Jerash ancient Gerasa Decapolis city 02

When Alexander the Great took the Greek lifestyle across the Middle East, he planted ten Greek-styled city/states near the Sea of Galilee. Gerasa, known as Jerash today, was one of the largest of these cities. When Jesus and his disciples went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, they came to the “region of the Gerasenes.” There Jesus encountered a demon-possessed man and large herd of unfortunate pigs. This man is sometimes called the “Gerasene,” “Gadarene,” or the “Girgesene demoniac.” All are references to nearby communities, including Gadara, which was closer to the lake than Gerasa. Gergesa was near the shore of the lake, but far smaller than Gerasa or Gadara. Jesus visited the Decapolis (Mark 7:31), so it’s possible he walked these streets. If not, he certainly saw other cities that featured the same kind of architecture and Hellenistic lifestyles.