbandman with all its ancient generosity.W. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. Gergasa, it has been suggested12, is a transliteration of Kursi, located half way up the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. to Capernaum, to Bethsaida . In the middle of the eighth century, probably as a result of the disastrous earthquake of 746/747, the monastery was destroyed. . A few palms are still to be seen. 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 . Heres where Matthew locates the pigs: Mt 8:30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. 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. See CAPERNAUM. 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. , 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. 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 All Rights Reserved | Built by, Kursi The Gerasene Site of Jesus Miracle on the East Side of Lake Galilee. If Capernaum were at Khan Minyeh, then the two lay close together. (he thalassa tes Galilaias):1. PLACE. 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. It became the seat of a bishopric, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon. The at some distance is a bit fluffy in the english it could mean anywhere from not far to miles away. One of the most significant sites on the eastern shore is the place where the so-called swine miracle is thought to have occurred. 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. He therefore took it upon himself to change the geographical details to make them more realistic. 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. Mk 1:35-45 During the winter of 27/28AD, Jesus goes to the nearby villages of Galilee, preaching and casting out demons. According to Luke, the demoniac wears no clothes and lives among the tombs. The place is not mentioned till later times. [10] Traces of ancient buildings in the vicinity show that there must have been a fairly numerous population in the district.2. Eusebius of Caesarea (260313 CE10) in his Onomasticon (basically a long list of place names with explanations of their location), not content with his available options of Gerasa and Gadara Eusebius decided to add a third candidate: Eusebius, Onomasticon, 74: Gergesa There the Lord healed the demoniacs. Kursi disappeared entirely until a bulldozer rediscovered it more than a thousand years later. Unfortunately, the most severe damage to the mosaics occurred in the nave. Distance between Ramat Gan and Capernaum (114,37 km.) ), and "the lake" (Luke 5:1, etc.). Today they are the modern towns of Jerash and Umm Qais. Next, we reach the mouth of Wady Semak, in which lie the ruins of Kurseh, probably representing the ancient Gerasa. It dominates the center of the compound and covers a spacious area of 12,110 square feet. Slowly, perhaps, but surely, the old order is giving place to the new. On the sands along the shore from el-Mejdel to `Ain et-Tineh these shells are so numerous as to cause a white glister in the sunlight.The main formation of the surrounding district is limestone. (ii) Medieval works of travel notice only one Bethsaida. After all its not far off 300 years after the events. This city may be located at et-Tell, a ruined site on the East side of the Jordan on rising ground, fully a mile from the sea. 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.). Many are the ruins of great and splendid cities on slope and height of which almost nothing is known today. 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. Within the apse is a bench subdivided into semicircular, plastered seats. At eT-Tabgha in the North, at `Ain el Fuliyeh, South of el-Mejdel, and on the shore, about 2 miles South of modern Tiberias, there are strong hot springs. 31 or 32. Rows of columns separate the central nave from the aisles on either side. In their season the wild flowers lavish a wealth of lovely colors upon the surrounding slopes; while bright-blossoming oleanders fringe the shore.Coming westward from the point where the Jordan enters the lake, the mountains approach within a short distance of the sea. On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. A relatively large tell, no doubt the urban center of the area, stands about 300 yards from the monastery discovered by the bulldozer. Nearly opposite Tiberias is the stronghold of Chal`-at el Chocn, possibly the ancient Hippos, with the village of Fik, the ancient Aphek, on the height to the East. Map 4 - The Travels and Acts of Jesus in Year Three of His Ministry c AD29-30 : THIRD PREACHING TOUR OF GALILEE [1] Jesus travels from Capernaum to "his own native town" of Nazareth ( Mk 6:1) [2] In Nazareth, he is rejected for a second time (Mt 13:54; Mk 6:1) [3] He continues through Galilee (Mt 13:58; Mk 6:6) and sends out the twelve apostles to preach the Gospel (Mt 10:5; Mk 6:7; Lk 9:1) The structure itself consists of two parts. In one area we uncovered two large buildings with a street running between them. 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 Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake. 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.3The country of the Gerasenes did not reach the Sea of Galilee (an important point that we'll get to in a bit). , Barclay Moon Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1992), 248. The street terminated at the courtyard in front of the church. Cana: 32.744999: 35.339758: Capernaum: 32.88033: 35.573307: Distance: 26.51 km: 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. (Ant., XVII, xi, 4; BJ, II, vi, 3). The warm water from copious springs runs into a little bay of the sea in which fishes congregate in great numbers. It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). , Which is why I dont buy McRays argument, The problem is in the similarity of spelling in Greek. 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. Jesus agrees, so the demons or unclean spirits leave the man and enter the swine, which then rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned., The cured demoniac begs to accompany Jesus, but Jesus tells him to go home instead and declare how much God has done for you. The cured demoniac then declares to all how much Jesus had done for him. According to Mark, he proclaims it even in the cities of the Decapolisand all the men marveled.. :Many scholars maintain that all the New Testament references to Bethsaida apply to one place, namely, Bethsaida Julias. Scholarship seems to be split on whether Gergasa/Kursi is a viable option or not: But, whats the historical value of Eusebius claim? Peter and Andrew, James and John.The towns around the lake named in Scripture are treated in separate articles. Gergesa was a small and very obscure town nearly opposite Capernaum. Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. 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. 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). Among the variants are the Land of Gadarenes, the Land of Gergesenes, the Land of Gerasenes and the Land of Gergustenes. , Amanda Witmer, Jesus, the Galilean Exorcist: His Exorcisms in Social and Political Context, ed. Want of precision on topographical points, therefore, need not surprise us. This it is that lends its highest charm to "the eye of Galilee. Commentary on the Gospel according to John Books 1-10, Ed. That monastery was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the 749 Galilee earthquake. No trace of the name Bethsaida has been found in the district; but any one of the sites named would meet the requirements.To this neighborhood Jesus retired by boat with His disciples to rest awhile. The names of many ancient places have been lost, and others have strayed from their original localities. Conclusion: we just dont know where this event is supposed to have taken place. 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. (BJ, I, iv, 8). With these, however, the Gerasenes dealt mercifully, letting such as wished go free, and escorting them to the border (BJ, II, xviii, 1, 5). See GENNESARET, LAND OF. The Response of the Released Demoniac(5:18-20) The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. distance from capernaum to gerasenes. Many ancient tombs are to be seen in the face of the hills. Ewing, "house of fish," Bethsaida, the name of two cities on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. 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. 2, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 158. The monastery compound lies at the foot of a hill, on a plain by the Sea of Galilee. Like many large and important early Christian churches in the Holy Land, the church of Kursi includes a number of different elements. Bacon, You need 2 hour to reach Jerusalem, Israel from Capernaum, Israel, if you are travelling by car. A dedicatory inscription contains the date 685 A.D. Ancient scribes probably heard or saw one name in the process of copying a manuscript and thought they heard another. John R. McRay, Archaeology and the New Testament, Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 97. (iv) The present writer is familiar with these waters in both storm and calm. The ancient walls may be traced in almost their entire circuit of 2 miles. The heights of Naphtali, piled up in the North, seem to culminate only in the snowy summit of Great Hermon. 4:1-34. ge-nes'-a-ret he ge Gennesaret):1. Nearby, halfway up the steep slope was a separate towerlike structure. Contradictions, They include several splendid temples, theaters, basilica, palaces and baths, with hippodrome and naumachia. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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 gospels. 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. (NOTE.-The Textus Receptus of the New Testament reading. A party in the city surrendered it to Vespasian, who placed a garrison there (BJ, IV, vii, 3). Demonology, All three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39; Matthew 8:28-34) mention the "swine miracle," although with variations. In contrast to the western shore, the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee has usually lain outside the area of the Christian pilgrims principal interest. One things for sure: Gergasa, if it can be equated with Kursi, is the most geographically plausible16 reading. Area we uncovered two large buildings with a street running between them significant sites on the other side of Gerasenes... Was destroyed from Capernaum, Israel from Capernaum, Israel, if You travelling. 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