Kursi in the Golan Heights
is an archaeological site
containing the ruins of a Byzantine monastery
and identified as the site
of Jesus' Miracle of the Swine.
The site is now a National Park.
Kursi lay unknown for many centuries until pieces
of Byzantine pottery were noticed
in the trail of a bulldozer constructing
a new road to the Golan Heights in 1970.
They also found an ancient fishing
harbor with a breakwater.
This is the largest known Byzantine
monastery complex in Israel,
it has been partially reconstructed.
Kursi was an important place of
Christian pilgrimage
from the 5th century,
when the lakeside towns of
Capernaum, Bethsaida and Chorazin
all three condemned by Jesus for their lack of faith —
had fallen into decline.
Different Gospel manuscripts offer conflicting names
for the area in which the miracle took place —
the country of the Gadarenes,
Gerasenes, or Gergesenes.
What is certain is that the location
was in gentile territory.
Because Jewish dietary laws forbid
the eating of pork,
no Jew would have been raising pigs.
The Baptistry in the church.
An ancient olive press gives a clue
what the monastery sold
to establish commerce and trade.
The floor of the church was paved with mosaics
depicting animal and plant life: Roosters, geese,
doves, cormorants, fish, grapes, figs, pomegranates, watermelon and bananas.
When the monastery was abandoned in the early 8th century
after being damaged by fire and earthquake,
and invaded by Persians and Muslims —
it was used by local Arabs to live in and house their animals.
At that time all of the animal mosaics
were obliterated to comply with
the Islamic prohibition against
human or animal representations.
The view on the East side
of the Sea of Galilee.
Near the waterfront is now covered farming.
The landscape on the the land side -
East side of the Sea of Galilee.
Three Gospels tell the story: Jesus steps out
of a boat after crossing the lake
and is confronted by a man possessed by demons.
When Jesus orders the demons to leave the man,
they beg to be allowed to enter
a herd of swine grazing nearby.
Jesus agrees, and the swine — numbering about 2000 —
rush down a bank into the water and are drowned.
(Luke 8:26-39; Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34)
The dismayed swineherds run off to spread the news.
They are in big trouble for loosing the whole livelihood.
The local people ask Jesus to leave their neighborhood.
The healed man begs to go with Jesus —
but Jesus tells him to go home
and tell his friends what has happened.
“And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
(probably nearby Hippos or Sausita)
how much Jesus had done for him;
and everyone was amazed” (Mark 5:20).
So this gentile man becomes the first person
commissioned by Jesus to spread
the Good News to non-Jews.
The hills were lush and green
on our visit here.
Various caves can be seen in the area
that connect with the Biblical story.
Kursi is about 4 miles
North from Ein Gev on Route 92.
