A massive wildfire tore through the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and unexpectedly opened one of the most important biblical discoveries in recent memory: the long-lost village of Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Chris Mitchell of CBN News reported from the dig site, where scorched earth suddenly revealed what 2,000 years had concealed.
Fire That Cleared the Way
When flames engulfed the area of El-Araj, excavation director Dr. Steven Notley thought their work was ruined. “Oh my goodness,” he said. “This is going to upend all of our excavation.”
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But as soon as the ground cooled, archaeologists realized the fire had peeled away layers of brush and soil, exposing walls, pottery and Roman-period remains that had never been seen. Dr. Moti Aviam said, “We found the remains of walls on the surface… everything from the surface is Roman period.”
Even more astonishing, the fire stopped right at the tarps covering a Byzantine basilica—leaving a major biblical inscription untouched. “No one can explain it,” Aviam said. Notley called it “the hand of God.”
The Mosaic That Identified Bethsaida
Under that basilica, archaeologists had already uncovered a 6th-century mosaic—an inscription honoring Peter as ‘the keeper of the keys.’
“When the letters ‘apostles’ came out in Greek, everyone was like a rocket sent to the sky,” Aviam said. The inscription is unique in the ancient world, and it confirmed what many suspected: this wasn’t just another fishing village. It was Peter’s home.
A Village That Matches the Gospels
New Testament scholar Notley explained how Scripture guided the search. “The eyewitnesses… tell us where it was,” he said. The New Testament places Bethsaida on the northeast side of the lake, and Josephus records its distance from the Jordan River. Every detail aligns.
This is the place where:
- Jesus fed the 5,000
- Jesus healed a blind man
- A quarter of His disciples were born
Artifacts from the dig—stone vessels, fishing weights and even a rare inkwell—show a literate, devout Jewish community. “The stones are telling me there was life here,” said Dr. Carrie Wood.
Faith Strengthened in the Dirt
For Notley, the experience has been deeply spiritual. “It reinforces for me the reality of my faith,” he said. “It’s not pie in the sky… it has substance.”
Wood said simply, “The Bible is true. Archaeology strengthens the word of God.”
Another Reminder the Bible Stands Firm
Bethsaida was the last major gospel site whose location remained unclear. Now, through ash and stone, its identity has been confirmed. Once again, archaeology has caught up to Scripture.
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As discoveries continue across Israel, they form the same pattern: the Bible isn’t myth, legend or wishful thinking. It is rooted in real places, real people, and real history—and time keeps proving it.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
