GADARA, a celebrated City beyond Jordan. Josephus says, it was the capital of Peræa, situated eastward of the lake of Tiberias, sixty furlongs from the shore. Pliny affirms it to be situated upon the river Hieramace. It gave its name to a canton beyond Jordan. Pompey repaired Gadara in consideration of Demetrius his freed-man, who was a native of this city. Gabinius settled there one of the five Courts of Justice erected by him in Judæa. Polybius says, Antiochus the Great laid siege to Gadara, which was thought to be one of the strongest places in the country, and that it was surrendered to him upon composition. Epiphanius speaks of the hot baths of Gadara. We find many old medals of this city, and some of its ancient bishops in the subscriptions of Councils.
Mark v. 1.St. Mark says, that our Saviour having passed the sea of Tiberias, came into the canton of the Gadarenes, &c. St. Luke says the same, chap. viii. 26. in the Greek. St. Matthew, chap. viii. 28. calls it the country of the Gergasenes1: but some of the Greek copies read likewise Gaderenes. OrigenOrigen. Comment. in Joan. thinks, we should read Gergasenes. See M. Mill’s various readings, and our Comment on St. Matthew, ch. viii. 28.
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Footnotes
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Translators’ note. Gergasa was near Gadara, and the territory belonging to it larger than that of this last city: and as the lands belonging to the one were included within the other, some of the Evangelists might say the country of the Gergasenes, others the country of the Gadarenes. ↩