Δεκάπολις

Δεκάπολις — Dekápolis

Δεκάπολις, Δεκαπολισεως, ἡ, Decapolis (regiodecapolitana, Pliny, h. n. 5, 16, 17), i. e. a region embracing ten cities. This name is borne by a district of the tribe of Manasseh beyond the Jordan and bordering upon Syria, embracing ten principal cities with smaller towns also scattered in among them. But the ancient geographers vary in their enumeration of these ten cities. Pliny, the passage cited reckons Damascus among them, which Josephus seems to have excluded, calling Scythopolis μεγίστην τῆς Δεκαπόλεως, b. j. 3, 9, 7. All seem to agree in this, that Gadara, Hippo, Pella and Scythopolis were of the number. Cf. Winers RWB under the word Decapolis; Vaihinger in Herzog 3:325f; Riehm, HWB, 266f; (BB. DD., under the word): Mat 4:25; Mar 5:20; Mar 7:31.