Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj
Two rival sites for the fishing village of Peter, Andrew and Philip
Found 1987 — et-Tell: Rami Arav and Richard Freund (Bethsaida Excavations Project, 1987–); el-Araj: Mordechai Aviam (Kinneret College) and R. Steven Notley (Nyack College), 2016–
Where Northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee, near the Jordan inlet (Bethsaida Valley Nature Reserve) (Israel (Golan side))
Dates from 1st century BCE–1st century CE (village); 5th–6th century (church) · Early Roman to Byzantine · Galilean ministry of Yeshua
Now at In place at both sites; el-Araj finds with the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology
How Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj was found
Arav's team excavated et-Tell, 2 km from the lake, finding an Iron Age gate and Roman-period houses with fishing gear. Aviam and Notley opened el-Araj on the lakeshore in 2016, finding a Roman-period bathhouse and, in 2019, a Byzantine basilica that a 2022 mosaic inscription links to 'the chief and commander of the heavenly apostles' — Peter — matching the 'Church of the Apostles' seen by the pilgrim Willibald in 725 CE.
What it is
et-Tell is a large mound with a fortified Iron Age city (perhaps Geshur) and a modest Roman village. el-Araj is a low lakeside site with 1st-century Jewish pottery, a Roman bathhouse (suggesting Philip's city of Julias), and a large 5th-century church with mosaics over earlier remains.
Why it matters for the Bible
Bethsaida was home to three apostles and the scene of a blind man's healing and the feeding of the five thousand nearby. Josephus says Philip the tetrarch raised it to a city called Julias. The debate over which site is Bethsaida is unresolved: et-Tell has the longer excavation history, while el-Araj has the lakeside location, urban-style bath and the Byzantine memorial church that pilgrims described as standing over Peter and Andrew's house.
The Hebrew word: TSA-yid
צַיִד
צַיִד is pronounced TSA-yid and means hunting, catch (of fish or game) — root of 'Bethsaida' (Strong's H6718).
People this discovery connects to
- Peter — שִׁמְעוֹן כֵּיפָא (Shim-ON Kei-FA) — Simon 'rock'
- Philip — פִילִיפּוֹס (Fee-LEE-pos) — Greek Philippos, 'lover of horses' (G5376)
Places
- Bethsaida — בֵּית צַיְדָא (Beit TSAI-da) — house of fishing / hunting
Events
Healing of the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8) · Woe on Bethsaida (Matthew 11) · Feeding of the five thousand near Bethsaida (Luke 9)
Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj in Scripture
Matthew 11:21 First mention of Bethsaida in Scripture.
Mark 8:22-23 The blind man healed at Bethsaida.
John 1:44 'Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter' — the village these digs are seeking.
Questions people ask
What is Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj?
et-Tell is a large mound with a fortified Iron Age city (perhaps Geshur) and a modest Roman village. el-Araj is a low lakeside site with 1st-century Jewish pottery, a Roman bathhouse (suggesting Philip's city of Julias), and a large 5th-century church with mosaics over earlier remains.
When was Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj discovered?
It was found in 1987 by et-Tell: Rami Arav and Richard Freund (Bethsaida Excavations Project, 1987–); el-Araj: Mordechai Aviam (Kinneret College) and R. Steven Notley (Nyack College), 2016–, at Northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee, near the Jordan inlet (Bethsaida Valley Nature Reserve).
Where is Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj today?
In place at both sites; el-Araj finds with the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology.
Which Bible verses does Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj relate to?
Matthew 11:21, Mark 8:22-23, John 1:44.
Is Bethsaida: et-Tell and el-Araj authentic?
Both sites are genuine Roman-period settlements. Which one is biblical Bethsaida is actively disputed; the el-Araj church and 2022 Peter inscription have shifted many scholars toward it, but et-Tell's excavators disagree.
Related discoveries
- כְּפַרCapernaum Synagogue and 'Peter's House'The white limestone synagogue over a 1st-century basalt one, and the house-church venerated as Peter's
- מָשִׁיחַCave Church of St Peter, AntiochThe grotto where tradition says the first 'Christians' met
- לֹדLod (Lydda) MosaicA stunning Roman floor found under a street in the town where Peter healed Aeneas
- בֵּית הָאֲסוּרִיםMamertine Prison (Carcer Tullianum), RomeThe Forum dungeon where tradition holds Peter and Paul were held before death
- סְפִינָהAncient Galilee Boat ('Jesus Boat')A 1st-century fishing boat preserved in the mud of the Sea of Galilee
- כֵּיפָאTomb of Peter beneath St Peter's BasilicaA 2nd-century shrine over a simple grave, with the graffito 'Petros eni'
Sources
- Notley & Aviam, 'Searching for Bethsaida: The Case for El-Araj', BAR 46:2 (2020); Arav, 'Searching for Bethsaida: The Case for Et-Tell', BAR 46:2 (2020)
- Wikipedia: Bethsaida