Bethsaida Excavation
Richard A. Lally
Dr. Mark Appold, Faculty Mentor
Bethsaida is identified as the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip in the New Testament. During the summer of 2009, a group of Truman Students visited the site in the Northern Galilee that is now identified as Biblical Bethsaida. For two weeks in June students participated in the archaeological excavation of the site and learned the extra-biblical history of the village and archaeological methods. The identification of this site (et-Tell) as biblical Bethsaida was not accepted without question. To prove the validity of et-Tell as the site of biblical Bethsaida, Archaeologists enlisted the help of geologists and biblical scholars. Considering the findings of the geologists and the lack of archaeological evidence at opposing sites closer to the present-day shore of the Sea of Galilee, the majority of scholars have accepted et-Tell as biblical Bethsaida.
Keywords: Bethsaida, Archaeology
Topic(s):Philosophy & Religion
Anthropology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 31-5
Location: MG 1090
Time: 10:30