Archaeologists Discover Early Christian ‘Church Of The Apostles’ In Galilee
The Church of the Apostles, built atop the home of Jesus’ first disciples, was believed by many to be merely a myth. But these researchers think they’ve finally found it after centuries.
The Beit Habek excavations have uncovered a Byzantine-era church believed to have been built over the home of Jesus’s earliest disciples, Peter and Andrew.
Archaeologists working along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee believe they’ve uncovered the legendary Church of the Apostles. This church is thought to have been constructed atop the former home of two of Jesus’s earliest followers, Peter and Andrew.
A joint research team from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology in Israel and Nyack College in New York made this significant find at a site known as el-Araj. It is believed to be located in the ancient Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida, where Jesus healed a blind man and fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish before the area became the Roman city of Julias.
The Hunt For The Church Of The Apostles
For Professor Steven Notley of Nyack College, the trail of clues began last year when the team discovered pieces of marble from what they identified as a chancel screen and glass blocks (tesserae) used in ornate mosaics.
“These discoveries already told us that the church was waiting to be found nearby,” said Notley. “It’s always remarkable to bring these beautifully decorated floors to light after being buried for almost 1,500 years.”
Professor Notley believes this church by the Sea of Galilee is evidence that the Biblical fishing village of Bethsaida existed in that location before the Roman city of Julias emerged.
Notley and his colleagues were excited about their discovery as some scholars doubted the Church of the Apostles even existed.
“Until its recent discovery, many scholars questioned its existence,” said Notley. “Although mentioned in Byzantine pilgrimage itineraries, many thought these reports were mistaken. Of equal importance, the church indicates that there was a living memory in the Christian community about the location of Bethsaida, home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (John 1:44).”
Notley noted that the Byzantine church was most notably mentioned by Willibald, a German bishop and saint, in 725 A.D. His records supported the idea that the Church of the Apostles was built on the home of Jesus’s early disciples.
“[Willibald] states the church was in Bethsaida, built over the house of Peter and Andrew, among the first disciples of Jesus,” said Notley.
A piece of mosaic floor found at the excavation site.
This discovery is important as it clarifies the historical record, which was uncertain until now. Notley explained that because no church from this era had been found, people often “corrected” records of pilgrimages from Bethsaida to Capernaum.
“Now we have a church right where the pilgrims said it was,” said Notley.
The Legendary Village Of Bethsaida
Excavations yielded pottery, foundations of houses, Roman-era coins, and pieces of stone with Christian crosses carved into them.
According to Romano-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, the Church of the Apostles was not the only significant construction over the home of Jesus’s early disciples in Bethsaida. The Roman city of Julias sprang up there during the first century A.D.
The New Testament mentions disciples Peter, Andrew, and Philip calling Bethsaida home and describes Jesus healing a blind man there. Luke 9:10-17 details Jesus feeding 5,000 people nearby with five loaves of bread and two fish.
While it’s not certain if el-Araj is indeed the former home of Bethsaida and the Church of the Apostles, Notley and his team are confident.
“The discovery of the church strengthens our position that el-Araj should be considered the leading candidate for New Testament Bethsaida-Julias,” said Notley. “We made that claim after years of reservations and now have more evidence to support it.”
Researchers found proof of the Roman takeover, like a Roman bathhouse discovered in 2017 by Kinneret’s Motti Aviram and his team.
They also found Roman houses, coins, pottery, and Jewish relics such as stone vessels and oil lamps — remnants of a historic settlement long gone.
Future Excavations Around The Church Of The Apostles
Professor Notley remarked how rewarding it is to see the light shine on these mosaic floors after they’ve been buried for nearly 1,500 years.
Following their discovery, researchers are very optimistic about next year’s excavations at el-Araj, anticipating more significant finds as they continue to unearth the Byzantine church entirely.
“So far, we have uncovered some of the church’s southern rooms, likely the southern aisle,” said Notley. “At the end of this season, we began uncovering the mosaics likely from the nave, the center section of the church.”
Modern technology like electromagnetic imaging has made this ancient dig easier, suggesting more buildings and structures to be uncovered. The team will have to wait until next season to explore further.
“At the end of next season we expect to publish a preliminary report on our first five seasons and definitively answer the question of the location of New Testament Bethsaida-Julias.”
