Jerash (?????? ???); is the site of the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa; also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River. Jerash is considered one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East. It was a city of the Decapolis.

Recent excavations show that Jerash was already inhabited during the Bronze Age (3200 BC - 1200 BC). After the Roman conquest in 63 BC; Jerash and the land surrounding it were annexed by the Roman province of Syria; and later joined the Decapolis cities.

In AD 90; Jerash was absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia; which included the city of Philadelphia (modern day Amman). The Romans ensured security and peace in this area; which enabled its people to devote their efforts and time to economic development and encouraged civic building activity.

In the second half of the first century AD; the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In AD 106; the Emperor Trajan constructed roads throughout the provinces and more trade came to Jerash. The Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in AD 129-130. The triumphal arch (or Arch of Hadrian) was built to celebrate his visit. A remarkable Latin inscription records a religious dedication set up by members of the imperial mounted bodyguard 'wintering' there.

The city finally reached a size of about 800;000 square meters within its walls. The Persian invasion in AD 614 caused the rapid decline of Jerash. However; the city continued to flourish during the Umayyad Period; as shown by recent excavations. In AD 749; a major earthquake destroyed much of Jerash and its surroundings. During the period of the Crusades; some of the monuments were converted to fortresses; including the Temple of Artemis. Small settlements continued in Jerash during the Ayyubid; Mameluk and Ottoman periods. Excavation and restoration of Jerash has been almost continuous since the 1920s.