Hippos took my breath away

After Jesus sent the demons into the pigs in the Galilee in Mark 5, He told the formerly demon-possessed man to go far away instead of going home. This is because the people who lived nearby were afraid and angry. Mark says that the man went to the Decapolis, which I assumed was Beit She'an. When I went to Kursi National Park and saw the cliff, I was confused because Beit She'an is more than 30 minutes away by car. That's a long way to walk!

But, the Decapolis was a series of 10 cities under Roman control in Jordan, Syria, and Israel. And not too far from the cliff are the ruins of Hippos, another one of the Decapolis. 

So, when I learned this, and that it wasn't yet a national park, I had to go!

First of all, the drive there is AMAZING!!!!! The Galilee is beautiful, and has turned so green from the winter rains! It was a clear day, and before the wind came through, the lake was like glass. So as we started driving up to what will be Susita National Park, the views took my breath away.

Can you see the reflection of Tiberias in the water?

Hippos, which means "horse" in Greek, was founded by the Seleucids in the inter-Testamental period.It was given to Herod the Great in 27 BC and then returned to Syria in 4 BC. In 135 AD, when the Romans put down the Jewish revolt and renamed the land of Israel as Syria-Palestina, Hippos enjoyed great prosperity. There was a theater, an aqueduct that brought water from the Golan Heights, and later, a basilica.

Around 4th Century AD, the Byzantines came to Hippos and at least 1 bishop was seated there. Three hundred years later, Muslim armies captured it in their conquest but allowed the citizens to still practice Christianity. 

In 749 AD, an earthquake destroyed it and the city was abandoned.

Like I said, this is on its way to being a national park, but it isn't yet. So there wasn't information for what I saw when I walked through... but it was fascinating even without that! And it just means I'll need to go back when the national park is opened. If you're in the Galilee, it's worth seeing, even before it becomes an official park. Put Hippos, Susita National Park, on your map!