Body
Bethsaida Israel May 18–June 6, 2008 and June 15–July 4, 2008 The Capital of the Kingdom of GeshurBethsaida (literally, “House of the Fisherman”) has always held a special place in the imagination of Biblical scholars. In the New Testament, it is mentioned as a Galilean seaside village associated with several of Jesus’ miracles, including walking on water and feeding the multitudes. It was also the birthplace of the Apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. Surprisingly, however, the precise location of Bethsaida remained a mystery until archaeologist Rami Arav recognized the significance of the site in 1987 while exploring Roman ruins. Since then, excavations at the 21-acre site, located just over a mile from the northern shore of the Galilee, have revealed much more than Arav ever anticipated.
Who knows what surprises Bethsaida may still be waiting to reveal? In recent seasons, Professor Arav and his team have focused extensively on the Iron Age gate complex, including the plaza inside the gate, and have also continued to expose the Hellenistic-Roman town of Jesus’ time. In 2005, they found an undisturbed wine cellar and, in 2006, two bronze bowls used in Roman cultic rituals. This season Arav plans to continue investigating the successive plazas inside the Iron Age gate and further expose the Hellenistic-Roman residential quarter. Volunteers are housed at Ginosar Inn at the nearby kibbutz, and prices vary according to your choice of accommodations. You can bunk in a dorm, share a room or pay more for a single. The hotel has a private beach on the shores of the Galilee. Check out a special two-week session with Dr. Nicolae Roddy of Creighton University, a director-at-large of the excavations. Biblical CitationsMatthew 11:21; Mark 6:45 & 8:22; Luke 10:13; Luke 9: 10-17, John 1:44 & 12:21Photo GalleryClick here to view additional photos.BAR EssentialsTo read more about this dig site, check out authoritative, lavishly illustrated articles from Biblical Archaeology Review magazine. Become a Premier Member of the BAS Library and gain access to the articles listed below. The BAS Library is the most comprehensive resource for Biblical archaeology—featuring more than 30 years of articles by the world’s foremost scholars of Biblical archaeology and related fields. Become a Premier Member of the BAS Library today! • Rami Arav, “Prize Find: An Iron Age Amulet from the Galilee,” BAR, January/February 1995 • Rami Arav and Richard A. Freund, “Prize Find: An Incense Shovel from Bethsaida,” BAR, January/February 1997 • Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, “Fishers of Fish, Fishers of Men,” Bible Review, June 1999 • “Bethsaida in the New Testament,” BAR, January/February 2000 • Rami Arav, Richard A. Freund and John F. Shroder Jr., “Bethsaida Rediscovered,” BAR, January/February 2000 • Steven Feldman, “The Case for el-Araj,” BAR, January/February 2000 | Dig DirectorsRami AravGeographic LocationNorthern shore of the Sea of GalileeDates of OccupationIron Age II, Hellenistic, RomanDates of the DigSession 1: May 18–June 6Session 2: June 15–July 4 Minimum StayContact digApplication DueContact digCostContact digAcademic Credit/Cost per Credit/InstitutionYes, contact dig for costs and informationAccommodationsKibbutz GinnosarContactStephen Reynolds(402) 554-3108 streynolds@mail.unomaha.edu www.unomaha.edu/bethsaida Open for toursContact dig |
Most surprisingly the excavators found beneath the Hellenistic-Roman village of Bethsaida a much older Iron Age site. This city, which excavators believe is the ancient capital of the kingdom of Geshur, was fortified with a massive city wall and a monumental gateway, one of the largest and best-preserved Iron Age gates in the region. At the entrance to the gate area, archaeologists found the remains of a large stele engraved with a bull-like creature, probably the city’s protective deity. One has to wonder if King David entered through this gate, passing by its horned god, when coming to accept his Geshurite wife Ma’achah.