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The
modern town of Umm Qais is the site of the ancient Greco-Roman
town of Gadara, one of the cities of the Decapolis and,
according to the Bible, the place where Jesus cast out the devil
from two men into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8: 28-34). Rising 518
meters above sea level with views of Lake Tiberias and the Golan
Heights, there is no better vantage point in northern Jordan
than Umm Qais.
Gadara was renowned for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, attracting
an array of writers, artists, philosophers and poets. It also
served as a resort for Romans vacationing in the nearby al-Hemma
hot springs. Like Pella, its sister Decapolis city, Gadara was
blessed with fertile soil, abundant water, and a location
astride a number of key trading routes connecting Asia and
Europe.
The city was probably founded by the Greeks during the fourth
century BC. Gadara was overrun by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus
III in 218 BC. When the Romans under Pompey conquered the East
and formed the Decapolis, the fortunes of Gadara, taken in 63
BC, improved rapidly and building was undertaken on a large
scale. During the early part of Roman
rule, the Nabateans (with their capital at Petra) controlled the
trade routes as far north as Damascus. Aiming to put an end to
this competition, Mark Antony sent King Herod the Great to
weaken the Nabateans, who finally gave up their northern
interests in 31 BC. In appreciation for his efforts, Rome
rewarded Herod with Gadara. The city remained under Herod’s rule
until his death, and then reverted to semi-autonomy as part of
the Roman province of Syria.
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The Byzantine era witnessed the decline of
Gadara into relative obscurity. Earthquakes destroyed many
buildings, and by the dawn of the Islamic era Gadara had
become just another village. The town became known by the
Arabic Umm Qais during the Middle Ages.
Today, a considerable portion of the original
Roman amphitheater has survived. The seats face west, and
are brought to life at sunset. Covered passageways stand in
the back, and until recently, a six-foot headless white
marble goddess sat at the foot of one of the amphitheater’s
internal staircases. The statue—thought to be of Tyche, the
patron goddess of Gadara—can now be seen in Umm Qais’
archeological museum. The museum, which also houses a
Byzantine mosaic frieze and a marble sarcophagus, is open
from 08:00-17:00 in summer, and in winter from 08:00-16:00,
every day except Tuesday. No charge is required.
Next to the theater is a colonnaded street
that was once probably the town’s commercial center.
Also near the black basalt theater are the columns of the
great Basilica of Gadara. Further west along the colonnaded
street are a mausoleum and public baths. After a few hundred
meters you can barely make out the remains of what once was
a hippodrome
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