Bethsaida

Bethsaida (beth-sā'idu) [key][Heb.,=house of the fisher], in the Gospels, birthplace of Jesus' disciples Peter, Andrew, and Philip. Herod Philip (4 B.C.–A.D. 33) is said to have renamed it Julias after the daughter of Augustus, who died in 2 B.C. Some identify Bethsaida with the Julias just E of the Jordan and N of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberius); others would place it on the eastern shore of the lake; still others suppose two Bethsaidas. Archaeologists began excavating the site on the eastern shore of the lake in 1995.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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