Archaeologists Think They Have Located The Biblical City of Bethsaida Home Of Philip, Andrew And Peter

Experts believe they have found the lost Roman city of Julias, formerly the village of Bethsaida, which was the home of Jesus’ apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip.

“Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:44,45 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Unlike the fictitious book of Mormon, whose imaginary cities have never appeared in anywhere in real life, nearly all of the ancient cities and locations mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the King James Bible have been found. Until very recently, this city that was the hometown of apostles Philip, Andrew and Peter had remained lost to history. That all changed when a dig by a joint effort between Israeli and American archaeologists uncovered it, right where the trusty, old Bible said it would be. Sorry, Mormons, keep looking for the Nephite capital city Zarahemla, I’m guessing you’ll find it right across from Krypton and Shangri-La.

Last month, archaeologists from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College in Israel and Nyack College in New York completed excavations at el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. El-Araj has long been considered a possible location of ancient Julias, which was also known as Bethsaida.

“The results of this season’s excavation indicate that el-Araj should now be considered a leading candidate for the lost city of Jesus’ Apostles,” explained the excavation team, in a statement emailed to Fox News.

“There are indications that we’re excavating Bethsaida-Julia — we have to continue digging to confirm and clarify,” Steven Notley of Nyack College, the dig’s academic director, told Fox News. “This is really one of the few biblical sites that has remained lost.”

The Roman city of Julias was born out of the Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida during the 1st century AD, according to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. The New Testament describes Bethsaida as the home of Jesus’ apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. Jesus also healed a blind man at Bethsaida, according to Mark 8:22-26, while Luke 9:10-17 describes a nearby location for the feeding of the 5,000 people.

While many experts had previously assumed there was no human presence at el-Araj during the Roman period, this summer’s excavations have shed new light on the site. A previously unearthed Byzantine structure, for example, offered plenty of clues to the archaeologists. More than 30 coins found beneath the structure’s floor dated its construction to the 5th century AD.

Below the Byzantine-era level, however, Roman-era pottery dating back to between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD was found, along with a bronze coin from the late 2nd century and a silver denarius coin of the Emperor Nero that dates from 65 to 66 AD.

Some 6.6 feet below the Byzantine floor, a Roman-period wall also was discovered. Adjacent to the wall was a large section of black-and-white mosaic floor with mortar, clay bricks and ceramic vents typical of Roman bathhouses.

The archaeologists note that Roman-style baths were uncommon in rural settlements, so their presence at el-Araj indicates an urban site, making it a strong candidate for the city of Julias.

Geological research also suggests that the Sea of Galilee, the second-lowest lake in the world, was at a lower level than previously thought during the Roman era. Experts had long thought the lake was 686 feet below sea level in Roman times, with the el-Araj site underwater until the Byzantine period centuries later. The Roman wall, however, was discovered at a depth of 692 feet below sea level.

Geologists studying el-Araj found that the site was covered with mud and clay, possibly from flooding of the nearby Jordan River, and abandoned sometime between 250 AD and 350 AD. “The Roman layer was buried at a certain period by these sediments derived from the nearby outlets of the Jordan River and Meshushim stream,” explained Noam Greenbaum of Haifa University, who participated in the excavation. “We hope to deepen and extend our study in the future in order to clarify the full picture.” source

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