Gadara (of Perea)

Gadara was an important Greek city in the Decapolis region. The name "Decapolis" comes from the Greek words deca (which means "ten") and polis (which means "city"). These cities shared Greek culture and language, even though they were under Roman control. Each city managed its own affairs but worked together as a group.

The Gadarenes were the people who lived in and around Gadara. This area appears in the story where Jesus healed a man possessed by evil spirits. In the ancient copies of the Bible that scholars consider most reliable, this location is mentioned only once.