Archaeologists believe they have identified Bethsaida, a lost city significant to Jesus Christ's ministry, after a decade of excavations at the El-Araj site along the Sea of Galilee. Steven Notley, academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project, stated he is "100%" certain of the discovery.
The El-Araj Excavation Project, led by Mordechai Aviam, began digging at the site in 2016. Bethsaida, located near Capernaum where Jesus conducted much of his ministry, was the home of apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip. The Gospels describe Bethsaida as the setting for several of Jesus' miracles, including the healing of a blind man, and state that Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 occurred on its outskirts.
Over the past ten years, researchers have uncovered extensive evidence of an ancient Jewish fishing settlement and a Roman-era city. This year's excavation revealed additional Roman-period remains and pottery. The team has also recovered over 200 coins, which are being studied to help date the settlement. An unexpected wildfire last year aided researchers by clearing underbrush, allowing for an extended survey that indicated the settlement spanned at least 15 acres.
Excavations at El-Araj have yielded evidence of both a Jewish fishing village and its later transformation into a small Roman city, two key indicators researchers expected to find when searching for Bethsaida. Findings include thousands of lead fishing weights, stone vessels associated with Jewish settlements, and the remains of a Roman bathhouse. "The two things that we should be finding if we're excavating that sort of coincide with that identification are a Jewish fishing village which, again, we've found ample evidence of that and evidence of a polis of urbanization," Notley explained.
Further discoveries include Jewish stone vessels, a Roman bathhouse, and a Byzantine basilica containing an inscription linked to the Apostle Peter. The inscription references "the Chief of the Apostles and the Keeper of the Keys of Heaven," a title associated with Peter. Roman-period homes were found beneath the church, which Notley noted was traditionally believed to be built over the home of Peter and Andrew. While absolute certainty about it being Peter's specific home is not possible archaeologically, Notley described it as "about as good as you can get."
Notley emphasized that the identification of El-Araj as Bethsaida is not based on a single discovery but on the accumulation of evidence gathered over years of excavation. "Since 2016, we have not uncovered a single thing that would challenge or question the identification of the site as Bethsaida," Notley said. "Instead, everything we find each season, the evidence gets stronger and stronger and strong."
Bethsaida's connection to Jesus and his disciples makes the find particularly significant, as at least a quarter of Jesus' disciples originated from the city. "So it's an important site in his life, in his ministry," Notley added. Researchers anticipate more discoveries as excavations continue.