They have truly found something AMAZING at this ancient Biblical holy site. This confirms that at least one part of the Bible is true!
Bethsaia was a Jewish fishing village during the first century A.D. and it was the home of Jesus’ apostles Phillip, Andrew, and Peter, and it later became known as the lost Roman city of Julius, according to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, who wrote at the end of the First Century. There is now some exciting archeological news as this Roman city of Julius, which was originally Betsaida, has now been found in Israel.
“Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida,” John 1:44 tells us.
The New Testament not only describes Bethsaida as the home of Jesus Christ’s apostles Peter, Andrew, and Phliip, but it is also the place where Christ healed a blind man, as noted in Mark 8:22-26 by National Geographic magazine. In addition, Luke 9:10-17 described the area near Bethsaida where the feeding of the five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish.
Thanks to archeologists from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archeology at Kinneret College along with Israel and Nyack College in New York, there have now been some completed excavations at el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Simply put, folks, we have an incredible discovery that adds to the evidence of Christ’s existence.
El Araj has long been considered a possible location for ancient Julias, according to Fox News. In an email to this outlet, the excavation issued the following explanation: “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.”
“There are indications that we’re excavating Bethsaida-Julia,” Professor Steven Notley of Nyack College, the dig’s academic director, added. “This is really one of the few [biblical sites] that has remained lost.”
One of the things that makes this discovery even more compelling would have to be that many so-called experts previously assumed that there had been no human presence at el-Araj during the Roman period.
However, recent excavations have shed new light on the site, thanks to a Byzantine structure that had already been unearthed by a different archeological team. Beneath the floor of the structure, this team found more than 30 coins, which dated the construction of the model to the 5th century A.D. However, below the Byzantine era level, the team found something even more stunning: “Roman era pottery dating back to between the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D. 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 A.D.,” Fox News furthered.
Over six feet “below the Byzantine floor, a Roman period wall was also 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 archeologists were quick to note that Roman-style baths were uncommon in these rural settlements. This means that their presence at el-Araj indicates the existence of an urban site — another fact that makes this area a strong candidate for being the lost city of Julias.
Archeologists would eventually discover a courtyard, paved paths, housing, and other structures. A lot of fishing tools, such as anchors, hooks, and nets, have been found within the remains of the homes, proving that it was most likely a fishing village.
“The Byzantine structure at el-Araj also offers a fascinating glimpse into the site’s biblical past. Small gilded glass blocks called tesserae that form part of a mosaic were found, suggesting that the building was once an important church,” Fox’s report added. “Archeologists note that Willibald, the bishop of Eichstatt in Germany, visited the Holy Land in 725 A.D., and describes visiting a church at Bethsaida built over the remains of the house of apostles Peter and Andrew. ‘It may well be that the current excavations have unearthed evidence for that church,’ explained the archeologists, in their statement.”
Naturally, this isn’t the first time that archeological research has disproven something other experts once took for granted that they thought they knew regarding biblical sites. However, this particular case is shaking up a number of things that were once considered fact. For example, this Biblical holy site has now demonstrated that the Sea of Galilee is actually lower than the previously reported 686 feet below level because this Roman wall was discovered at a depth of 692 feet below sea level.
Interestingly enough, the site was covered with mud and clay, suggesting possible flooding of the nearby Jordan River. It is believed to have been abandoned sometime between 250 A.D and 350 A.D. and appears to have been resettled during the Byzantine period, towards the end of the 4th century A.D. “The Roman layer was buried at a certain period by these sediments derived from the nearby outlets of the Jordan River and Meshushim stream,” Professor Noam Greenbaum of Haifa University, who participated in the excavation, explained. “We hope to deepen and extend our study in the future in order to clarify the full picture.”
Excavations will continue at the site as Professor Notley explained, “We’re looking right now at trying to do another five seasons.”
Indeed, one can only imagine what else they might find! However, this Biblical holy site just goes to show you that Christ was definitely at one time a real person.