Though the city is itself not mentioned in the Bible, most scholars believe that it is to be identified a the main city "in the region of Gerasenes" (or Gadarenes or Gergesenes, all variation are found in the ancient manuscrits) where Jesus delivered a man possessed by a legion of demons, which begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs, which then drowned in the sea (Matt 8:28-34; Mk 5:1-20; Lk 8:26-39). Since Jews did not raise pigs, the region was probably non-Jewish in its occupation.
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The location of the city was lost until Israel, having conquered the Golan Heights during tthe Six Day War, began to build a road through the region. The chance discovery of the remains of a Byzantine church on the site brought the city back into existence and the planned road was re-routed.
Remains of the Byzantine church in Kursi
The location is today called Kursi, and the site a national park (Kursi National Park).
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