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Archaeologists Identify El-Araj as Biblical Bethsaida
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Identification of Bethsaida at El-Araj
After a decade of excavations along the Sea of Galilee, the El-Araj Excavation Project announced that the site is the lost city of Bethsaida, a fishing settlement mentioned in the Gospels as the hometown of several of Jesus’ disciples. The project's academic director, Steven Notley, said the accumulated material culture matches the two criteria scholars expect for Bethsaida: a Jewish fishing village that later became a small Roman-era polis. He added that no evidence uncovered since 2016 challenges this identification.
Archaeological Evidence
Over 200 coins recovered are being analyzed to refine the settlement’s chronology. The team also documented Jewish stone vessels and Roman-era homes beneath the basilica. Notley noted that a wildfire in the previous year cleared underbrush, allowing a survey that confirmed the settlement covers at least 15 acres.
Expert Assessment
Notley, who also serves as dean of religious studies at Pillar College in New Jersey, expressed full confidence in the identification, describing the evidence as “stronger and stronger” each season. The findings, he argued, provide a tangible context for several Gospel narratives, including the feeding of the 5,000 and the healing of a blind man, which are traditionally linked to the area’s outskirts.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We actually had a wildfire, which at first we thought was tragic,” — Steven Notley, a biblical scholar and academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project
- “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,” — Steven Notley, a biblical scholar and academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project
- “Since 2016, we have not uncovered a single thing that would challenge or question the identification of the site as Bethsaida,” — Steven Notley, a biblical scholar and academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project
- “Can you be absolutely certain this is Peter's home? No, I can't say that,” — Steven Notley, a biblical scholar and academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project
- “Of course, for Christians, there are a number of stories from the Gospels about Jesus being present in Bethsaida,” — Steven Notley, a biblical scholar and academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project
