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Bible Dictionaries
Gadarenes
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Gadarenes (găd'a-renez'), country of. Possibly the same as that of the Gergesenes, R. V. "Gerasenes;" Matthew 8:28 R. V., but Gergesenes in A. V. Mark 5:1; Gadarenes, A. V., and so in Luke 8:26, but Gerasenes in R. V. in both passages. A region about Gadara, an important city about 6 miles south-east of the Sea of Galilee, and 16 miles from Tiberias; now called Um Keis. The town is about 1215 feet above the sea-level, on the western crest of a mountain. The tomb-caverns are very numerous, and some of them are still inhabited by the Arabs, illustrating Matthew 8:28. The place of the miracle of Matthew 8:28-33 has been in doubt, but it cannot be Gadara, which is too far from the lake for the herd of swine to rush into it precipitantly in one short run. Recent explorations fix it, with some certainty, about midway of the Lake of Galilee, on its eastern side and near Gerasa, or modern Kersa. Between two wadys, Semakh and Fik, which are 3 miles apart, the hills come within 40 feet of the lake, and present a steep slope, so that a herd of swine running swiftly down it would be carried on into the water. There are various readings of the name in the original text of the Gospels. The reading of Matthew 8:28 was probably "Gadarenes" (as in the R. V.), which Origen changed to "Gergesenes." In Mark 5:1 the readings are "Gerasenes" or "Gadarenes;" in Luke 8:26, "Gerasenes," "Gergesenes," or "Gadarenes." The explanation is, Gadara, a chief city, is named, as better known than Gerasa or Khersa.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Gadarenes'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/g/gadarenes.html. 1893.
