Greek: "Ten Cities"
A region including 10
originally independent Greek city states, all of which lay east
of the Jordan river except for Scythopolis [ancient Beth Shean]. Each
city was the center of its own administrative district. Several
were brought under Judean control by Aristobulus
I & Alexander
Jannai but were never
Judaized. Pompey
restored their nominal autonomy under the protection of the
Roman governor of Syria. Augustus
placed Gadara
& Hippos under Herod.
The synoptic gospels report several trips by Jesus into this
largely non-Jewish region, but with imprecise geography. During the Jewish revolt [66-70
CE],
Jewish Christians reportedly migrated to Pella.
For further recent
information about archaeological & historical evidence, see:
Other resources
on line:
-
Decapolis:
the Greco-Roman cities. Jordan tourism's gateway to sites of
Philadelphia (Amman), Pella, Gadara, Abila & Gerasa.
-
Decapolis
- detailed article in the Wikipedia
web.
-
Abila
of the Decapolis. Well illustrated report of excavators
includes map of
the routes linking the ten ancient Greek city states.
-
Gerasa.
French website posts stunning photos of best preserved Roman
provincial city in the world [Histoire
Geographie sur le Web].
-
Gerasa.
More expert shots from a British classicist [Fiona McHardy, U of
Exeter].
-
Jerash.
Virtual tour from the exquisitely designed website of a
Jordanian who calls himself Balgawi.
-
Hippos
Excavation Project. Israeli excavation team reports on
current digs at Greek city in the Golan east of the Sea of Galilee.
-
Pella.
Australian archaeologists' pictorial record celebrating 20 years
of excavations.
-
Philadelphia.
Fiona McHardy's vivid photos of Amman's few remaining ruins from
Roman times [U of Exeter].
-
Scythopolis
(Bet Shean). Robert
Hutchins' stunning photos of only site in the Decapolis west of the
Jordan.
|
Perspective on the
World of Jesus 