Biblical Relevance

The New Testament contains three references to the region of the Decapolis. These citations are the earliest references to this region in ancient literature. Two of these references are in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 5:20; 7:31). In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus travels eastward across the Sea of Galilee into the land of the Gerasenes, where He encounters a man living among the tombs who is possessed with an unclean spirit (Mark 5:2). While the exact referent of “land of the Gerasenes” is contested, it probably refers to Gerasa, a city associated with the Decapolis. However, various Greek manuscripts identify the city as Gerasa, Gadara, or Gergesa. After exorcising the man of his unclean spirit, Jesus commissions him. Mark 5:20 records that the man goes into the Decapolis proclaiming what Jesus has done for him. The second reference is in Mark 7:31–37, where the author mentions the region in connection with other Gentile locales in which Jesus had been traveling: Tyre and Sidon. While in the Decapolis (Mark 7:31), Jesus encounters and heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment.

The third New Testament reference to the Decapolis is in Matt 4:25. Here Matthew illustrates how Jesus’ increased fame, due to His healings and exorcisms, was drawing people from Galilee, Jerusalem, Judaea, from beyond the Jordan, and the Decapolis. The regions “beyond the Jordan” and “the Decapolis” are almost synonymous and could overlap geographically. Matthew’s reference to the Decapolis contributes to his emphasis on Gentiles being drawn to Jesus from the great distances. Matthew foreshadows this theme earlier in the Gospel by describing the Magi’s arriving from the East to worship the baby Jesus (Matt 2:1–12).

In addition to these references to the Decapolis specifically, the Gospel writers mention specific Decapolis cities. They treat the Decapolis as a general region mainly characterized by a Gentile population and therefore a place of questionable purity. The individuals Jesus encounters in this region are typically ill or demon possessed. While Jesus’ ministry only rarely focuses on the Decapolis, His travels to and compassionate acts within this region demonstrate the inclusion of Gentiles.