Alex Carson
New Finds
Even though people have been living on this planet for hundreds of thousands of years, we are still making new discoveries. It seems as though there is always an archaeological team somewhere in the world, discovering something that has been hidden away from the world for centuries. Recently, Archaeologists Have Unearthed An Incredible Artifact At The Site Where Jesus Fed The 5, 000.
Incredible Artifact: Israel’s Jordan Park
A team of archaeologists has been working hard in Israel’s Jordan Park. In the area of Golan Heights, you can hear the sounds of tools sparking against the stone, as these researchers are struggling to excavate a particular site. The site in question is called et-Tell.
The New Testament
The astonishing find was discovered on the banks of the Jordan River, just north of the Sea of Galilee. According to the New Testament’s Book of John, three of Jesus’ disciples actually came from a small fishing village in the area, called Bethsaida. Experts believe that they have identified the site of an ancient settlement in the et-Tell area.
Incredible Artifact: Bethsaida and Zer
It is believed that Bethsaida is the same place as the city of Zer, that is mentioned in the Old Testament. During the second temple period, the city went by the name, Bethsaida. During the First Temple period, it was called the city of Zer. To add further proof, there is a part in the Old Testament Book where Joshua mentions the same settlement.
Confusion
There is a bit of confusion surrounding the area. The team was exploring a location that has great significance to people of both the Christian faith and Jewish faith. The only problem is that there is some confusion regarding the excavation area. A second team has been excavating a different site that they claim to be Bethsaida, and that they discovered it.
The Theory
According to the first team’s theory, which was led by a man named Arav, the city of Zer was standing at the time of King David. The Old Testament claims that King David was Israel’s second king after Saul. The ruler had come from a humble beginning; however, he transformed from a simple shepherd to a hero when he managed to slay the giant Philistine Goliath. This is the much-renowned story, David and Goliath. After Saul passed away, David took over the throne.
Finds and Answers
The team found gravestones, also known as stele. Each one was carved with a moon deity in the shape of a bull. Similar stones have turned up in other ancient parts of the world, including modern-day Turkey and Egypt. The two that were uncovered in Bethsaida date back to around 3,100 years ago. This could mean that the city was part of Geshur, which was an Aramean kingdom that was also mentioned in the Old Testament.
Jesus’ Journey
According to the New Testament, Jesus traveled to the shores of Galilee and found three of his 12 disciples, Philip, Peter, and Andrew. According to the Gospel of John, the next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He told Philip to follow him the way that Andrew and Peter did.
Healing
According to the text, people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and let him out of the village. He spit on the man’s eyes and then put his hands on him. Jesus asked him if he could see anything. The man told him that he could see people, and they looked like trees walking around. When this happened, Bethsaida came as the site of Jesus’ miracles. All four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all mention this episode, as well as the feeding of the 5,000. As people came for miracles, Jesus fed them. He fed 5,000 in all.
The Finding
During the excavation, archaeologists found what they believe to be the ancient city gates. Arav and his team found a second gate that they believe to have come from the time of the Old Testament’s King David. While this is a very fantastic find, archaeologists cannot seem to agree.
Not everyone believes that the gates found in Bethsaida. Some are sure that they came from competing sites, that lies north to the sea of Galilee. There are two schools of thought regarding the exact location; however, it doesn’t take away from the find. These gates touched by Jesus Christ himself, which is an incredible find in its own right. It is finds like these that keep archaeologists working hard. An archaeologist never knows if the next day they go out to explore will be the find of a lifetime. This brings an awful lot of excitement to the job and being able to find something that was once used by Jesus is extraordinary.
