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What was the Decapolis
The word Decapolis means ‘ten-city’. It was a loose confederation of ten Hellenistic cities, each with a high level of independence. The name also referred to the surrounding area which was mostly east of the River Jordan to the south and east of the Sea of Galilee.
The origin of the Decapolis is unclear. Around the third century BC, during the rule of the Seleucids, Greek Hellenists moved into the area where they became the dominant power and rebuilt some existing cites, and built some new ones.
Following the Maccabean revolt, there was increasing hostility between the Jews and the Greeks living on their eastern border. Alexander Janneus, who was the leader of the Hasmoneans (103 - 76 BC) conquered several of the cities in the Decapolis, including Hippos, Scythoplis and Pella.
Led by Pompey, the Roman armies occupied Judah and the Decapolis in 64 BC. He retook the three cities conquered by the Jews and attached them to the province of Syria.
Characteristics
These were Greco-Roman cities which were thriving centres of trade because they were situated on the three roads which connected Damascus with southern Arabia. During Roman rule, they were subject to the Roman legate in Syria, but each had autonomy within their surrounding areas.
They were probably established to form a barrier against marauders from the Arab and Syrian deserts to the east, as well as a protection against Jewish aggression from the west. They also served as a Roman ring of security around the Jewish homeland.
The ten towns
The sites of the ten towns are mostly in the modern nations of northern Jordan and southern Syria, with one in Israel.
The first list of the ten towns was recorded by Pliny in his Natural History,
“Adjoining Judaea on the side of Syria is the region of Decapolis, so called from the number of its towns, though not all writers keep to the same towns in the list; most however include Damascus, with its fertile water-meadows that drain the river Chrysorrhoa, Philadelphia, Raphana (all these three withdrawn towards Arabia), Scythopolis (formerly Nysa, after Father Liber's nurse, whom he buried there) where a colony of Scythians are settled; Gadara, past which flows the river Hieromices; Hippos mentioned already, Dion, Pella rich with its waters, Garasa, Canatha. Between and around these cities run tetrarchies, each of them equal to a kingdom, and they are incorporated into kingdoms - Trachonitis, Panias (in which is Caesarea with the spring mentioned above), Abila, Arca, Ampeloessa and Gabe.” (Pliny Natural History V.16).
These are the towns he included.
1. Damascus
Damascus is now the capital of the modern nation of Syria. It was the northernmost of the ten cities.
2. Philadelphia
In OT times it was known as Rabbah, and is now Amman the modern capital of Jordan.
3. Raphana
The exact location of Raphana is uncertain.
4. Scythopolis
This is now the modern town of Bet She'an in Israel, about 40 km (25 miles) south of the Sea of Galilee. It was the only town west of the Jordan River and was the capital of the league.
5. Gadara
This is the modern town of Umm Qais in Jordan. It was known for its hot springs and tombs.
6. Hippos
This is the modern town of Susita in Israel. This lies on the slopes overlooking the southern end of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
7. Dion
Dion was near the Yarmuk river, east of the Sea of Galilee, probably in the modern nation of Jordan.
8. Pella
This is the modern town of Tabaqat Fahl in Jordan, about 11 km (7 miles) south-east of Scythopolis. It became a place of refuge for early Christians during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, as recorded by Eusebius,
"But before the war, the people of the Church of Jerusalem were bidden in an oracle given by revelation to men worthy of it to depart from the city and to dwell in a city of Perea called Pella. To it those who believed in Christ migrated from Jerusalem. Once the holy men (Christians) had completely left the Jews and all Judea, the justice of God at last overtook them, since they had committed such transgressions against Christ and his apostles. Divine justice completely blotted out that impious generation from among men" (Ecclesiastical History III.v.3).
9.Gerasa
This is the modern town of Jerash in Jordan. It is famous for its exceptionally preserved Roman ruins.
10. Canatha
This is the modern town of Qanawat in Syria. It was near the edge of the Syrian desert.
As Pliny noted, other ancient writers gave slightly different lists. Ptolemy, for example, included up to eighteen cities.
Other historians
Other than Pliny, the Decapolis was mentioned by Josephus who notes that the people of Tiberias made war with the Decapolis (Life 65 [341]), and the chief men of the Decapolis making a clamour against Justus of Tiberias because he set their villages on fire (Life 74 [410]). He also recorded that Tiberias sent is son Titus to bring his army to Scythopolis, which was the largest city of the Decapolis (War 3.9.7).
New Testament
The Decapolis is mentioned three times during the ministry of Jesus. Matthew records that great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan (Mt 4:25). It was in the country of the Gerasenes, in the Decapolis that Jesus met Legion who was possessed by many demons (Mk 5:1, 20). Jesus cast out the demons into about 2000 pigs (Mk 5:13). This was a Gentile area, which would explain the presence of the unclean pigs. Jesus later returned from the region of Tyre and Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis (Mk 7:31), where he healed a deaf man.
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