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!

Where Jesus sent the demons into the pigs

When I saw Kursi National Park on Google Maps while I was in the Galilee, I thought it just had some cool ruins of an old church. I didn't think it was a Biblical site.

And to be fair, these ruins really are cool, mostly because I love arches. And some of the original floors from this church from the 5th century. 

I mean, who doesn't love original floors?

But what I didn't realize until I started exploring is that this national park is in the Gerasenes, where, in Mark 5:1-20, Jesus healed the demoniac and sent the demons into the herd of pigs, who then ran over the cliff. 

The freed man then went into the area of the Decapolis to tell of what Jesus had done). I checked googlemaps, and Beit She'an is actually pretty far from there...almost 40 minutes driving. But Mark's account speaks of the local people being angry and afraid, telling Jesus to leave the area, and Jesus telling the man to go far away. So maybe he went to the city of the Decapolis that is at the foot of Beit She'an. It's also likely he went to Susita (Hippos), which was also one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis. That is closer to Kursi National Park, and I hope to go there soon).

Either way, this is the traditional location of that cliff! 

As I've said before, the Sea of Galilee has shrunk a lot over the years. Right now it's about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide at its widest point. There's actually a trail that goes up from the left to just before the actual cliff face, and the remains of an old chapel are there as well.

The cliff from directly below it:

The location of the water makes it reasonable to think that it could have touched the edge of this mountain, as the Sea of Galilee has shrunk a lot since the first century.

So fun!!!

Beit She'an

The ancient Roman ruins at the foot of the hill is Decapolis, a city mentioned several times in the New Testament. When Jesus sent the demons from the possessed man into the pigs, the man then went to Decapolis and told people what Jesus had done (Mark 5:20), and also where Jesus healed a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31).

The mountain beyond it contains the ruins of a Philistine settlement, Beit She'an. When the Israelites lost the battle with them on Mount Gilead (not pictured), King Saul fell on his sword (and his sons also died; 1 Samuel 31). The Philistines decapitated Saul's body, and then took his head, body, and his sons' bodies back to their city to hang them over the walls (on the mountain).

While we walked through the ruins, I kept eyeing the mountain, wanting to climb the steps to the top (right side). Finally the 2 teens on our trip asked the tour guide if they could, and I took off after them - in a skirt and flip flops. The view from the top was totally worth it!  #israel #apictureadayofIsrael #legday

ancient Roman public toilet