Tourist Photo Post: Gaddara

The Theater at Gadara: Students from the Program
Pose Helpfully at the Top

Yesterday we visited the ancient city of Gadara, which was founded after the death of Alexander the Great as a frontier station in 323 BCE; gader is Semitic word meaning "boundary." Over the centuries it was occupied by the Seleucids and the Jewish Hasmoneans, until the Romans took the city in 63 BCE. It is thought to have been one of the Roman Decapolis, a region in the northwestern Arabian peninsula that included cities such as Gadara (now Umm Qais), Philadelphia (now Amman), and Damascus.

The Romans oversaw the building of large public works including roads, public baths and aqueducts, a theater, and a market. By the fourth century CE, Gadara was conquered by Muslim armies, who built a church out of the market. However, a series of earthquakes damaged much of the city's infrastructure in the seventh century, and the city faded from the history books until the late 19th century, when a small village grew, using the stones from the ruins to build houses around what had become known as Umm Qais. This village was occupied until 1986, when the inhabitants accepted payment from the Jordanian government to leave the village so the ruins could be excavated.

As a side note, the city of Gadara is mentioned in the Bible in Matthew 8:28-32.

This photo shows a view from the top of a ridge at Gadara. It is particularly interesting because in the far distance you can see the mountains of Lebanon; the near mountains and the central triangular section of the valley belong to Syria; on the right side of the photo is Jordan, while on the left is Israel.

View from Gadara 

This photo shows the road through Gadara; in person, you could see the ruts in the road made by passing chariots as they drove through the city.

The Road Through Gadara

As a civil engineer, I'm legally required to be excited about evidence of ancient water works.

Possible Drainage System from the Theater

This photo is interesting because of the slight curve in the drainage channel, which would reduce friction losses in the water flow (as opposed to a 90-degree curve, which would have higher losses).

Approximately a 60-degree Curve in the Drainage Channel

 This photo shows the church at Gadara. It is amazing that the columns are still standing today.

Ruins of the Temple at Gadara

And what visit to an ancient city would be complete without being disrespectful in the finest of American traditions?

From Left to Right: Nate, Maggie, Ahmed, Kenten,
Maggie (standing), Dr. Heidi (sitting), and Joe

The Remains of a Statue of the Godess of Gadara

A Roman Mosaic:
This is Visual Proof that the Nazis Were Imbeciles as Well as Evil

Remains of Carved Slab Showing Greek Writing

 And finally, yes, more waterworks.

An Ancient Well that Still Holds Water