Decapolis 

Except for Scythopolis, Damascus, and Canatha, the Decapolis cities were by and large founded during the Hellenistic period, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and the Roman conquest in 63 BCE. The Decapolis was a region where two cultures intersected: the culture of the Greek colonists and the indigenous Jewish and Aramean cultures.

The Roman general Pompey conquered the eastern Mediterranean in 63 BCE. The people of the Hellenized cities welcomed Pompey as a liberator from the Jewish Hasmonean Kingdom that had ruled much of the area. When Pompey reorganized the region, he awarded a group of these cities autonomy under Roman protection; this was the origin of the Decapolis.

Jerash (Gerasa) and Bet She'an (Scythopolis) are still active towns today, despite periods of abandonment or serious decline. Damascus never lost its prominent role throughout history. Philadelphia was long abandoned but was revived in the 19th century and has become the capital city of Jordan under the name Amman. Twentieth-century archaeologists identified most of the other cities, and most have undergone or are undergoing considerable excavation.

The Decapolis cities were situated to the east of Jesus’ home in Nazareth. When Jesus was just a lad, he and his father Joseph would climb a nearby hilltop to enjoy a panoramic view of the cities. On a clear day, the sun would reflect off the marble walls of the cities’ amphitheaters and temples.

In May of 5 CE, when Jesus was eleven years old, his father took him on a business trip to Scythopolis, the chief Greek city of the Decapolis. At this time the annual competitive games between the cities of the Decapolis were in progress at the Scythopolis amphitheater. Jesus was thrilled with the games and entered into the spirit of the demonstrations of physical development and athletic skill. Joseph was shocked by his son’s enthusiasm over these exhibitions of "heathen" vaingloriousness. After the games were finished, Joseph received the surprise of his life when he heard Jesus express his approval of them and suggest that it would be good for the young men of Nazareth to engage in such competitions. Joseph tried to explain the evil nature of these games but knew Jesus was unconvinced.

Jesus never saw his father angry with him until that evening in their inn room when Jesus proposed that they return home and build an amphitheater in Nazareth. He was startled by his father’s intense anger, and he never mentioned the idea again.

During September of 27 CE, Jesus and his apostles camped alone on the slopes of Mount Gilboa near the border between the Decapolis and Samaria. This month was a time of training and rehearsing for Jesus’ final tours in Galilee and Judea. At the beginning of October, John the Baptist’s twelve disciples came to the camp for the remainder of the month to work out their differences with Jesus’ apostles. The camp broke up on November 2nd and all twenty-four men spent November and December preaching and teaching in the cities of the Decapolis.

The Decapolis was a gentile (non-Jewish) region, and many swine herders raised their animals there. In March, 29 CE, Jesus and his apostles rowed to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee for a few days rest near the little village of Kheresa on the western edge of the Decapolis region. On the way to a campsite, they passed by a cemetery where a man rushed up to them. This demented man, Amos, was well-known in this part of the Decapolis and had been chained in a grotto after one of his spells of lunacy. He subsequently broke loose and roamed the cemetery possessed in madness.

There were periods when Amos was sane and lucid. During one of these periods, he traveled to Bethsaida and listened to the teachings of Jesus. He was so impressed that he became a believer. But then he descended into madness once again and returned to the cemetery where he moaned, cried out, and terrorized all who chanced to meet him.

When he saw Jesus approaching, Amos fell at his feet and declared he was possessed by demons. Jesus said to him: "Amos, you are not possessed of a devil; you have already heard the good news that you are a son of God. I command you to come out of this spell." After Jesus spoke, there occurred such a transformation in his intellect that he was immediately restored to his right mind and the normal control of his emotions. Some from the nearby village saw this and were astonished; they ran to tell others.

In the commotion, one of the pig herders left his herd unattended and a pack of dogs charged the pigs driving thirty of them to their death at the bottom of a nearby cliff. Jesus knew the truth about this incident, but the miracle-minded people insisted Amos’ demons went into the pigs and sent them over the cliff. Amos himself believed the story and this contributed to the permanency of his cure.

A legend was born that day about Jesus casting demons out of Amos and into a herd of thirty suicidal pigs. Afterward, Amos begged Jesus to allow him to join his group. But Jesus denied his request saying: "Forget not that you are a son of God. Return to your own people and show them what great things God has done for you." Amos never suffered another bout with madness and went to every city in the Decapolis, declaring what great things Jesus did for him.

On August 18, 29 CE, at Magadan Park, Jesus met with his followers to begin a tour of the Decapolis region. He divided them into twelve groups and sent them to Gerasa, Gamala, Hippos, Zaphon, Gadara, Abila, Edrei, Philadelphia, Heshbon, Dium, Scythopolis, and other cities.

Throughout this tour, no miracles of healing or other extraordinary events occurred. During this final visit to the Decapolis region, hundreds of souls were received into the kingdom and the apostles and evangelists gained valuable experience in carrying on their work without the inspiration of the immediate personal presence of Jesus.

This tour lasted four weeks and ended on Friday, September 16, 29 CE. The inhabitants of Decapolis benefited greatly from Jesus’ tours and teachings in their domain. The region provided Jesus and his apostles a safe haven when the authorities in the Jewish regions began seeking his arrest and death. After this last tour of the Decapolis region, Jesus boldly returned to teaching in Galilee and Judea. On April 7, 30 CE, in Jerusalem, he paid with his life.