Biblical town where ‘Jesus performed miracles’ discovered in major breakthrough | World | News
Museum of the Bible photo of the area (Image: Museum of the Bible)
Archaeologists working along the shores of the Sea of Galilee believe they may have found the long-lost biblical town of Bethsaida, a village closely linked in the New Testament to several of Jesus’ reported miracles. The fishing village on the Sea of Galilee’s northeast coast, was a key location for Jesus’ ministry in the work, serving as the setting for several miracles and healings, including the healing of a blind man. In the New Testament, the site is described as the hometown of apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip.
After years of fieldwork, archaeologists report a series of findings that appear to connect the site to the biblical town. These include the remains of a Byzantine-era church, fragments of a first-century dwelling beneath its foundations, Roman-period fishing equipment, and a mosaic inscription referencing Saint Peter as a leading figure among the apostles.
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According to John 1:44, Bethsaida was the hometown of apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip. (Image: Getty)
Academic Director of the El Araj Excavation Project, Steven Notley, said the evidence has become increasingly compelling, arguing that the discoveries collectively point to El-Araj as Bethsaida, a location long debated by scholars.
During a talk at the Catholic Information Center in Washington DC on May 5, he said that years of work at the El-Araj, a project that began in 2016, have now “essentially confirmed” the identification of the site as Bethsaida, the lakeside town mentioned several times in the New Testament.
One of the most striking discoveries is a house wall dating to the first century, found beneath the apse of a later church structure.
Mr Notley told EWTN News: “So, we have a first-century house wall under the apse. It doesnʼt have a plaque on it that says ‘Peter slept here,’ but from a perspective of archaeology, it doesnʼt get much better than that.”
In 2025, a wildfire swept through the area, unexpectedly clearing dense vegetation and exposing additional stonework, pottery fragments, and buried architectural features. These findings added further momentum to the identification of the site.
According to the Gospels, it was the site of the miraculous Feeding of the 5,000, the walking on water, and a unique two-stage healing of a blind man.
Although Bethsaida is thought to have been located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, its exact site remains debated. Since the 19th century, scholars have proposed three main candidates: Messadiye, El-Araj, and et-Tell.
Over time, El-Araj and et-Tell have gained the most support though disagreement continues due to differing interpretations of the archaeological evidence.
