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A Far Country Decapolis
The Decapolis is mentioned by name only three times in the New Testament. In addition to these three instances, on at least two other occasions, Jesus visited specific locations in the largely pagan league of cities to the east of the Sea of Galil...
Fertility Cults of Canaan
Fertility Cults of CanaanOnly recently have scholars begun to unravel the complex religious rituals of Israel's Canaanite neighbors. Much of our knowledge of the origins and character of these fertility cults remains tentative and widely debated. ...
An Overview of the Sea
This photograph is taken from the hills north of the Sea of Galilee, looking south. The sea is nearly 13 miles long and more than seven miles wide. The area in the foreground is the northwestern corner of the sea, where most of Jesus' miracles wer...
Decapolis Area
Decapolis means "10 cities." Though the number of cities changed from time to time, the Decapolis was a group of independent city-states that were thoroughly pagan and Hellenistic. Veterans of Alexander the Great's army founded several o...
Modern-day Fishing
Modern-day FishingToday fishermen catch the same fish and use the same nets as the disciples did. The Sea of Galilee is near the hills of today's Golan Heights and the Decapolis of Jesus' day. The cool wind blowing off the hills sinks rapidly onto...
Neighboring Areas
Israel's neighbors were powerful leaders in the ancient world: Egypt to the south, Greece and Rome to the west, and the nations of Bablyon, Assyria, and Persia to the east.Israel stood as a natural land bridge between them, and millions of foreign...
People around the Sea
People Around the Sea Galilee was heavily populated in the first century, especially around the sea. The remains of the area indicate that several villages and towns had populations of more than 5,000 people. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Jes...
Sea of Galilee Geography
Sea of Galilee GeographyAlthough it has many names, most New Testament readers recognize "the Sea of Galilee" as its common designation. It is also called the Sea of Kinnereth (Num. 34:11; Josh. 12:3), the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), ...
Susita
This photograph is taken from Mount Arbel on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee near Tiberias. The hilltop where Susita (Hippos) was located is clearly visible on the eastern shore. Towering over the Sea of Galilee, Susita is connected to the...
The Jordan Valley from Belvoir
Belvoir is located on the western side of the Jordan Valley. It is in a group of hills knows as the Issachar Plateau just north of Beth Shean. This photograph is of the Jordan Valley looking northeast. Down in the valley, the channel where the Jor...
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Decapolis Definition
Ten Hellenistic cities established at the time of Alexander the Great east of the Sea of Galilee and north of Perea. Later, the Roman emperor Pompey organized the cities into a league named the Decapolis, largely populated by Roman army troops. In...
Scythopolis (Beth Sean) Definition
One of the oldest Decapolis cities. Originally, Beth Shean, renamed Scythopolis, or "City of Scythians," following Alexander the Great's conquest. Reputation for abundant water and fertile land. Located on the road Galileans walked in th...
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