Posted on 07/24/2019 8:42:38 AM PDT by robowombat
Lost Church of the Apostles where Jesus’ disciples once lived ‘finally found’
The legendary Church of the Apostles, believed by Christians to be the site of some of Jesus’ disciples’s homes, has likely been discovered.
The incredible discovery was made in an area believed to be the ancient village of Bethsaida by the Sea of Galilee. This is where some religious scholars believe Jesus’ disciples Peter and Andrew lived. Kinneret Academic College and Nyack College of New York archaeologists believe the ancient Jewish village of Bethsaida, which is mentioned in the Bible’s New Testament, was far larger than previously thought.
Many suspect the area is in fact referred to in the “Feeding of the 5,000” miracle, when Jesus reportedly fed a large crowd with just five loaves of bread and two small fish.
What is known for certain is that the recent excavation at the suspected site of the biblical village in modern day Beit Habek, also known as El-Araj, has uncovered the remains of a large Byzantine-era church.
Some of the most notable evidence includes mosaic titles which Professor R. Steven Notley from the private Christian college in New York said “are for wall mosaics and only appear in churches.”
Other finds at the site include marble fragments, two aisles, roof tiles designed for a big building and a cross carved into stone.
Historical texts have referred to this area as being home to the church which was built on top of Peter and Andrew’s old house but no one has been able to trace it before.
The religious ruins have yet to be been scientifically dated.
But archeologists believe it was built in the fifth century, 500 years after the apostles are said to have lived.
Experts also think it was later abandoned in either the seventh of eighth century because of the rise of the Umayyad caliphate and Islamic presence in the land.
The theory that el-Araj is the long-lost Bethsaida and once home to the disciples Peter, Andrew and Philip is supported by the archaeologists who have been excavating the church.
However, some people believe that the nearby site of e-Tell is actually Bethsaida.
More evidence, such as an inscription, is necessary to confirm whether this site really is the Church of the Apostles.
Professor Notley said: “It would be normal to find an inscription in a church of the Byzantine period, describing in whose memory it was built, for instance.”
Finding a Byzantine-period church is one thing, but the archaeologists think it is the Church of the Apostles because “there is no good reason to question it,” he added.
Bethsaida Lost Church of the Apostles: The area could be the site of the “Feeding of the 5,000” miracle (Image: Getty) Sea-of-Galilee Church of the Apostles: Have archeologists found the village of Bethsaida by the Sea of Galilee? (Image: Getty) Namely, in the year 725, a Bavarian bishop named Willibald was touring the Holy Land and wrote about walking from Capernaum to Kursi, and on the way seeing the church of Peter and his brother Andrew, Professor Mordechai Aviam said.
“No other churches have been found between those two towns,” Professor Aviam adds.
“And the el-Araj church seems to be from the appropriate period.”
Written by: Tom Fish
First published 21.07.19: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1156023/church-of-apostles-jesus-christ-disciples-found-archeology-bethsaida-sea-of-galilee
*ping*
Thanks fieldmarshaldj.
...the remains of a large Byzantine-era church... built on top of Peter and Andrew’s old house... in the fifth century, 500 years after the apostles are said to have lived.
Less than 500, but anyway...
...the archaeologists think it is the Church of the Apostles because "there is no good reason to question it,"
Is this now the “Found Church of the Apostles”?
Or perhaps the “Lost and Found Church of the Apostles”.
I’ve always been confused — are Bethsaida and Bethesda the same, or 2 different places?
Bethesda's in Maryland, but hey, Maryland was probably named after the Virgin Mary. Okay, so, no it wasn't...
For later
“..the archaeologists think it is the Church of the Apostles because “there is no good reason to question it,”
That seems like a really odd statement. Although I suppose many of these archaeologists are like treasure hunters - and wanting to be “rich” in discovering something really important.
The other pieces of evidence are interesting. I wonder if the guy traveling in ~700 saw any other churches between the two towns.
And does anyone else find it odd that this is perhaps the place where Jesus feeds the 5,000. And the article is written by one Mr. Fish? Coincidence? I think not!
Although I suppose many of these archaeologists are like treasure hunters - and wanting to be “rich” in discovering something really important.
You can't name one who does.
Well, not rich in money - but in finding something “one of a kind”. I suppose there are various types of archaeologists? The ones hired by the government or whoever to investigate things that are uncovered during construction - like that one at the new highway in Israel.
And then I suppose there are others that do a bunch of research trying to figure out where some old town or fort or church had been, and then going on a search for that specific feature.
In both cases I’m sure that they do their due diligence, but after finding the same type of pottery shard that you’ve found a million times before, that must get pretty old.
But to discover the “Lost Church” or something much older than previously ever believed to have been there, or artifacts that are unusual - that must be really cool, and has to be one of the things that keeps them going.
The archaeologist who gave that answer could well have been responding to a leading question or aggressive questioning, or may just be cavalier, or simply overstating the find.
Thanks for all of the work you do on finding these interesting threads!
Thanks for the kind remarks, and kudos to all the help I get around here with posting of these topics. There really is a lot of interest here on FR.
Ok, so I’m an idiot. :^)
My brain (what’s left of it) was thinking Is Betsaida and *Bethany* the same, but my fingers typed *Bethesda.*
So... nevermind!
(signed, Roseanne, Rosanna-danna)
Speaking from experience, don't fret, as you get older, it will get worse. :^(
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