Gadara, Gadarenes
Gadara, Gadarenes
GADARA, GADARENES.In the Authorized Version in Mar 5:1 and Luk 8:26 Jesus is said to have come into the country of the Gadarenes. In the Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 this is corrected to Gerasenes. On the other hand, the Authorized Version in Mat 8:28 has country of the Gergesenes, while the Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 has Gadarenes. These are the only passagesall referring to the cure of the demoniac and the destruction of the herd of swinewhere Gadara is mentioned in Scripture. How the reading crept in, or, if original, what exactly it meant, we may not be able to explain satisfactorily, but one thing is certain,the miracle cannot have taken place at the city of Gadara, the modern Umm Keis. For that town stands on a high plateau on the further side of the wide and extremely steep gorge of the Hieromax river, and is about a 3 hours ride distant from the Lake. As Thomson says (LB [Note: The Land and the Book.] ii. p. 354), If the miracle was performed at Gadara, then the swine must have run down the mountain for an hour, forded the deep Jarmuk (Hieromax), ascended its northern bank, and raced across the level plain several miles before they could reach (the nearest margin of the lakea feat which no herd of swine would be likely to achieve even though they were possessed. In short, no one who has seen the position of Gadara would ever dream of locating the miracle there. See Gerasenes.
J. Soutar.