Kursi is the ruins of a Roman-Byzantine Christian monastery and small village is the biblical Gergesa by the christian tradition. Today this place is an Israeli national park located in the Golan Heights. Kursi takes its name from the Talmudic site name. In December 2015 a marble slab with Aramaic inscription was discovered and confirmed the site of the monastery was originally a Jewish village in east side of Sea of Galilee.
“And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.”
(Matthew 8:28–34 KJV)
Kursi National Park
The Christian Tradition mark this site as Gergesa that is described in the New Testament associated with the miracle of the pigs. The site is located close to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee on the southern bank of Nahal Samakh, descending from the Golan Highlands.
The other side. The other side of the sea of Tiberias.
Country of the Gergesenes. Mark 5:1 says, that he came into the country of the Gadarenes. This difference is only apparent. Gadara was a city not far from the lake Gennesareth; one of the ten cities that were called Decapolis. See Note on Matt. 4:25.
Gergesa was a city about twelve miles to the south-east of Gadara, and about twenty miles to the east of the Jordan. There is no contradiction, therefore, in the evangelists. He came into the region in which the two cities were situated, and one mentioned one, and the other another. It shows that the writers had not agreed to impose on the world; for if they had, they would have mentioned the same city; and it shows they were familiar with the country. No man would have written in this manner, but those who were acquainted with the facts.
Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament (Accordance electronic ed. Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2006), n.p.
And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when he had got out of the boat, straight away there came to him from the place of the dead a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He was living in the place of the dead: and no man was able to keep him down, no, not with a chain; 4 Because he had frequently been prisoned in chains and iron bands, and the chains had been parted and the bands broken by him: and no man was strong enough to make him quiet. 5 And all the time, by day and by night, in the place of the dead, and in the mountains, he was crying out and cutting himself with stones.
And when he saw Jesus from far off, he went quickly to him and gave him worship; 7 And crying out with a loud voice he said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name, do not be cruel to me. 8 For Jesus had said to him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit. 9 And Jesus said, What is your name? And he made answer, My name is Legion, because there are a great number of us. 10 And he made strong prayers to him not to send them away out of the country. Mark 5:1-10
On the top hill of Kursi National Park the visitors can view a very nice panoramic view to the ruins of ancient village and to the Sea of Galilee and revive the scenario of this miracle described by three gospel. The are includes regions to picnic, full parking service, fresh water and the Authority of National Parks preserve the place very well.
