BETHSAIDA

View along Jordan River Valley from near Karkom - April 2005 -- SCROLL RIGHT ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>

A view of the ruins from near Karkom - April 2005

According to John 1:44, the disciples Philip, Andrew, and Peter were from Bethsaida.

The first century historian Josephus wrote about Bethsaida also:

"When Philip also had built Paneas, a city at the fountains of Jordan, he named it Caesarea. He also advanced the village Bethsaida, situate at the lake of Gennesareth, unto the dignity of a city, both by the number of inhabitants it contained, and its other grandeur, and called it by the name of Julias, the same name with Caesar's daughter."  Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, Book 18, Chapter 1

The ancient ruins of Bethsaida circled in yellow in the upper photo - to right.  This ruin seems to be the ruins of Bethsaida-Julia, after much publication indicating this location as probable.  A spring flowing into a tributary of the river Jordan flowed out of the side of the hill. 

More likely than Bethsaida being only the town on the mound, it was a region around the town as far as the region of the next large town.  There was probably a fish market in Bethsaida and fishermen living there might have carried their catch back to the city after spending time catching them. 

Archaeological soundings of El Araj (theorized by some to be the site of Bethsaida), indicated it was a Byzantine era city¹.  The shoreline was further inland during Roman times.  The Jordan River near its mouth was carrying a heavy load of silt and clay that dropped out of the river into the lake.  During winter floods the river was higher and transporting more sediment loosened by cultivation of fields and overgrazing of hills by livestock. 

  Jordan River delta - aerial photo (LOC collection listed as 1910-1946 probably 1930's series)

Israel Photos IV -- Bethsaida

More on Bethsaida at: http://dqhall.com/israelphotos/bethsaida.htm

JULY 2006 BETHSAIDA PANORAMA PHOTO PAGE

Google list of results for keywords: Bethsaida excavation

¹ BETHSAIDA A CITY BY THE NORTH SHORE OF THE SEA OF GALILEE Volume One edited by Rami Arav and Richard A. Freund, copyright 1995

Parable of the Mustard Seed
     A Mustard Field Along Highway 87-North Shore of Galilee
     Mustard Seeds in the Palm of a Hand
     A Branching Mustard Plant Near the Jordan River/Bethsaida
     Mustard Field March 1999
     Mustard Flowers
     Chukar Partridges
Upper Most Seats of the Synagogue
The Fig Tree
     Mt of Olives Fig Tree April 12-13, 2005
     Fig and Pomegranate trees below Siloam in Jerusalem
     Israel Photos II fig tree page
     Sycomore Fig Tree
The Good Shepherd
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
     Goat Herder
Camels
Eye of the Needle
Ritual Cleansing
Shechem
     The Olive Harvest of Samaria
     Mt. Ebal
     Olive Tree
Pearl of Great Price
A First Century Synagogue at Gamala
     View from the Vulture Overlook
     Overview of Gamala
     Roman Artillery Replica
A First Century Boat on Display at Kibbutz Ginosaur
     Modern Galilee Fishing Boats
Kursi
     Caves and/or Tombs
     Steep Slope near the Lake
Hippos
Feeding the 5,000
     On the Mountain
     Walking on Water
     Ramot-Zelon area
     Alternate location
Mt. Hermon
The Pool(s) of Bethesda in Jerusalem
     Healing Pools
     Southern Pool
     Crusader Chapel and St. Ann Church
The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem
     Gihon Spring
     Hezekiah's Tunnel
     Overlook of  Siloam
Tower of Siloam
A Watch Tower in a Vineyard/Olive Grove
     Grape Vines at Beth Horan
     Towers
Mt. Precipice
     South Face
     Summit
     Over the edge
     Measuring Line
     View of Nazareth from near Megiddo
Nazareth
     The Basilica of the Annunciation 
Capernaum 
Healing a Paralytic in Capernaum
Bethsaida   
First Century Artifacts from Qumran and Masada
     Qumran -- 1st century pottery
     Masada -- 1st century glassware
     Masada -- 1st century pottery
     Masada -- 1st century stoneware
Waterskins and Wineskins
The Fish and the Coin
A Denarius
Casting out a demon
The Road to Jericho
     Old Roman Road
     Wilderness Above Jericho
     Old Jericho
Western Wall
Gethsemane and the Cave of  Gethsemane
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Rolling Stone Tombs - Jerusalem
     Other Rolling Stone Tombs
Tiberias
Solar Power in Israel
Salt of the earth
Chorazin

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