Gerasa

About Gerasa

Gerasa (or Gadara) is mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels as the region where Jesus performed a notable miracle, healing a man (or two men, according to Matthew) who was possessed by demons. The accounts of this event are found in Mrk.5.1, Luke 8:26-37, and Matthew 8:28-34.

According to the Gospel narratives, after crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and his disciples arrived in the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes). There, they encountered a man (or two men) who was possessed by demons and lived among the tombs. The demon-possessed man was extremely violent and could not be restrained, even with chains.

When Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man, they begged him to send them into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus granted their request, and the demons entered the pigs, causing the herd to rush down a steep bank into the Sea of Galilee and drown. The man (or men) was then found sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind.

The exact location of this event is somewhat uncertain, as there are textual variations in the Gospels regarding the name of the place. Some manuscripts mention the region of the Gerasenes, while others refer to the Gadarenes. Gerasa (modern-day Jerash) was a city located about 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of the Sea of Galilee, while Gadara (modern-day Umm Qais) was a city located about 6 miles (10 kilometers) southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The discrepancy in the location has led to various explanations:

1) The region of the Gerasenes/Gadarenes may have extended to the Sea of Galilee, even though the cities were some distance away. The "country of the Gerasenes/Gadarenes" could refer to a wider area around these cities.

2) There may have been a small town called Gergesa or Gersa near the Sea of Galilee, which was part of the larger region of the Gerasenes or Gadarenes. Some ancient manuscripts mention the "Gergesenes," possibly referring to this town.

3) The gospel writers may have used the names of the larger, more well-known cities to help their readers understand the general location, even if the exact site was closer to the Sea of Galilee.

4) Matthew, writing primarily to a Jewish audience, may have used "Gadarenes" because Gadara was a prominent city in the region, while Mark and Luke, writing to Gentile audiences, used "Gerasenes" as Gerasa was an important Gentile city.

Despite the variations in the place names, the gospel accounts agree that the healing of the demoniac took place on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, in a predominantly Gentile region. The presence of pigs, considered unclean by Jews, further confirms the Gentile character of the area.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.