GERASA; GERASENES

ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon):

1. Country of the Gerasenes:

The town itself is not named in Scripture, and is referred to only in the expression, "country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37; see Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Appendix, 11). This describes the district in which Christ met and healed the demoniac from the tombs, where also took place the destruction of the swine. It was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and must have been a locality where the steep edges of the Bashan plateau drop close upon the brink of the lake. This condition is fulfilled only by the district immediately South of Wady Semak, North of Qal `at el-Chucn. Here the slopes descend swiftly almost into the sea, and animals, once started on the downward run, could not avoid plunging into the depths. Many ancient tombs are to be seen in the face of the hills. Gerasa itself is probably represented by the ruins of Kurseh on the South side of Wady Semak, just where it opens on the seashore. The ruins of the town are not considerable; but there are remains of a strong wall which must have surrounded the place. Traces of ancient buildings in the vicinity show that there must have been a fairly numerous population in the district.

2. History:

The great and splendid city in the Decapolis is first mentioned as taken after a siege by Alexander Janneus, 85 B.C. (BJ, I, iv, 8). Josephus names it as marking the eastern limit of Peraea (BJ, III, iii, 3). He calls the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt, the district round Gerasa was laid waste. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. With these, however, the Gerasenes dealt mercifully, letting such as wished go free, and escorting them to the border (BJ, II, xviii, 1, 5). Lucius Annius, at the instance of Vespasian, sacked and burned the city, with much slaughter (BJ, IV, ix, 1). 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. It became the seat of a bishopric, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon. 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. It was besieged by Baldwin II, in 1121 A.D. Mention is made of the strength of the site and the mighty masonry of its walls. William of Tyre calls the city Jarras, and places it 16 miles East of Jordan (Hist, xii, 16). The distance is about 19 miles from the river. It was conquered by the Moslems in the time of Omar (Guy le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, 462). 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.

3. Description:

Modern Jerash lies on both banks of Wady Jerash, about 6 miles from its confluence with Wady ez-Zerqa (the Jabbok). It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). The ruins are wide and imposing and are better preserved than any others on the East of Jordan. They include several splendid temples, theaters, basilica, palaces and baths, with hippodrome and naumachia. The triumphal arch to the South of the city is almost entire. Two paved streets with double colonnades cut through the city at right angles, four massive pedestals still marking the point of intersection. An excellent account of the ruins is given in Thomson's LB, III, 558.

There is nothing above ground of older date than the 2nd and 3rd centuries of our era; but there is no reason to doubt that the Greek city of Gerasa stood on the same site. 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. 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. Ewing

1086. Gerasenos -- Gerasene, of Gerasa, a city East of the Jordan
... Gerasene, of Gerasa, a city East of the Jordan. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Gerasenos Phonetic Spelling: (gher-ghes-ay-nos') Short ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1086.htm - 6k

At Gerasa - the Healing of the Demonised.
... CHAPTER XXV. AT GERASA - THE HEALING OF THE DEMONISED. (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark
5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39.) THAT day of wonders was not yet ended. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxv at gerasa -.htm

The Name of the Place Where John Baptized is not Bethany, as in ...
... Similarly "Gergesa" Should Be Read for "Gerasa," In the Story of the Swine. ... [4924]
Now, Gerasa is a town of Arabia, and has near it neither sea nor lake. ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/24 the name of the.htm

That Vespasian, after He had Taken Gadara Made Preparation for the ...
... auxiliaries. He also sent Lucius Annius to Gerasa, and delivered to him
a body of horsemen, and a considerable number of footmen. ...
/.../chapter 9 that vespasian after.htm

The Miraculous Feeding of the Five Thousand
... shore. Not many miles south of it was the Gerasa or Gergesa, where the
great miracle of healing the demonished had been wrought. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxix the miraculous feeding.htm

Jesus at Capernaum.
... Mark 5:1, and Luke 8:26, name Gadara or Gerasa instead of Gergesa. Gerasa
is an impossible reading, the evangelists teaching us ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter viii jesus at capernaum.htm

Apparitions on Occasion of the Death of Jesus.
... on the eastern side of the lake, on the spot where the swine belonging to the
inhabitants of Gergesa cast themselves in, and also at Gergesa, Gerasa, and in ...
/.../chapter lvi apparitions on occasion.htm

A Great Part of South Judea Cut Off under the Second Temple. ...
... So that distinction may be made, between Idumea the Greater and the Less. Simon
of Gerasa overran the towns along the mountainous country, &c. ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 3 a great part.htm

The Demoniac of Gadara
... But yet we should expect to find it most rampant in places where God was dishonored,
in Gerasa and in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And it is so. ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 5 1-20 the demoniac of.htm

A Description Op Galilee, Samaria, and Judea.
... Western with Jordan; the land of Moab is its southern border, and its eastern limits
reach to Arabia, and Silbonitis, and besides to Philadelphene and Gerasa. ...
/.../chapter 3 a description op.htm

The Calamities and Slaughters that came Upon the Jews.
... themselves into several parties, and laid waste the villages of the Syrians, and
their neighboring cities, Philadelphia, and Sebonitis, and Gerasa, and Pella ...
/.../chapter 18 the calamities and.htm

Gerasa
...GERASA; GERASENES. ...Gerasa itself is probably represented by the ruins of Kurseh on
the South side of Wady Semak, just where it opens on the seashore. ...
/g/gerasa.htm - 10k

Gerasenes (3 Occurrences)
...GERASA; GERASENES. ...Gerasa itself is probably represented by the ruins of Kurseh on
the South side of Wady Semak, just where it opens on the seashore. ...
/g/gerasenes.htm - 11k

Ramothgilead (19 Occurrences)
... It has with probability been identified with Reimun, on the northern slope of the
Jabbok, about 5 miles west of Jerash or Gerasa, one of the cities of Decapolis ...
/r/ramothgilead.htm - 19k

Ramoth-gilead (20 Occurrences)
... It has with probability been identified with Reimun, on the northern slope of the
Jabbok, about 5 miles west of Jerash or Gerasa, one of the cities of Decapolis ...
/r/ramoth-gilead.htm - 20k

Decapolis (3 Occurrences)
... Hippos, Gadara, Pella (to which the Christians fled just before the destruction
of Jerusalem), Philadelphia (ancient Rabbath-ammon), Gerasa, Dion, Canatha ...
/d/decapolis.htm - 10k

Street (54 Occurrences)
... Psalm 18:42; Isaiah 10:6). "It is remarkable," says Porter, "that all the important
cities of Palestine and Syria Samaria, Caesarea, Gerasa, Bozrah, Damascus ...
/s/street.htm - 26k

Gerar (10 Occurrences)

/g/gerar.htm - 12k

Gadara
... of Gadara, as the chief city in these regions, extended over the country East of
the Sea, including the lands of the subordinate town, GERASA (which see). ...
/g/gadara.htm - 12k

Gergesa
... Easton's Bible Dictionary =Gerasa, identified with the modern Khersa, "over
against Galilee," close to the lake. This was probably ...
/g/gergesa.htm - 6k

Cart (12 Occurrences)
... The Circassians, whom the Turkish government has settled near Caesarea, Jerash
(Gerasa) and Amman (Philadelphia), have introduced a crude cart which must be ...
/c/cart.htm - 15k

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