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Mark says that, "Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis." (Mark 7:31, NIV)

The modern translation has been jimmied to fix the geography. Try the Greek or the Vulgate versions.

Here's the Vulgate:

et iterum exiens de finibus Tyri venit per Sidonem ad mare Galilaeae inter medios fines Decapoleos

...which I translate as "and again, leaving from the territory of Tyre he came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee through the territory of the Decapolis."

There is no justification for the NIV translation. The territory of the Decapolis is accusative case, indicating motion, not arrival. The Sea of Galilee is ablative; that's where they ended up. Remember Latin is an inflected language; word order denotes stress, not meaning.

The Greek leads you to the same conclusion. Biblical scholars agree.

Nothing has been jimmied.

Good grief...your worse than one of those creationist caricatures that evos contrive. You know...the one that sees the boogey-man in all things "science".

Translate the greek word "orion" from Mark 7:31. Some say "region"; others "district"; and/or etc. Many greek scholars say that it is best translated "on the border" (as the word orion has its origin in the word oros, which means mountain, a frequent boundary or border of an area).

In any case, the region, the district, or the border could all mean the same thing and be by the Sea of Galilee.

One thing is certain, no matter how you translate "orion", you can't prove that Mark's statement is inaccurate geographically.

Hmm. Every English Bible, aside from the NIV, seems to agree with you too. It's often been asserted that the NIV has an inerrantist bias. This appears to be an illustration. From here:

Stephens 1550 Textus Receptus
kai palin exelqwn ek twn oriwn turou kai sidwnos hlqen pros thn qalassan thV galilaiaV ana meson twn oriwn dekapolewV
Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus
kai palin exelqwn ek twn oriwn turou kai sidwnos hlqen pros thn qalassan thV galilaiaV ana meson twn oriwn dekapolewV

Byzantine Majority
kai palin exelqwn ek twn oriwn turou kai sidwnos hlqen pros thn qalassan thV galilaiaV ana meson twn oriwn dekapolewV

Alexandrian
kai palin exelqwn ek twn oriwn turou hlqen dia sidwnos eis thn qalassan thV galilaiaV ana meson twn oriwn dekapolewV

Hort and Westcott
kai palin exelqwn ek twn oriwn turou hlqen dia sidwnoV eiV thn qalassan thV galilaiaV ana meson twn oriwn dekapolewV

Latin Vulgate
7:31 et iterum exiens de finibus Tyri venit per Sidonem ad mare Galilaeae inter medios fines Decapoleos

King James Version
7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

American Standard Version
7:31 And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

Bible in Basic English
7:31 And again he went out from Tyre, and came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the country of Decapolis.

Darby's English Translation
7:31 And again having left the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

Douay Rheims
7:32 And they bring to him one deaf and dumb; and they besought him that he would lay his hand upon him.

Noah Webster Bible
7:31 And again, departing from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

Weymouth New Testament
7:31 Returning from the neighbourhood of Tyre, He came by way of Sidon to the Lake of Galilee, passing through the district of the Ten Towns.

World English Bible
7:31 Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

Young's Literal Translation
7:31 And again, having gone forth from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis,