Jerash

Jerash has been continuously inhabited for the past 4,500 years. Today the ruins of the Roman city can be clearly seen. The agora, the temple to Jupiter, the Cardo Maxima, the temple to Diana, two theaters, and a church building from the Byzantine era were some of the things that we saw there. In Biblical times the city was named Gerasa and was part of the Decapolis.

Biblically, the city is not significant. In the Old Testament it would have been part of the inheritance of Manasseh or Gad. Between the Old Testament and New Testament period it was on the caravan route along the east side of the Jordan river. Greeks settled there after the time of Alexander. After the Romans conquered the area, they began to beautify the city.

There are two reasons to mention the city. Biblically, this may have been the city to which the demoniac of Gedara returned after Jesus cast out the legion of devils. Certainly, the story was heard in Gerasa. You can read the story for yourself in Mark 5:1-20.

Archeologically, it is one of the best preserved Roman ruins from antiquity with two theaters and many columns in good condition. It was an interesting first stop because the high state of preservation gives one the ability to imagine what a city in Roman times would have looked like. Below is a picture of the steps that lead up to Diana's temple. The temple is mostly destroyed. The arch you see in the picture is not part of the temple proper but only an entrance. It gives you an idea of the immensity of the ruins.