Bethsaida
Bethsaida is known as the
birthplace of three of the Apostles – Peter, Andrew and Philip. Jesus
himself visited Bethsaida and performed several miracles there. (Mark
8:22-26; Luke 9:10)
Et-Tel, the mound identified as
ancient Bethsaida, is located on a basaltic spur north of the Sea of
Galilee, near the inflow of the Jordan River into the Sea of Galilee. The
tel covers some 20 acres and rises 30 meters above a fertile valley.
Geological and geomorphological studies show that in the past this valley
was part of the Sea of Galilee. A series of earthquakes caused silt to
accumulate, thus creating the valley and causing the north shore of the Sea
of Galilee to recede. The result of this process, which continued until the
Hellenistic period, was that Bethsaida, which had originally been built on
the shore of the Sea of Galilee, came to be situated some 1.5 km. north of
the shore.
The name Bethsaida means
"house of the hunt" in Hebrew. Identification of Et-Tel with the
site mentioned in the New Testament was proposed as early as 1838 by
Robinson, but was not accepted by most contemporary researchers; yet
excavations conducted since 1987 have confirmed the identification.
Biblical Period
The excavations revealed that the
settlement at Bethsaida was founded in the 10th century BCE, in the
biblical period. By that time the areas north and east of the Sea of
Galilee were part of the Aramaean kingdom of Geshur. Its royal family,
which ruled for several generations, was connected by marriage to tDavidic
dynasty. King David married Ma’acha, daughter of the King of Geshur; she
was the mother of Absalom, who later found refuge in the Land of Geshur.
(II Samuel 3:3; 14:32) Archeological excavations conducted at the site
revealed impressive structures and fortifications, and the excavator
therefore surmises that during this period Bethsaida was the capital city
of the Kingdom of Geshur and the seat of its monarchs.
The city was divided into two
parts: a lower city, extending over most of the mound; and an upper city
– the acropolis – on the higher, northeastern part of the mound. During
the 9th century BCE, the acropolis was surrounded by a massive, fortified
wall with a gate, constructed of large basalt stones. The 6-m.-wide wall,
together with buttresses projecting from both sides, reached a width of 8
m.
The city gate complex discovered
on the eastern side of the tel consisted of an outer and an inner gateway.
The outer gateway included a passageway between two massive towers; thus
far, only the western tower, measuring 10 x 8 m., has been excavated. In
the outer gateway, a 30-m.-long walkway paved with flat basalt stones led
to the "four-room" inner gatehouse, typical of this period and
measuring 35 x 17.5 m. It is preserved to an impressive height of 3 m. This
is the largest city gate of the biblical period excavated in Israel. It is
constructed of large basalt stones, some slightly trimmed, laid in courses.
Above the stone structure stood a brick superstructure, both entirely
coated with light plaster. Two huge projecting towers, 10 x 6 m. each,
protected the entrance to the gate. The threshold of the gate consisted of
large basalt stones with depressions that served as door-hinge sockets.
Vivid evidence of the battle that
took place here at the time of the city’s conquest and the conflagration
which destroyed the gatehouse, is found in the fired bricks, the pile of
carbonized wood and the arrowheads.
A unique feature of the Bethsaida
gate is the variety of cultic installations in front of the inner gate. An
entire "gate altar" (bama) measuring 2.1 x 1.6 m. and
constructed of basalt stones covered with light plaster was found there.
Two steps led to the top of the bama which had a recessed, 35 cm.
deep stone basin, measuring 60 x 50 cm. A basalt stele that once stood at
the back of the bama was found, broken, on it. The stele, 1.15 m.
high, 59 cm. wide and 31 cm. thick, was carefully shaped with a rounded
top. On its front was carved the stylized figure of a horned bull, armed
with a dagger. In the Mesopotamian pantheon, the bull represents the moon
god. It was adopted by the Arameans as the symbol of their main deity,
Haddad, identified as the figure represented on this stele.
Inside the gatehouse was a broad,
paved plaza. On its northern side stood the palace of the kings which
measured 28 x 15 m. with 1.4 m. thick basalt walls. The palace of Bethsaida
is a typical example of the palaces of the Aramean kingdoms during the
biblical period; it included a central hall which served as the throne
room, surrounded by eight rooms.
The Aramean city of Bethsaida was
conquered and destroyed by the Assyrian king Tiglath Pileser III during his campaign in the region in 734 BCE. (II
Kings 15:29-30; 16:7-9)
From the time of that destruction,
and until the Hellenistic period, the
site was only sparsely inhabited.
The Hellenistic – Roman
Periods
The importance of Bethsaida during
the Hellenistic-Roman period is apparent from references
to it in ancient sources. Josephus Flavius states that King Herod Philip,
whose kingdom included the northern part of the country, changed the name
of the city at the beginning of the 1st century CE to Julias, after Julia
Livia, wife of the Roman Emperor Augustus, and granted it municipal rights.
(Antiquities 104, 18, 28) Also according to Josephus, Philip died in the
city and was buried there with great pomp. (Antiquities 104, 18, 108)
Several courtyard-houses dating
from this period were uncovered in the excavations. Constructed of basalt
and probably two storeys high, they included a paved, open courtyard
surrounded by several rooms. Numerous fishing tools – lead weights for
nets, iron anchors, needles and fishing hooks – were found in the houses,
attesting to an economy based on fishing. One of the houses had a cellar in
which ceramic wine amphorae and several vine pruning hooks were found.
At the beginning of the first
century CE, a building with particularly thick walls, measuring 20 x 6 m.
was constructed above the remains of the city gate of the biblical period.
Only very fragmentary remains of the foundations were found. Limestone
ashlars brought from a considerable distance and fragments of decorated
architectural elements are suggestive of the elegance of this building.
Ritual vessels, including two decorated bronze incense shovels, indicate
that it functioned as a temple. Perhaps these are the remains of the temple
that King Philip built in honor of Julia Livia.
Excavations at the site are still
underway. It is assumed that further finds from the periods of settlement
await the archeologists’ spades. In the meantime, the site has been
opened to visitors.
Sources: Israeli Foreign Ministry |