Gerasa (Jerash)

One of the Decapolis cities mentioned in connection with Jesus's ministry, Gerasa's spectacular ruins illustrate the Greco-Roman cultural environment of the region beyond the Jordan where Jesus traveled and performed miracles.

Gerasa, modern Jerash in northern Jordan, is among the best-preserved examples of a Roman provincial city anywhere in the world. Its spectacular ruins — including a complete oval forum, two theaters, miles of colonnaded streets, temples, bathhouses, churches, and city walls — offer an unparalleled view of urban life in the Roman East during the period of the New Testament and the early church.

The city's origins go back to the Hellenistic period. Alexander the Great's successors established a settlement here, originally called Antioch on the Chrysorrhoas (the "Golden River," referring to the stream running through the site). Under the Seleucid dynasty, the city was named Gerasa. When the Roman general Pompey conquered the region in 63 BCE, Gerasa became part of the Decapolis, a loose confederation of ten (or more) Greco-Roman cities in the region east and south of the Sea of Galilee. Other Decapolis cities included Philadelphia (modern Amman), Scythopolis (Beth Shan), Gadara, and Hippos.

The Decapolis appears in the Gospels as a region where Jesus traveled and where his fame spread. Mark 5:20 notes that the healed demoniac "began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel." Mark 7:31 describes Jesus passing through the Decapolis on his way from Tyre and Sidon to the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 4:25 lists the Decapolis among the regions from which crowds came to hear Jesus.

The story of the Gadarene/Gerasene demoniac is one of the most dramatic healing narratives in the Gospels. Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39 describe Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee and encountering a man possessed by a legion of demons in "the country of the Gerasenes" (or Gadarenes, depending on the manuscript). The demons were cast into a herd of swine that ran down a steep bank into the sea and drowned.

The textual variant in this passage has generated extensive scholarly discussion. The three variant readings — Gerasenes (from Gerasa), Gadarenes (from Gadara), and Gergesenes (from Gergesa) — appear in different ancient manuscripts. Gerasa presents a geographical difficulty: it is located about 50 kilometers from the Sea of Galilee, making the swine's rush into the lake implausible. Gadara (modern Umm Qais) is closer, about 10 kilometers from the lake, and has a cliff face overlooking the Yarmouk Valley. The third option, Gergesa (identified with Kursi on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee by Origen), is closest to the lake and has steep slopes descending directly into the water.

Many scholars now believe that the reading "Gerasenes" may refer to the broader territory or district of Gerasa rather than the city itself, since city territories in the Roman East could extend considerable distances. Under this interpretation, the incident occurred within the administrative territory of Gerasa but near the shore of the Sea of Galilee, not at the city itself.

The archaeological remains at Jerash are extraordinarily well preserved because the city was gradually abandoned rather than violently destroyed, and the dry climate and rural setting prevented stone robbing on a large scale. The monumental arch (the Arch of Hadrian, built for the emperor's visit in 129 CE) stands at the southern entrance. The oval forum, unique in the Roman world, is surrounded by 56 Ionic columns and served as the civic center. The Cardo (main north-south street) stretches for 800 meters, lined with columns and underground sewers.

The Temple of Artemis, the city's patron goddess, is one of the most impressive religious structures in the Roman East, with twelve massive Corinthian columns still standing to their full height. The Temple of Zeus, on a hill overlooking the oval forum, dates to the mid-2nd century CE. Two theaters (the South Theater, seating 3,000, and the smaller North Theater) provided entertainment.

At least fifteen early Christian churches have been identified at Jerash, dating from the 4th through 7th centuries CE. These churches feature elaborate mosaic floors with geometric, floral, and figural designs. The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damianus, the Church of St. Theodore, and the Church of Bishop Genesius are among the best preserved. The concentration of churches reflects the city's transition from paganism to Christianity during the Byzantine period.

• One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities in the world, with a complete oval forum, colonnaded streets, temples, and theaters
• A member of the Decapolis, the league of Greco-Roman cities mentioned in the Gospels (Mark 5:20, 7:31; Matthew 4:25)
• The textual variant 'Gerasenes/Gadarenes/Gergesenes' in the demoniac story reflects the site's distance from the Sea of Galilee
• The Arch of Hadrian (129 CE) commemorates the Roman emperor's visit to the city
• The Temple of Artemis features twelve massive Corinthian columns still standing to full height
• At least fifteen early Christian churches with elaborate mosaic floors date to the 4th-7th centuries CE
• The unique oval forum is surrounded by 56 Ionic columns and served as the civic center
• The Cardo (main colonnaded street) stretches 800 meters with underground sewers

The Gospels mention the Decapolis region in several passages. In the story of the Gadarene/Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39; Matthew 8:28-34), Jesus crosses to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man possessed by demons who calls himself "Legion." The healed man becomes one of the earliest Gospel missionaries: "And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel" (Mark 5:20). If the reading "Gerasenes" is original, the healed man may have proclaimed Jesus's power in the very streets of Gerasa. Mark 7:31 describes Jesus passing "through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis" on a journey from the region of Tyre and Sidon to the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 4:25 lists the Decapolis among the regions from which great multitudes followed Jesus. These references show that Jesus's ministry extended beyond Jewish territory into the Hellenistic cities of the Jordan region. The Decapolis cities, with their temples, theaters, and pagan worship, represented the Greco-Roman cultural world that surrounded and interpenetrated Jewish Palestine. Jesus's willingness to minister in this region and the spread of his fame among its inhabitants foreshadowed the later Gentile mission of the church.