Discovering Bethsaida
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Well, I may be late to the game, but I finally created a Humble Skeptic YouTube channel. If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ll probably understand why I’ve resisted this. Though some of my interviews would certainly work in a video format, many of my episodes feature a variety of segments, sound effects, music, storytelling, etc., that are probably best left to the imagination—that is, without a large budget.
In the meantime, however, I decided to create a YouTube channel that features segments from various episodes, along with short video content. This way, people can discover my work when searching for content on YouTube, and fans will have plenty of material to share—starting with my recent Bethsaida video! In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the updated title and description:
Have Archaeologists Discovered Biblical Bethsaida?
In this video, Shane Rosenthal, host of The Humble Skeptic podcast, explores the archaeological dig site at El-Araj on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee and talks with some of the archaeologists working there. Could this be the true location of biblical Bethsaida, where Jesus performed many “mighty works”? What kinds of artifacts have been discovered at this site, and how can Bethsaida’s unique history help us to better appreciate the accuracy, reliability, and early Jewish character of the New Testament Gospels? WATCH this video to find out!
My apologies to those of you who were unable to view the earlier release of the Bethsaida video on Rumble. Because of that bug (which was tied to certain browsers), I decided not to continue posting content on that platform. Finally, a special thank you to Brandon Kimber, the director of The American Gospel documentary series, for adding my video to his streaming service, so if you’d prefer an alternative to YouTube, it can now be viewed (ad-free and higher quality) on AGTV.
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RELATED RESOURCES
Articles
Et-Tell is Not Bethsaida, R. Steven Notley
The El-Eraj Excavation Project, project blog and website
Is El-Araj Bethsaida? Biblical Archaeology Report
Archaeologists Find Entreaty to St. Peter by the Sea of Galilee, Haaretz
Ruins revealed by wildfire boost Galilean site’s claim as Bethsaida, Times of Israel
New Inscription Confirms Bethsaida at El-Araj, Danny the Digger
An Interview with Dr. Steven Notley, Museum of the Bible
A Pre-70 Date for the Gospels & Acts, Shane Rosenthal
The Implications of 70 AD on the Date of the Gospels & Acts, Shane Rosenthal
The Date of John’s Gospel, Revisited, Shane Rosenthal
New Evidence for a Historical Moses, Shane Rosenthal
A Cuneiform Cylinder of Nebuchadnezzar II, Shane Rosenthal
Simon of Cyrene: An Archaeological Discovery, Shane Rosenthal
Water Into Wine: An Archaeological Assessment, Shane Rosenthal
Videos
Josh Gates Discovers Bethsaida, with R. Steven Notley
Buried Ruins in Bethsaida, Eric Metaxas & R. Steven Notley
The True Location of Bethsaida, Sergio & Rhoda in Israel
The Church of the Apostles in Galilee, Sergio & Rhoda in Israel
1,500-Year-Old Mosaic Discovered by the Sea of Galilee, Sergio & Rhoda in Israel
Archaeologist Achia Kohn-Tavor in Action, Sergio & Rhoda in Israel
The David Rohl Lectures, Patterns in Evidence
Rethinking Luke’s Prologue, Shane Rosenthal
Podcasts
Is El-Araj Ancient Bethsaida, R. Steven Notley & Motti Aviam
Stories of Jesus: Can They Be Trusted? #61 with Peter J. Williams
Are the Gospels History or Fiction? #52 with John Dickson
The Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony, #48 with Richard Bauckham
The Sinai Inscriptions, Michael S. Bar-Ron
Did The Exodus Ever Happen? #69 with David Rohl
Questioning Conventional Wisdom, #13 with David Rohl
The Jesus of History, Humble Skeptic #12
See the evidence I shared with a conservative biblical scholar that the Gospel of John need not be early. He agreed with the evidence I shared, namely that the mention of “five porticos” proves little since that “pool” remained in use according to archeologists during the second century Roman period, long after 70 AD. The Romans turned it into a healing center, an Asclepieion. Nor is the earliest papyrus dating for John definitively 125 AD. The scholar’s paper is online. https://theofilos.no/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Theofilos-vol-13-nr-1-2-2021-forum-6-final.pdf (Side note: The paper’s author incorrectly assumed I was an atheist.)
So dating John early remains questionable. Also, the author of John used the present tense when writing his story, not just in reference to the pool, which means he was following a pattern of using the present tense, but that does not prove the story was based on eyewitness testimony. Anyone could have visited Jerusalem after 70 AD and seen the pool and stone columns of the porticos. Romans used the pool for healings by Asclepius in the second century which may explain the origin of the story in John about “angelic” healings at the pool.
AI states: The five porticos (roofed colonnades) of the Pool of Bethesda were constructed from stone, specifically featuring broken columns, stone arches, and plastered stone steps. The central (fifth) portico was built on a broad rock dike or dam that divided the site into two separate rectangular pools.
Key artifacts and findings include:
* Votive Offerings: Archaeologists discovered votive offerings depicting anatomical parts (such as a marble foot with a Greek inscription) in the debris. These were typical items left at shrines of the Greco-Roman god of medicine, Asclepius, as a token of thanks for a cure, indicating the site's use as a pagan healing center (an Asclepieion) during the Roman period (2nd century AD).
The spring-fed pool of Bethesda was not destroyed in 70 AD but also existed when Hadrian (117-138 AD) was emperor and remained visible into the 4th century. See, The Excavations at the Bethesda Pool in Jerusalem: Preliminary Report on a Project of Stratigraphic and Structural Analysis: Shimon Gibson
https://www.academia.edu/22894959/The_Excavations_at_the_Bethesda_Pool_in_Jerusalem_Preliminary_Report_on_a_Project_of_Stratigraphic_and_Structural_Analysis_Text