Bethsaida
About Bethsaida
Bethsaida was the hometown of the apostles Philip, Andrew, and Peter (John 1:44) as well as the place where Jesus cured a blind man (Mark 8:22-25). It was the place to which Jesus withdrew on hearing of John the Baptist’s death (Luke 9:10) and the place where Jesus said “Woe to you, Bethsaida! ” (Matthew 11:21). Bethsaida is also mentioned in the well-known Bible story of Jesus walking on water (Mark 6:45-52).
History
Philip, the son of Herod the Great raised the fishing village of Bethsaida to the status of a city and named it Bethsaida Julias, in honour of Livia-Julia, the wife of the Emperor Augustus. The city contained both Gentile and Jewish populations.
Archaeological Finds
Excavations have uncovered a Roman period stone paved street, a house belonging to a fisherman and a wine maker. The fisherman’s house was a single storey structure with a large courtyard, rooms, and a kitchen. The wine maker’s house was a 2-storeyed structure with a large courtyard, rooms, and a wine cellar.
Interesting Facts
- Bethsaida means “house of hunting/fishing” in Hebrew. It is referred to as e-Tell which means “the mound” by archaeologists.
- There might have been two towns called Bethsaida: et-Tell on the east of the Jordan River, and el-Araj on the north-eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
- Herod Philip was reported buried in Bethsaida.
