The first references in literature to the Deca)>olis are found in the Gospels. On our Lord's first journey through all Galilee, He was attended by crowds from all parts of Palestine, among whom were persons from Decapolis (Mt 4-*). Most likely these were Jews, who formed a considerable part of the population even in Greek cities. The fierce Gerasene demoniac, whom our Lord healed, pub- lished in the Decapolis what things Jesus had done for him (Mk 5™). The presence of two thousand swine on the eastern .shores of the Lake of Galilee would of itself suggest the presence of a Gentile population in that vicinity. When our Lord re- turned from Tyre and Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, He crossed the upper Jordan and jiassed south through the district governed by the tetrarch Philip to the eastern shore of the Lake. In order to reach the Sea of Galilee, He went ' through the midst of the borders of Decapolis ' (Mk 7"'). Hippos lay just east of the Lake, Gadara a few miles to the south-east, and in full view from the southern end ; Pella and Scythopolis were not far to the .south ; while the other cities of the Decapolis lay to the north-east, east, and south-east of the Lake. Our Lord visited the Jewish population of Per.xa in His later ministry, but He seems never to have made a tour to the great cities of the Decajjolis. His rebuff in connexion with the destruction of tlie herd of swine was rather discouraging (Mk 5").
Two famous writers of the latter part of the 1st cent. A.D. speak of the Decapolis. Pliny not only preserves the names of the ten cities {HN v. 18), but also praises the small olives of the region (IS''). Josephus refers to Decapolis repeatedly. In the 2nd cent. A.D. Ptolemy (v. xv. 2-2) names eighteen towns as belonging to the league of Decapolis. He omits Raphana from Pliny's list, and adds nine, most of the new members of the confederation be- longing to the district just south of Damascus. In his day Hellenic civilization and commerce in the region beyond the Jordan were at their zenith. The modem traveller, wandering over the ruins of temples, theatres, and baths at Gerasa, Phila- delpnia, and Gadara, is impressed with the glories of the Grecian life in Palestine during the period of our Lord's earthly ministry and for some centuries afterwards.
LiTERATFRE.— Schiirer, BJP ii. i. 94 ft. • G. A. Smith, IJdBL 593ft.; G. Holscher, Paliistina in der pers. «. hellm. Xeit; Schumacher, Across the Jordan ; Merrill, Hast of the Jordan.
John K. Sampev.
DECEIX, DECKPTION, GUILE.
2. Pfleiderer in Early Christian Conception of Christ (1905) devotes a chapter to the subject of Christ as the Conqueror of Satan — 'that old ser- pent, called the Devil, which deccivcth the whole world' (Rev 12'). His aim is to find parallels to Christ in various nature myths and heathen re- ligions, and by so doing to explain the Gospel story as only a special embodiment of a universal ten- dency. While rejecting Pfleiderer's theory, we admit that one of the most suggestive aspects under which the life of our Lord may be considered is to regard it as a deadly conflict between the Divine Representative of the Truth, and the instruments and agents of the spirit of deception and guile. Such a conflict was inevitable. The coming of One who had the right to say, ' I am the light of the world,' ' I am the truth ' ; ' every one that is of the truth heareth my voice' (Jn8" 14'''l8""'}, was bound to stir into bitter hostility all the forces of untruth and craft. The antagonism is set forth in universal terms in Jn 3""='. At every stage of the Divine drama we see that those 'who loved darkness rather than light ' — the men of perverted mind and crooked ways— turned from Jesus with aversion and sought His destruction. The whole .significance of the struggle may be said to have been summed up and .symbolized in our Lord's conflict with the Pliarisees. Their hostility to Him began in x, /f'-Jrr.-pfion. Wedded to their own ideus uml siamlaid of character and duty, they resent I '.1 His dacliing. They could not con- ceive the possiliility of a revision of life in the
;ht of a larger and nobler ideal of righte
But the vision of moral beauty must either capti- vate or blind. Before long the Pharisees brought down on themselves the severest denunciations for their moral obtuseness, duplicity, and hj-pocrisy (Mt 23, Jn 8'=-=»). The estrangement was com- plete. To destroy Jesus they now 'plumed up their wills in douole knavery ' (lago). In almost every glimpse we get of them they are moving in a murky atmosphere of craft, intrigue, and hate. They do not hesitate to resort to every artifice and stratagem which unscruijulous cunning could sug- gest. They endeavour, by subtle questions, to entangle Him in His talk (Mt 22'=) ; they attempt to deceive the people as to His true character (Mk 3"-^, Jn 9-^) ; they plot together as to how He may be put to death (Jn IP^) ; they enter into a covenant with Judas to betray Him (Mt 26'^- 1») ; they set up false witnesses, and pervert and mis- represent His teaching (Mt 26«'-«=, Lk 23'). It was by deceit and guile that they obtained Pilate's permission to crucify Him (Jn 19'").