Decapolis Region

Jesus, after crossing the lake from north-west to south-east, asks Peter to land near Hippos. Peter obeys without objection and takes the boat down to the mouth of a little river, which is in flood because of the springtime rains and of the recent storm and flows into the lake through one of the wild rocky gorges common to this coastal area. The assistants – there is one in each boat – fasten the boats and are ordered to wait until evening to go back to Capernaum.

«And be as dumb as an ox» suggests Peter. «If they ask you where the Master is, reply without hesitation: “I don’t know”. And if anyone wants to know where He is going to, give the same reply. In any case it is the truth, for you don’t know.»

They part and Jesus begins to ascend a steep path which climbs the almost upright cliff. The apostles follow Him along a very hard path up to the top of the cliff which levels over to a tableland strewn with oak-trees under which there are many pigs pasturing.

• Location - Near Gamala and Ippo (Hippos)
• Places - Ippo
• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)

• Location - Near Gamala and Ippo (Hippos)
• Locations - Bethsaida
• Locations - Guerguesa
• Locations - Tiberias
• Places - Capharnaüm
• Places - Ippo
• Places - Magdala
• Places - Tarichée

«I would prefer the track for caravans to this… garden, if You wish to call it so, and I am in full agreement with Simon» says the Iscariot.

«It was you who did not want the caravan route» replies Jesus.

«Ehi! certainly… But I would not have given in to the Gherghesenes. I would have gone away from there, but I would have continued beyond the river to Gadara, Pella and down to the south» grumbles Bartholomew.

And his great friend Philip concludes: «The roads belong to everybody, after all, and we could have passed through them well.»

«My friends! I am so anguished and disgusted… Do not increase My grief with your pettiness! Let Me seek some comfort in things which do not know how to hate…»

• Locations - Gadara
• Locations - Pella