Gadara (Umm Qeis)
   Ruins of Gadara dominate a hill eight kilometers (5 miles) southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Remains point to a Hellenistic town of elegance, including a university, which produced poets such as Meleager. In evidence are three theaters, a temple, a Roman bathhouse, paved streets, a series of vaulted shops, portions of a hippodrome, Roman tombs, and a Christian basilica. Coinage indicates the people worshiped Zeus, Heracles, Athena, and Tyche. The most striking structure and the first to greet visitors to the site is a large octagonal paved basilica. Inscriptions in lintels and sarcophagi give further evidence of Christian presence. This was evidently the home of the Gadarene demoniac whom Jesus healed, and the ruins of Gadara figure prominently in our collection of data contributing to our knowledge of communities of the first century A.D. Gadara is the city of the Decapolis closest to Abila with significant ruins. From the theater made with basalt building materials, the row of shops with vaulted ceilings, and the basilica come features which have a striking resemblance in many instances to the materials uncovered at Abila.