Bethsaida Excavations

Twenty years of Excavating

Bethsaida

► A forgotten Biblical Kingdom of

Geshur

► Bethsaida is located at the North-East of the Sea of Galilee

► It was identified by E. Robinson in 1838

► Since 1987 it is being excavated and since 1991 by the Consortium for the Excavations of Bethsaida headed by the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

► Its location, size (20 acres), strength suggests that it was the capital of the Kingdom of Geshur

GESHUR

BETHSAIDA

Capital Cities in Southern Levant

DAMASCUS

TYRE

SAMARIA

JERUSALEM

RABBAT AMMON

DIBON

BETHSAIDA

THE KINGODM OF GESHUR

DAMASCUS

BETHSAIDA

City gate

Palace

Lower City

Upper city

W301

W315

CITY WALL

W335

BASTION

W337

W405

DEBRIS

DEBRIS

W855

W403

JAR BURIAL

W850

W851

169.80

168.25

169.40

167.76

168.80

167.87

170.65

171.75

169.80

170.26

170.01

169.19169.61

171.75

169.02

174.15

173.96

169.71

172.51172.12172.91

170.78

170.84

170.79170.69

170.9170.71

168.95170.23

168.53

170.45

W12

W6

7

L3

65

RO

OM

7

W6

8

RO

OM

8W

31

0

16

7.45

16

8.18

16

7.38

16

7.48

16

6.21

bed

rock

L6

38

W325

W303

cave

16

7.13.

16

7.48

RO

OM

6

RO

OM

5

W8

4RO

OM

4

W8

6

W11

W85

W8

7

RO

OM

3W

89

W3

25

W80

W4

00

RO

OM

1R

OO

M 2

W3

18

VE

ST

IBU

LE

W8

3

EN

TR

AN

CE

MA

IN H

AL

L

W88

W3

20

W3

12

L6

23

16

7.30

16

7.47

16

7.12

16

7.52

16

7.08

16

7.99

16

7.13

16

8.27

C C.L.E. 2006

Stratum 6, mid 10th to mid 9th centuries BCE

City Gate

Palace

Granary

A Section at the Outer City Gate, strata 5, 6

The Façade of the outer city gate

The King of Assyria Shalmaneser

III visited Bethsaida twice, in 842

and 838 BCE

W12

W6

7

L36

5

RO

OM

7

W6

8

RO

OM

8W

31

0

bed

rock

L6

38 cav

e

RO

OM

6

RO

OM

5

W8

4RO

OM

4

W8

6

W11

W85

W8

7

RO

OM

3W

89

W3

25

W80

W4

00

RO

OM

1R

OO

M 2

W3

18

VE

ST

IBU

LE

W8

3

EN

TR

AN

CE

MA

IN H

AL

L

W88

W3

20

W3

12

L6

23

C C.L.E. 2006

Palace

Four chamber city gate

Served as granary Storage

City gate

Bastion Southern Tower

Inner city gate

Chamber

1

Chamber

2

C C.L.E. 2006

A Section showing the city walls

Four Chamber City Gates

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

size in sq.m.

Bethsaida

Dan

Megiddo IVA

Dor

Beer Sheba V

Beer Sheba III

Ashdod 10

Tell En-Nasbeh

Outer City Walls

City Wall debris

Paved Road

Inner City Gate reconstructed with

wood beams

THE DECORATED

STELE AS WAS LEFT

AT 732 B.C.E.

BASIN

NOTICE THESE STONES

The moon-god from Bethsaida

The Stepped High Place

A Direct Access High Place

Sacrificial High Place

A pit filled up with

Sacrificial left over.

All animals were Kosher

Animals

Chamber 4

To the name of

The Moon God Symbol

The Siege of Bethsaida 732 BCE

A Revival in the Hellenistic

Period In the 3rd BCE Bethsaida was resettled as a colony of Tyrians.

The Bethsaida inhabitants provided Tyre with linen garments.

They made “good living” and were able to purchase their wine from the Island of Rhodes which was considered to be the best wine in the market.

Hellenistic weaving set from

Bethsaida

Gold Earrings – a sign of wealth

Bethsaida in the Hellenistic

Period In about 100 BCE

Bethsaida was

conquered by the

Hasmoneans.

The town declined.

Bethsaida in the Roman Period

Bethsaida was resettled

by the Herod as these

coins demonstrate.

Herod populated

Bethsaida with Jews as

these fragments of a

limestone vessel

indicates

The site thrived once

more

Bethsaida under Philip the son of

Herod

In 30 CE Bethsaida was

elevated to a status of a

“Polis” – Greek city

This coins was minted by

Philip in commemoration

of this act.

Philip renamed Bethsaida

Julias after Augustus’

wife, Livia, Julia

The Temple for Julia/Livia

Philip built a temple

for the Roman

Imperial cult and

dedicated it to

Julia/Livia

Decorated Stone from the Temple

Mount in Jerusalem

Favisa, Sacred Deposits near the

Temple

Utensils from the Temple

Strigilis

Simpulum

C C.L.E. 2006

City wall

A Roman Temple

Cemetery

Residential Quarter

Bethsaida as Jesus saw it

The “Wine Maker” House Wine cellar

Remnants of a Private house

The “Clinic”

Houses next to the city wall

Kitchen

Dining room (Triclinium)

Open courtyard

The “wine maker’s House”

The “Wine Maker’s House”

Fishing Gear

Limestone Vessels a hallmark of

Jewish presence

Private Homes at Bethsaida

A Gem Stone

A group of Roman Nails

Left by a Carpenter

Digging west of the gate

A Hellenistic Juglet

A Roman Bronze Bowl (Patera)

from the Temple Area

A Decorative Nail from perhaps

from the door of the temple

Breakfast

Some of our attentive students

Tension is built up

THANK YOU