Apostles

THE APOSTLES : M.M.NINAN
This is doubtless to be identified with the village of Bethsaida in Lower Gaulonitis which the
Tetrarch Philip raised to the rank of a city, and called Julias, in honor of Julia, the daughter of
Augustus. It lay near the place where the Jordan enters the Sea of Gennesaret (Ant., XVIII, ii, 1; BJ,
II, ix, 1; III, x, 7; Vita, 72). This city may be located at et-Tell, a ruined site on the East side of the
Jordan on rising ground, fully a mile from the sea. As this is too far from the sea for a fishing village,
Schumacher (The Jaulan, 246) suggests that el-`Araj, "a large, completely destroyed site close to
the lake," connected in ancient times with et-Tell "by the beautiful roads still visible," may have
been the fishing village, and et-Tell the princely residence. He is however inclined to favor
el-Mes`adiyeh, a ruin and winter village of Arab et-Tellawiyeh, which stands on an artificial mound,
about a mile and a half from the mouth of the Jordan. It should be noted, however, that the name is
in origin radically different from Bethsaida. The substitution of sin for cad is easy: but the insertion
of the guttural `ain is impossible. No trace of the name Bethsaida has been found in the district; but
any one of the sites named would meet the requirements.
To this neighborhood Jesus retired by boat with His disciples to rest awhile. The multitude
following on foot along the northern shore of the lake would cross the Jordan by the ford at its
mouth which is used by foot travelers to this day. The "desert" of the narrative is just the barriyeh of
the Arabs where the animals are driven out for pasture. The "green grass" of Mark 6:39, and the
"much grass" of John 6:10, point to some place in the plain of el-BaTeichah, on the rich soil of
which the grass is green and plentiful compared with the scanty herbage on the higher slopes.
(2) Bethsaida of Galilee, where dwelt Philip, Andrew, Peter (John 1:44; John 12:21), and
perhaps also James and John. The house of Andrew and Peter seems to have been not far
from the synagogue in Capernaum (Matthew 8:14 Mark 1:29, etc.). Unless they had moved
their residence from Bethsaida to Capernaum, of which there is no record, and which for fishermen
was unlikely, Bethsaida must have lain close to Capernaum. It may have been the fishing
town adjoining the larger city. As in the case of the other Bethsaida, no name has been
recovered to guide us to the site.
On the rocky promontory, however, East of Khan Minyeh we find Sheikh `Aly ec-Caiyadin, "Sheikh
Aly of the Fishermen," as the name of a ruined weley, in which the second element in the name
Bethsaida is represented. Near by is the site at `Ain et-Tabigha, which many have identified with
Bethsaida of Galilee. The warm water from copious springs runs into a little bay of the sea in which
fishes congregate in great numbers. This has therefore always been a favorite haunt of fishermen.