Bethsaida (“House of Fisherman” in Aramaic) is one of the most important sites in the New Testament. According to John 1:44, 12:20, Bethsaida was the birthplace of three of Jesus’s apostles (Peter, Andrew, and Philip). Mark describes how Jesus healed a blind man within reach of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26), and how Jesus walked on water near Bethsaida (Mark 6:45-52). Luke indicates that the miracle of multiplying bread and fish to feed the multitudes also took place on the way to Bethsaida (Luke 9:10-11).

However, at some point, Jesus cursed Bethsaida, along with the nearby Chorazin and Capernaum, and prophesied their destruction (Matthew 11:20-24). Jesus’s curse apparently had far-reaching consequences, as from the Middle Ages until the 19th century, the locations of all three sites were unknown to scholarship.

Identifying Bethsaida at et-Tell

In 1808, German physician and orientalist Ulrich Jasper Seetzen was the first Western researcher to suggest identifying Bethsaida with e-Tell, a 400-meter-long hill about 2 km north of the Sea of Galilee. In 1838, the distinguished American researcher Edward Robinson repeated this suggestion. However, in 1880, German researcher and engineer Gottlieb Schumacher surveyed the site, and failing to find any remains from Roman times, he rejected this proposal. He also noted the problem of identifying a site whose Aramaic name means “House of the Fisherman” at such a distance from the Sea of Galilee.

But nearly a hundred years later, after the Six-Day War in 1967, a survey was conducted at the site and abundant pottery from several periods was documented. It turns out that when the Syrians controlled the area, they fortified the tell and created trenches. In 1986, Israeli archaeologist Rami Arav surveyed the vicinity of e-Tell, and failed to find any antiquities around the tell. Being so, he gave a lecture suggesting the site of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes took place in the uninhabited area around e-Tell. And since according to Luke the event took place in a desolate place near Bethsaida (9:10), Arav proposed that e-Tell is Bethsaida.

A Haaretz reporter who attended the lecture produced an article from this presentation, and when the Jerusalem Post published an English version of the article, it received significant public interest (one reader wrote that it was the most important article he had read since the moon landing…). When Arav realized the great Christian interest in this topic, he decided to excavate e-Tell to prove his claim.

Arav’s Excavations at e-Tell

Dr. Rami Arav at Bethsaida, 2014

Arav conducted his first excavation at e-Tell in 1987, and since 1991, he is excavating at the site in collaboration with several U.S. universities, primarily the university of Nebraska at Omaha. His discoveries from the Old Testament period are most impressive. His expedition uncovered a large, fortified city from the 10th century BCE, including a palace and a cultic complex dedicated to a Canaanite deity near the gate. Arav suggests that this is the ancient city of Tzer (Joshua 19:35) which was the capital of the Kingdom of Geshur. This is also possibly the city to which Absalom fled from his father, David, after killing his half-brother, Absalom (2 Samuel 13:37-38). This biblical city existed for about 200 years and was destroyed during the Assyrian conquest of northern Israel in 734 BCE.

On the other hand, findings from the Classical periods are sparse, consisting mainly of several courtyard houses from the Hellenistic period. One was identified as the “Fisherman’s House” due to the large quantity of fishing equipment found there. Another house was labeled as the “Vintner’s House” as it contained a cellar for wine jars. However, no evidence was found of urban settlement in the early Roman period, or of an elaborate burial complex for Philip son of Herod, as mentioned by Josephus (Antiquities 18.4.6).

We also know from the writings of Wilibald, a Bavarian bishop from the early 8th century, that he visited Bethsaida and stayed in a church dedicated to Peter and Andrew. However, Arav’s expedition found no remains from the Byzantine period at the site, not to mention a church or a hostel.

Nevertheless, for many years e-Tell was labeled and marketed as ancient Bethsaida and received visits from many pilgrim groups. Moreover, in 2000, Pope John Paul II was flown over the tell while the excavation team waved to him from the ground. Later they also gave him a copy of an ancient bronze key discovered at the site. The key was chosen as it resonated with Peter, a native of Bethsaida, who was given by Jesus “the keys to the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19).”

Identifying of Bethsaida at el-Araj

As mentioned above, already in 1880 German researcher Gottlieb Schumacher rejected the identification of Bethsaida at e-Tell, partly because the site, whose name means “House of the Fisherman” in Aramaic, is far from the Sea of Galilee. Instead, he proposed to identify Bethsaida at el-Araj, a site he surveyed along the shore of the Sea and found some antiquities.

Nearly a century later, in 1985 the Benedictine researcher Bargil Pixner repeated this suggestion. He then conducted a survey at el-Araj with Mendel Nun, where they found column capitals and mosaic fragments. Thirty years later, archaeologists Motti Aviam and Steven Notley decided to conduct proper archaeological excavations at the site, and clarify if the site indeed bears finds from the Roman-Byzantine periods.

The Begining of the excavations in el-Araj, 2017

The excavations, which began in 2016, revealed in the very first season finds from both Byzantine and Roman times. Moreover, in the 2018 season, the expedition uncovered a Byzantine-period church, along with a bathhouse and rooms that likely served as a hostel (xenodochium). This aligns perfectly with the writings of Willibald, who describes a commemorative church and that he spent the night there.  The excavations also identified clear evidence of presence at the site in the first century CE, the time of Jesus and his apostles.

An Inscription Proving the Church’s Dedication to Peter

As if all this wasn’t enough, in the fifth season of excavations at el-Araj, the expedition uncovered three Greek inscriptions in the mosaic floor of the church. One, which was preserved in its entirety, is particularly important. It’s set in 11 lines within a circular frame, 1.2 in diameter.

The inscription blesses ‘Constantine, servant of Christ’ for establishing the church’s diakonikon (=service area), and mentions prayers for him and his sons, Georgios and Theophanes. The crucial part is the reference to the church as built for ‘the chief of the apostles’ (κορυφὴ τῶν ἀποστόλων) and ‘the keeper of the keys to heaven’ (τῶν οὐρανίων κλειδοῦχος). This expression uses the same words with which Jesus appointed Peter as the keeper of the keys to the kingdom of heaven (κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν) (Matthew 16:19).

The dedication of the Church’s diakonikon to Peter fully matches Willibald’s description. In fact, it’s likely there was another inscription dedicated to Andrew since according to Willibald the church was dedicated to both of them (see also the reading of the second inscription).

It’s important to note that also stratigraphically, the excavations showed that the church at el-Araj existed from the Byzantine period (5th century CE) until the 8th century CE, the time of Willibald.

In conclusion, it seems that the inscription provides a final confirmation that el-‘Araj is ancient Bethsaida: The site was inhabited in the first century, during the Byzantine period a church dedicated to Peter was built above it, and the church existed until Willibald’s time. The findings fully correspond with the historical sources.

I hope that continued excavations will reveal more of ancient Bethsaida. I would especially be happy to see the day when el-Araj’s excavators locate the tomb of Tetrarch Philip, who according to Josephus was buried in Bethsaida.

Visiting el-Araj Site

As of 2024, the site is not yet developed for visitors, and access during certain seasons is almost impossible due to high water levels in the Sea of Galilee (I personally almost sank my car once on my way there). So contact us to arrange a visit to the site, although this might involve walking through some muddy sections.