DECAP'OLIS (Lat., from Gk. Am/T.:Air, De kapolis, ten cities). A geographical term used in Josephus, the New Testament (Matt. iv. 25; Mark v. 20; vii. 31) , and other ancient writings to designate certain districts in and near Pales tine, situated mainly east of the Jordan. The Decapohis was a confederacy or league, originally of ten cities, though the number was not constant, apparently having been increased in the second century. The details of the history of the con federation are somewhat obscure. Its outlines can be recovered, however, with a good degree of certainty.
When Alexander the Great conquered the East (n.c. 331), the ancient Semitic world was at once opened to the inthuenees of Greek civiliza tion. Many of Alexander's veterans either set tled in cities already founded, or established new ones for themselves. Palestine. outside of Judea proper, was not exempt from this movement. and soon here and there throughout the ancient Hebrew territory numerous Greek cities came into existence. These cities, all constituted after the sallle general idea of the Greek polls, were centres of Greek culture. During the Macealican War of Independenee (me. 167-141), waged by the .Yews against the Greek-Syrian Kingdom, their sympathies were with Syria. Consequently, with the triumph of the .Te•s, and especially during the reigns of the Asmomran princes, John Ilyreanus (B.C. and Alexander .1a1111;PIIS (n.c. 104-7S), they suffered great hardship. in many cases being deprived of their independenee. In n.C. 63, when Pompey took charge of affairs in Syria and Palestine in the name of Rome, he freed them from the Jewish yoke. Tt was prob ably at this time that ten of these cities formed the league known as the Decapohis. The charter members seem to have been Seythopolis (the only one west of the Jordan), Dium, fella, Ga dara, Hippos. Gerasa, Philadelphia, Damascus, Ilaphana, and Kanatha. Such is the list given by our earliest authority, Pliny the Elder (Mist. Nat. v. 15), in the first century. The geograph er Ptolemy. in the second century, omits Rapha na, but adds nine other names, making eighteen in all belonging to the league in his time. The purpose of the confederation was in part to se cure better protection against enemies, such as the Jews and the Arabian tribes, who were nat urally hostile to Roman and Greek influences. Another equally powerful motive was the desire to obtain better trade advantages. The members of the league were all situated on trade routes. Each one of these cities covered with its jurisdic tion a large adjacent district. Vet the Deeapolis was not one solid territory, but between the dis tricts belonging to the respective cities were large tracts governed by the various tetrarchies or other forms of government permitted by Rome to exist under her general supervision. The most
compact part of the Decapolis lay just south and east of the Sea of Galilee. Here the regions of Scythopolis, west of the Jordan and on the main line of communication with the East--Jordan territory; of Hippos, east of the Sea of Galilee; and of Gadara, south of Hippos, on the 'Hero max, the ancient Yarnmk, were contingent, each possessing a section of the shore of the lake. This was the Decapolitan region referred to in the Gospels as the scene, for a brief time, of Jesus's ministry and into which His fame spread. South of Gadara, bordering on the Jordan Val ley, were Pella and Dium, both probably founded by Alexander's veterans. East of these were the districts belonging to Abila on the Yarmuk; a late addition, Gerasa, farther south and very extensive: and Philadelphia (the ancient Rab bath-Ammon of the Old Testament), the most southern member of the league. To the north east were the cities Kanata, Kanatha (the an cient Kenath of Num. xxxii. 42), now called Kanawat. both on the western slope of the Hanran Hills, and Damascus. Other members, sueh ns Edrei and Bosra• though old cities, were late additions, and carried the influence of the league eastward, south of the llauran.
From the organization of the league until the third century—a period of nearly three hundred years—the Deeapolitan country was exceedingly prosperous. When Trajan organized the Prov ince of Arabia (n.c. 106) the security of the re gion was assured, commerce expanded, literature and art flourished, and in all conditions this was one of the most-favored regions of the Empire. Of the cities making up the league, some were of more than ordinary size and hnportanee. The ruins of Gerasa (the modern Je•ash) are very extensive; the amphitheatre of Philadelphia had a seating capacity of more than seven thousand Gerasa had a nauniarhin. Greater than any of these. in Josephus's day, was Seythopolis, the Beth-shean (modern Beisan), west of the Jordan, famous for its linen manufactures. The confederation seems to have dissolved gradually. Some of the cities became incorporated with the Provinee of Arabia ; others maintained their independent. position until the break-up of the Roman Empire.
Consult: Sehtirer, History of the Jewish Peo plc in the Times of Jesus Christ (New York, 1SS5) ; G. A. Smith, The Historical Geography of the Holy Land (New York, 1896).