He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha,” which means, ‘be opened.’ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” These biblical references and stories of Jesus Christ further enhance the importance of the Decapolis cities. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.” The verse continues by explaining that, “after he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. According to Mark 7:31-37, it states the following, “Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. In this specific area, Jesus discovered the tremendous need for healing with stories of Jesus performing miracles on those who were ill. Specifically, the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Mark reference the location with verses discussing that it was not only one where Jesus performed his ministry but also where Jesus healed and helped those who were sick. Referenced in multiple verses in the holy Bible, the Decapolis League was an extremely significant religious region filled with stories and experiences of Jesus Christ. While the cities continued to strongly exist and grow for many years, earthquakes and invasions eventually led to the destruction of most of the League. With the support of Rome, the unique characteristics of the cities helped the League flourish, strengthen, and become an immensely important region in the world. The cities of the Decapolis League also embodied mutual security and protection and their distinctive location in the region was beneficial for trade purposes and travel routes. The League was mostly formed due to the cities’ common language, culture, and location however, each city operated as an independent, free-state with its territory consisting of various villages and settlements. These cities included, Philadelphia (modern day Amman), Gerasa (Jerash), Pella (Tabaqat Fahl), Scythopolis (Beisan), Gadara (Umm Qais), Damascus, Hippos (Qal'at al-Husn in the Golan Heights), Canatha (Kanawat in southern Syria), Dium, and Raphana. Decapolis translates to deka for “ten” and polis for “cities” in the Greek language. While this league was established thousands of years ago, some of its cities in the Jordanian kingdom remain accessible and maintained for visitors from across the globe to visit and explore, obtaining a unique opportunity to learn about the religious references and ancient characteristics of these places.Įstablished in 64-63 BC, the Decapolis was a league of 10 known ancient cities in the Levant region of the Middle East with most of them situated across different parts of Jordan. Many of the Decapolis cities were located in present day Jordan. The historic Decapolis League consisted of Greco-Roman cities in the Middle East that were renowned for their trade routes, impressive archeology, biblical stories, and successful civilizations.
0 kommentar(er)
