And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. [Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles read here and in the corresponding passage of Luke (Luke 8:26) "Gerasenes" - Geraseenoon (G1085a) - on ancient, but not, as we think sufficient authority to displace the received reading. In Matthew (Matthew 8:28) the received reading, "Gergesenes" would seem the true one, and not "Gerasenes" with Lachmann, not "Gadarenes" with Tischendorf and Tregelles. While the manuscript evidence for it is satisfactory, some recent geographical discoveries seem to favour it. Gadara perhaps denoted the general locality. Josephus (Ant. 17: 11, 4) speaks of it as the chief city of Perea, and a Greek city. It or its suburbs lay on the southern shore of the lake on the east side. Possibly the reading "Gergesenes," which seems a corrupted form of "Gadarenes," originated in that tract of country being still called after the "Girgashites" of ancient Canaan.]