the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi. Identification with Kursi Byzantine Christian monks venerated a site situated a few kilometres north of Hippos on the lake shore, as the location of the miracle. It is the only place fitting Matthew's description, since it contains the only "steep bank" in the area descending all the way to the shore of the lake. The site became apparently known since at least the Early Muslim period as Kursya, the Aramaic word for "chair", and later as Kursi, a word with the same meaning in Arabic, The monks built a walled monastic complex there and made it a destination for Christian pilgrims. That monastery was destroyed by Sassanid Persian armies in 614 CE, partially rebuilt, and finally levelled by the 749 Galilee earthquake. The remains of the monastery can be visited in the Kursi National Park. Christian artifacts from Kursi can be viewed at the Golan Archaeological Museum. References Hebrew Bible regions New Testament places Geography of Jordan Sea of Galilee