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DECAPOLIS

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 910 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DECAPOLIS , a See also:

league of ten cities (Um rbXets) with their surrounding See also:district, situated with one exception on the eastern See also:side of the upper See also:Jordan and the See also:Sea of See also:Tiberias. Being essentially a See also:confederation of cities it is impossible precisely to See also:fix Decapolis as a region with definite boundaries. The names of the See also:original ten cities are given by See also:Pliny; these are as follows: See also:Damascus, See also:Philadelphia, Raphana, Scythopolis (=Beth-Shan, now Beisan, See also:west of Jordan), See also:Gadara, Hippos, See also:Dion, See also:Pella, See also:Gerasa and Kanatha. Of these Damascus alone retains its importance. Scythopolis (as represented by the See also:village of Beisan) is still inhabited; the ruins of Pella, Gerasa and Kanatha survive, but the other sites are unknown or disputed. Scythopolis, being in command of the communications with the sea and the See also:Greek cities on the See also:coast, was the most important member of the league. The league subsequently received additions and some of the original ten dropped out. In See also:Ptolemy's enumeration Raphana has no See also:place, and nine, such as Kapitolias, Edrei, Bosra, &c., are added. The purpose of the league was no doubt mutual See also:defence against' the marauding Bedouin tribes that surrounded them. These were hardly if at all checked by the Semitic kinglings to whom the See also:Romans delegated the See also:government of eastern See also:Palestine. It was probably soon after See also:Pompey's See also:campaign in 64-63 B.C. that the Decapolis league took shape. The cities comprising'ft were See also:united by the See also:main roans on which they See also:lay, their respective See also:spheres of See also:influence touching, if not overla,pping, one another.

A See also:

constant communication was maintained with the Mediterranean ports and with See also:Greece, and there was a vigorous municipal See also:life which found expression in literature, in athletic contests, and in a thriving See also:commerce, thus carrying a.truly Hellenic influence into Perea and See also:Galilee. From See also:Josephus we learn that the cities were severally subject to the See also:governor of See also:Syria and taxed for imperial purposes; some of them afterwards came under See also:Herod's See also:jurisdiction, but reserved the substantial rights granted them by Pompey. The best See also:account is in G. A. See also:Smith's See also:Historical See also:Geography of the See also:Holy See also:Land, See also:chap. See also:xxviii. (R. A. S.

End of Article: DECAPOLIS

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DECASTYLE (Gr. &Ka, ten, and uriXos, column)

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