What does Mark 5:1 mean?

Jesus and the disciples have escaped the crowd on the western side of the Sea of Galilee and arrived on the eastern shore. The area in general is known as Decapolis—meaning "ten cities"—although throughout history the precise names and numbers of the cities have varied. The exact location of this event varies by account. Matthew 8:28 says "the country of the Gadarenes." Mark and Luke 8:26 both say "Gerasenes." The King James Version uses "Gergesenes" in Matthew and "Gadarenes" in Mark and Luke. Gergesa was a small town by the eastern shore of the sea; Gergesenes was its country and Gerasa was the capital. Gergesa was similar to a state or district to the larger country of Gadarenes (with the capital Gadara). At the time of Christ, the Jews, whom Matthew wrote to, were more familiar with the country of Gadarenes, while the Romans, whom Mark and Luke wrote to, knew the city of Gerasa. This is somewhat similar to how modern people sometimes refer the same city or region using different names, per local custom.

Since Gerasa was about thirty miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples probably landed near Gergesa, closer to the shore. The people mentioned in Mark 5:14 likely lived in this town. Gergesa is probably equal to the modern-day town of Kursi, or "Gersa," in the Golan Heights. There are still tombs in the area where the poorest people lived, and two miles away is a steep slope about 120 feet from the shore where the pigs might have met their death.

We are not told why Jesus came to this area. He may have just been seeking respite from the crowds and a quiet space to teach the disciples (Mark 3:12; 4:10). Or He may have deliberately come to a Gentile country to begin to show His salvation is for people all over the world, not just Jews.