GADARA, GADARENES The country of the
Gadarenes is mentioned in the Bible only in con- nexion with one incident, viz. the miracle concern- ing the legion of demons who were allowed to enter the herd of swine (Mt 8'-«, Mk 5', Lk 8'-"), and it is improbable that the city on the seashore mentioned in the account of tliat incident can be identified w ith the city of Gadara, which was situ- ated at least 6 miles from the Lak(! of Gennesaret, and separated from it by a broad plain and the gorge of the river Hieromax. It is possible, how- ever, that the eastern side of the lake at the spot where the miracle actually occurred, which can be located with some certainty (see Gerasenes), was situated in the sub-district under the jurisdiction of Gadara. Against this view is the statement of Josephus {BJ IV. vii. 3), that Gadara was the capital of Fera;a, which is not supposed to have extended farther north than (he Hieromax, the territory beyond that bein" Gaulanitis.
It has been suggested (Wordsworth's Com- metitnr;/) that the incident took phice on the boundary-line of the jurisdiction of the cities of Gadara and Gergesa, and that the swine owners of these Greek cities belonged to both [ilaces. Thomson {The Land nnrl the Book, ii. p. 3()) points out that St. Matthew was from this rej^ion and personally knew the liH-alitiis, and that his render- ing of tiergesa is most likely to be correct; while St. Mark and St. I.ukc, being strangers to this
part of the country, may possibly h.ive intended by mentioning the country of the Gadarenes to point out to their distant Greek and Roman readers the general position of the place where the miracle occurred ; Gergesa, or Gerasa, or Chersa, hoNvever pronounced, being small and unknown, while Gadara was a Greek city of imi)ortance, celebrated for its temples, theatres, and warm baths. See further under Gerasene.s.
The city of Gadara has thus no known connexion with biblical history ; it was, however, a fortress of great strength, and took a leading part in the struggles between the Seleucidte and the Ptolemies, and, from the strength of its position and its Hebrew name, it probably existed in early times, and according to the Mishna (Erulihin ix.) was fortilied by Joshua. The name does not appear in historj' until Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, overcame Scopas, the general of the Egyptian king Ptolemy Epiphanes, at Paneas, near the fountain of tlie Jordan (B.C. 198), and recoverel territory previou.sly lost, including Gadara {Ant XII. iii. 3 ; Polyb. v. 71). It was again taken fron the Syrians by Alexander Jauna-us the ll.as- monsean king ot the Jews, who, acting on a league of mutual defence with Cleopatra queen of Egypt, invaded Coele-Syria and the territory adjoining ami took Gadara after a siege of ten months (c. B.C. IdO ; Ant. XIII. xiii. 3; B.f l. iv. 2), and enslaved the inhabitants, and compelled them to receive the law of Moses as proselytes of justice {Ant. XIV. xv. 4). The defeat of Alexander Jannjeus by Obidas king of the Arabians, is related to have occurred at Gadara, a village of Gilead or Golan [Ant. Xlll. xiii. 5 ; BJ I. iv. 4), probablj' not the same as the fortress of Gadara.
Gadara was demolished by the Jews and rebuilt by Ponipey the Great (B.C. 63) to gratify Demetrius of Gadar.a, who was one of his own freedmen, when he established the Roman supremacy in I'lurnicia, Coele-Syria, and Palestine; he left the inliabitants in a state of freedom and joined the city to the
frovince of Syria {Ant. xiv. iv. 4; BJ I. vii. 7). t counted from the era of Ponipey, and became the seat of one of the live councils wliich (Jabinius. proconsul of Syria (B.C. 57-55), instituted for tlie government ot the Jews {Ant. xiv. v. 4; B-l i. viii. 5). Augustus Caesar added Gadara to the kingdom of llerod the Great {Ant. XV. vii. 3). The inhabitants .subsequently accused Herod to Cicsar of maladministration and plunderings, but Caesar would not hear them (Ant. XV. x. 2 and 31 On the de.-ith of Herod (B.C. 4), Gadara was trans- ferred to the province of Syria (Ant. XVII. xi. 4 ; BJ II. vi. 3). On the revolt of the Jews against the Roman dominion, they ravaged the country about Gadara, and the Greek inhabitants rose uji against the Jews and put the boldest of them to death and imprisoned others (BJ II. xviii. 5). (iadara was tal<en by Vespasian, on which occjUiinn the inliabitants pulled down its walls to show that they wished for peace. It appears, however, to have still existed for many centuries as an im- portant city, for bishops of Gadara are mentioned as having been present at the general councils of the Church. The style of the existing ruins inili- cates its having llourished during the time of tlic Antonines, and the coins extant extend over the period from the rebuilding by I'lunipcy to A.l). 'J39. Gadara was a fortress of considerable strength (.■\nt. XIII. iii. 3; BJ IV. vii. 3), situated near the Hieromax (Pliny, UN 16), east of the Sea of (lalilee and over-against Scythopolis and Tiberias (Euseb. Ouinn. s.p.). It was situated on the top <il a hill, at the foot of which, at 3 miles' distance, on the bank of the Hieromax, were warm 8prin;,'s and baths called Ainalha {Onom. s.v. 'Gatinra'; Jtin. Ant. Marti/r.). It had a district attachet'