What version of the bible do you read from. I read the KJV.  Mathew 8:30 has  2 demons chaseing a heard of swine into the sea.   Mark 5 has meny demons chased out after 2000 swine into the sea whereas Luke claims it was meny demons chased with a heard of pigs and their handlers into the lake.

     Of course none of these versions makes the least bit of sense.  It's a PR scam at best, "Christianity will protect you from demons!";  while at the same time placating established Judaisim  "We also get rid of the unclean swine!"

May I put this garbled story into some perspective? Herod the Great was given charge of the area south of Damascus to bring back under control after some years of brigandry centered there, so Herod prosecuted his task with his usual zeal to please Augustus. The inhabitants of Gadara felt hardly abused by Herod and made charges against him to Augustus who was then in Syria.

They accused Herod of injuries, and plunderings, and overthrowing of temples. But he stood unconcerned, and was ready to make his defense. However, Caesar gave him his right hand, and remitted nothing of his kindness to him, upon this disturbance by the multitude; and indeed these things were alleged the first day, but the hearing proceeded no further; for as the Gadarenes saw the inclination of Caesar and of his assessors, and expected, as they had reason to do, that they should be delivered up to the king, some of them, out of a dread of the torments they might undergo, cut their own throats in the night time, and some of them threw themselves down precipices, and others of them cast themselves into the river, and destroyed themselves of their own accord. AJ 15.357-8 (15.10.3)

spin