We all know the old saying.
You wait ages for a bus and along come two at the same time. Well, the same thing can happen in the world of archaeology.
For centuries historians have not known the location of biblical Bethsaida. That is interesting because it is an important town in the gospels. As the birthplace of Peter, Andrew and Philip, along with the location for a number of miracles, it is significant for Jesus’ Galilee ministry. There has been general agreement regarding the sites of Capernaum and Chorazin, but what about the missing city of Bethsaida?
Which one is correct?
Just like buses, two Bethsaidas have now turned up at the same time. Regular readers of this column may know that I have joined the excavations at et-Tell for a number of seasons. This is generally regarded as biblical Bethsaida. However, Israeli news sources carried a story this summer that Bethsaida has been found closer to the Sea of Galilee at a site called el-Araj. So which one is correct and how does all this cast light on the use of archaeology in defence of the faith?
Excavations at this new site, el-Araj, began in 2014 and, over the summer seasons, has yielded Roman period and later Byzantine remains. Most strikingly a Roman bathhouse along with remains of mosaics indicate that it was a relatively wealthy location. But is it Bethsaida?
Since 1987, archaeologists have been excavating the alternative site of et-Tell. It has revealed a very substantial Old Testament period city and evidence of occupation during New Testament times including first century coins and evidence of industry. Last summer a roadway was exposed that clearly belonged to the first century. But, despite its size and significant remains, there was one glaring problem. Et-Tell is two kilometres from the Sea of Galilee and the Gospels tell us that it was a fishing village at the time of Jesus.
Changing shoreline
This problem was solved when a geological survey revealed that the shoreline of Galilee has changed over time and 2,000 years ago a lagoon system reached the edge of et-Tell. Over the years archaeologists have retrieved fishing hooks, anchor stones and evidence of a dock that all confirm the site as a home to fishermen during the time of Jesus.
However, there is one thing that has not been brought to light at either el-Araj or et-Tell. Neither site has provided a ‘Welcome to…’ sign with a city name. Few archaeological sites can be so easily identified. Nor would such a discovery clinch the argument. People moved their homes in the ancient world, just as they do in the modern world. Near my home is the city of Salisbury. But if I drive a further two miles I reach the Salisbury of the 12th century (Old Sarum). The city I shop in today is actually New Salisbury. If there is more than one Salisbury could there be more than one Bethsaida?
Such a lot of evidence
Rami Arav, former site director of Bethsaida (et-Tell), makes this observation of the rival el-Araj. He suggests that sometime after the time of Jesus the lake became inaccessible and ‘the fishermen at et-Tell abandoned their site because it became too far from the lake and moved further south … Perhaps they called it New Bethsaida.’
As things stand, the evidence still points to the location of Bethsaida at et-Tell, but the new shoreline excavations can only add to our understanding of Galilee from the time of Jesus. Archaeological disagreements like this actually remind us how much material evidence there is to help us make sense of biblical history. Rather than being a sketchy and impoverished record, archaeology has an embarrassment of riches for casting light on the biblical world.
Sharing faith
While we should be cautious about giving authority to the latest headline-grabbing story when we share our faith, the big picture remains clear. Archaeology continues to provide a wealth of material to help us confirm that the personalities and events of the Bible are rooted in real historical times and places. There are a lot more buses on the way!
