Distance between Ramat Gan and Capernaum (114,37 km.) Conclusion: we just dont know where this event is supposed to have taken place. 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. The abundance of fish at each place furnished a good reason for the recurrence of the name.W. 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). Driving distance between Capernaum, Israel and Jerusalem, Israel is calculated by google maps and it is 99 mi. Distance between Tel Aviv and Capernaum (117,32 km.) , Tags: Kefar-nahum, "Village of Nahum") was a prosperous . Distances. Capernaum (in the original Hebrew. 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. 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. Luke 10:13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Superior buildings are rising outside the ancient walls. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. From the point where the Jordan enters in the North to its exit in the South is about 13 miles. All three of these New Testament variants have solid textual support. 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. The ruins include those of two theaters, a basilica, a temple, and many important buildings, telling of a once great and splendid city. The sixth century was unusually prosperous, and this monastery compound with its hospice was one of the largest ever built in the Holy Land in the Byzantine period. Calms a storm from . he first invaded Palestine (Polyb. 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. "Jesus of Nazareth" was born in Bethlehem. proof that its territory reached the sea. 33A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 226. In recent years there has been a considerable revival of this industry. If the waters are still, the shining splendors of the mountain may be seen mirrored in the blue depths. Now a village is pointed out beside Lake Tiberias, into which the swine rushed down headlong.11. Galilee is one of the USA city. General Description:The sea lies in the deep trough of the Jordan valley, almost due East of the Bay of Acre. Alexander Janneus invested the place, and reduced it after a ten months' siege (Ant., XIII, iii, 3; BJ, I, iv, 2). The NT references ( Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. Ewing. Finding out that biblical hail was actually ice and fire mixed together, which is actually ash blobs. About 2 miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha. 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) It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). 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. Therefore it was no contrary wind that carried them toward Capernaum and the "land of Gennesaret." We discovered these images when we lifted the columns and reopened the blocked doorways. Jesus would naturally avoid those in which Greek influences were strong. Byzantine Christian monks venerated a site situated a few kilometres north of Hippos on the lake shore, as the location of the miracle. That monastery was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the 749 Galilee earthquake. Here the mountains recede from the shore, leaving a crescent-shaped plain, largely covered with the ruins of the ancient city. On the other hand, with a wind from the West, such as is often experienced, eight or nine hours might easily be occupied in covering the four or five miles from el-BaTeichah to the neighborhood of Capernaum. If it lay on the East it is inconceivable that none of them should have mentioned the river in this connection. EVENT. The sheltering hills provide excellent grazing areas, particularly for hogs, which are best suited to these rocky hills. There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). The land is almost entirely cleared, and it rewards the toil of the husbandman with all its ancient generosity.W. The street terminated at the courtyard in front of the church. Two paved streets with double colonnades cut through the city at right angles, four massive pedestals still marking the point of intersection. 6.211. , Origen, John. The mountains on the East and on the West rise to about 2,000 ft. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. 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. (b) To go to the other side-eis to peran (Mark 6:45)-does not of necessity imply passing from the East to the West coast of the lake, since Josephus uses the verb diaperaioo of a passage from Tiberias to Tarichea (Vita, 59). Twitter. 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. This it is that lends its highest charm to "the eye of Galilee. GERASA, GERASENES ( , ). Hippos, Gerasa, and Gadara were all counted in the Decapolis, an informal grouping of Greco-Roman cities just south of the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi. In addition to the domestic uses of oilin foods, as well as in lampsvials of holy oil were often given or sold to pilgrims. If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles per hour) between Nazareth to Capernaum, It takes 0.04 hours to arrive. In most cases they have gone, leaving not even their names with any certainty behind; but His memory abides forever. Cataloging is a continuous work in progress, however, and we welcome your input to enhance our understanding and presentation of the collection. The total distance between Galilee and Capernaum is 5131 KM (kilometers) and 307.05 meters. 2023 Biblical Historical Context. Fish:The sea contains many varieties of fish in great numbers. Tiberias: 32.795858: 35.530975: Capernaum: 32.88033: 35.573307: Distance: 10.19 km: By protecting the boulder with a massive tower and building a chapel behind and above it, the early Christian fathers both commemorated and sanctified a site that Christian pilgrims could relate to the life of Jesus. 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. , Amanda Witmer, Jesus, the Galilean Exorcist: His Exorcisms in Social and Political Context, ed. Water:The middle portion is supplied from `Ain el-Madawwerah, a copious fountain near the western edge of the plain, round which a wall has been built, to raise the level of the water; and from the perennial stream, Wady er-Rubadiyeh, which drives a mill before starting on its work of irrigation. MARK. Luke 9:10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. A steamer plies on the sea between the station at Semakh and Tiberias. 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. The Second visit to Cana - Cure of the Nobleman's' Son at Capernaum. 10, Library of the Historical Jesus Studies (London; New Delhi; New York; Sydney: Bloomsbury, 2013), 168. 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. It was used to drive certain mills, and also to refresh the neighboring land. Round the greater part of the lake there is a broad pebbly beach, with a sprinkling of small shells. A Christian laymans perspective on the intersection between archaeology, historical criticism, text, and faith. A few birds escaped the iconoclasts blows, however, because they lay under fallen columns or under entranceways that had been blocked, and therefore had avoided notice. On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. 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. Jerash, ancient Gerasa (iii) The East coast of the sea was definitely attached to Galilee in A.D. 84, and Ptolemy (circa 140) places Julius in Galilee. The arguments for and against this view may be summarized as follows:(a) Galilee ran right round the lake, including most of the level coastland on the East. Next, we reach the mouth of Wady Semak, in which lie the ruins of Kurseh, probably representing the ancient Gerasa. With these, however, the Gerasenes dealt mercifully, letting such as wished go free, and escorting them to the border (BJ, II, xviii, 1, 5). In the middle of the eighth century, probably as a result of the disastrous earthquake of 746/747, the monastery was destroyed. If freedom and security be enjoyed in reasonable measure, the region will again display its long-hidden treasures of fertility and beauty.W. 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. Sohow did this problem arise? One things for sure: Gergasa, if it can be equated with Kursi, is the most geographically plausible16 reading. TIME. 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. Traces of ancient buildings in the vicinity show that there must have been a fairly numerous population in the district.2. Distance between Jerusalem and Capernaum (126,65 km.) Within the apse is a bench subdivided into semicircular, plastered seats. Then Josephus explicitly says that Bethsaida was in Lower Gaulonitis (BJ, II, ix, 1). On the second occasion the wind blew from the East, and the phenomena described above were practically repeated.4. This is a difficulty for Marks account the pigs would have had to trot many miles from the country of the Gerasenes before they even reached the hillside that overlooks the lake, never mind actually get to the lake itself. They were both Gentile cities filled with citizens who were culturally more Greek than Semitic; this would account for the pigs in the biblical account. (London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 18, 72, 121. 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 . It continued to be a great and important city, and was long the seat of a bishop (Reland, Palestine, 776). , 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. The warm water from copious springs runs into a little bay of the sea in which fishes congregate in great numbers. 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. This writer extols the productiveness of the plain. At the center is a large prayer hall in the form of a basilica. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. Soon after the sites final abandonment, alluvial soil from the Wadi Samak covered this important Christian holy place. However, later, probably after the Persian invasion in 614 A.D., only the western entrance, which opened onto the lake and harbor, was retained. The fishing industry was evidently pursued to profit in the days of Christ. Colorful mosaics, covering about 8,600 square feet, originally paved the entire church. 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. The soil is deep, rich loam, of amazing fertility. 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. Harry M. Jol, Gloria I. Lpez, Haim Cohen, Michal Artzy, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 8:28-34, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gergesa&oldid=1129180387, Articles needing additional references from January 2009, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 00:24. Was Marks knowledge of the Decapolis shaky? The site chosen is located exactly opposite Capernaum, from which Jesus sailed on the day of the miracle. It was taken by Antiochus the Great when in 218 B.C. 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 distance is about 19 miles from the river. The indigo plant is grown in the plain of Gennesaret. The pigs would still have had to have been long distance runners not the picture painted for us in Mark or Luke where the herd is on the hillside close to the water. 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. All Im able to say with any confidence is that Matthew felt compelled to change the location of the pigs. On the upper terrace of the hill is the structures second element: a small chapel paved with a colorful mosaic floor. Capernaum area. It curves round from el-Mejdel in the South, to `Ain et-Tineh, or Khan Minyeh, in the North, a distance of over 3 miles, with an average breadth from the sea to the foot of the mountains of about a mile. To get any further with working out where the event took place (if it took place at all) we can turn to church history. Occasionally, however, tempests break over the lake, in which a boat could hardly live. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. 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. It may have been the fishing town adjoining the larger city. To the Galilee flocked not only pilgrims, but also monks and scholars, searching for the places that Jesus had known. But one things for sure: wherever the event happened it was a waste of good bacon. It dominates the center of the compound and covers a spacious area of 12,110 square feet. 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. Zebedee was able to hire men to assist him (Mark 1:20). The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Alfred Edersheim. Gerasa and Gadara are accounted for in historical accounts (by writers such as Pliny the Elder and Josephus) and by archaeological research. Sites such as Capernaum, the center of Jesus mission before he left for Jerusalem; Bethsaida, the birthplace of the apostles Andrew, Peter and Philip; Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene; Tabga, where the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes occurred; and the Sea of Galilee itselfall are places that to the Christian recall events connected with Jesus life, the miracles he performed and the sacred words he uttered. , Freeman-Grenville, Chapman, and Taylor, The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea (Carta Jerusalem, 2003), 45. Jesus is in Capernaum, he gets on a boat, sails across the Sea of Galilee, ends up in a storm, and calms the water. (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. To one descending from Mt. 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. 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