Hippos (Sussita) (Israel)

City:

Sussita

State, Province, Region, or District:

Northern District, Golan Heights Region

Country:

Israel

Overview

Sussita National Park preserves magnificent remains of the ancient city of Hippos (in Greek) or Sussita (in Aramaic), both names meaning “horse”. The ancient city developed in the Hellenistic period (beginning in the 300s BC), reached its zenith in the Roman–Byzantine periods, and continued to exist after the Muslim conquest, until it was destroyed by a major earthquake in 749 AD. After that, the site was abandoned and never resettled.

While Kursi is the traditional place linked to the miracle of the swine, Sussita (Hippos) has also been offered as a candidate. Given their close proximity, it is possible that the story is linked to both cities. In Kursi, Jesus could have cast the demons into a herd of pigs causing them to run down a steep bank into the sea (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39), then swineherds (people who tend pigs) could have gone to Sussita (Hippos) to tell of the fate of their pigs. And it would have been the residents of this city who begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood (Matthew 8:34).

Archaeologists have uncovered a main colonnaded street, Roman fortifications, public baths, and temples from both the Hellenistic and Roman periods. More recently, a Roman basilica and the remains of at least seven different churches built during the Byzantine period have been uncovered. This confirms that by the 4th century AD, the majority of residents in the city were probably Christian. A bishop from there is recorded as attending the Church councils of Nicea and Constantinople in the 4th century AD.

Alternate Names

Sussita - The name of the city often relates to the horse-shaped hill on which it was built.

Geography & Location

Hippos (Ancient Greek: Ἵππος, lit. 'Horse') or Sussita (Aramaic, Hebrew: סוסיתא) is an ancient city and archaeological site located on a hill 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) east of the Sea of Galilee, on the plateau of a diamond-shaped (or horse-shaped) mountain (altitude of 472 feet (70 meters), or 1,148 feet (350 meters) above the Sea of Galilee).

Biblical, Historical, & Archaeological Background Information

The ancient city of Hippos, also known as Sussita, was one of the central Hellenistic and Roman/Byzantine cities of the Golan Heights region in the northern part of Israel. It is located on a diamond (or horse) shaped mountain which rises 1,148 feet (350 meters) above the Sea of Galilee.

Architecture

Sussita was an ancient Hellenistic and Roman city in the Decapolis, featuring a well-planned Greco-Roman layout with a main street (Decumanus Maximus), a forum, a small theater (Odeon), and a public bathhouse. Significant architectural elements include basalt building materials, a monumental eastern gate, and a unique series of funerary podia.

Biblical & Historical References

Spiritual Lessons and Application

Sussita holds a notable place in biblical history as the site is traditionally associated with the account in which Jesus healed a man possessed by demons. According to the Gospels (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39), Jesus cast the demons out of the man and into a herd of pigs. The pigs then rushed down a steep bank into the sea and drowned. After his deliverance, the man pleaded to join Jesus and His followers; however, Jesus instructed him instead to return to his home and share his story with his family and friends. The region where this man became an evangelist is known in the Bible as the Decapolis, a collection of ten cities in which Sussita was included.