Fisherman Seal of Bethsaida

Physical evidence of the fishing industry at Bethsaida connects directly to the Gospel accounts of Jesus calling fishermen as his first disciples.

Bethsaida, meaning "House of the Fisherman" (or possibly "House of the Hunt") in Aramaic, holds a unique place in the Gospel narratives as the hometown of three of Jesus's apostles: Peter, Andrew, and Philip (John 1:44). The site is mentioned more often in the Gospels than any other place except Jerusalem and Capernaum. Despite its importance, the identification of Bethsaida with a specific archaeological site has been debated for over a century.

The leading candidate is et-Tell, a large mound located about 2 kilometers north of the Sea of Galilee on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Excavations at et-Tell have been conducted since 1987 by the Bethsaida Excavations Project, directed by Rami Arav of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in partnership with several international institutions. The project has uncovered significant Iron Age and Hellenistic-Roman period remains, including a massive Iron Age gate complex, domestic quarters, and artifacts related to fishing and agriculture.

Among the artifacts recovered is a seal or seal impression associated with the fishing industry. Seal impressions (bullae) were used throughout the ancient Near East for administrative and commercial purposes, stamped onto clay to mark ownership, verify transactions, or seal documents and containers. The fishing-related imagery on this bulla is consistent with the site's Aramaic name and its location on the shores of what was, in antiquity, a lagoon or inlet of the Sea of Galilee.

The fishing industry of the Sea of Galilee was a substantial economic enterprise in the first century CE. Literary sources including Josephus and the Gospels describe a thriving fishing economy. The lake contained (and still contains) species including tilapia (known as "St. Peter's fish"), sardines, and catfish. Fishing was conducted with various methods: cast nets (amphiblestron, mentioned in Matthew 4:18), drag nets (sagene, mentioned in Matthew 13:47), and hook and line (Matthew 17:27). The apostle Peter and his brother Andrew were using a cast net when Jesus called them (Mark 1:16-18), and James and John were mending nets in their boat (Mark 1:19).

The archaeological evidence from et-Tell includes not only the seal but also fishing weights, anchors, and hooks found in domestic contexts, confirming that fishing was a primary occupation of the settlement's inhabitants. Needle-like bronze implements identified as net-mending tools have also been recovered. The material culture paints a picture of a community deeply engaged in the fishing industry.

The identification of et-Tell with Bethsaida has been challenged by some scholars who note that the mound is located about 2 kilometers from the current lakeshore and sits at a higher elevation than expected for a lakeside fishing village. Rami Arav and geologist John Shroder have argued that the geological and hydrological conditions of the first century were different: the Jordan River delta has advanced significantly since antiquity, and the lake level has fluctuated. In the first century, the shoreline may have been much closer to et-Tell, possibly connected by a lagoon or channel.

An alternative identification, el-Araj, located closer to the current lakeshore, has been proposed by Mordechai Aviam and R. Steven Notley. Excavations at el-Araj since 2016 have uncovered Roman-period remains including a bathhouse and a possible church, supporting this alternative. The debate between et-Tell and el-Araj continues and represents one of the most active controversies in biblical archaeology.

Regardless of which site proves to be Bethsaida, the fishing seal and related artifacts from et-Tell demonstrate the character of the Sea of Galilee fishing industry that forms the economic and social backdrop of Jesus's Galilean ministry. When Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), he was speaking to professional fishermen whose daily life involved the skills, tools, and commercial networks evidenced by these archaeological finds.

Philip the Tetrarch (son of Herod the Great) renamed the village Julias in honor of Augustus's wife Julia, according to Josephus (Antiquities 18.2.1). This renaming elevated the settlement from a village to a polis (city), which aligns with Luke's description of Bethsaida as a polis (Luke 9:10). The Hellenistic and Roman-period remains at et-Tell include evidence of this urban upgrade.

• A seal impression depicting fishing-related imagery found at et-Tell, consistent with the site's Aramaic name meaning 'House of the Fisherman'
• Fishing weights, anchors, hooks, and net-mending tools found in domestic contexts confirm fishing as a primary occupation
• The site identification debate between et-Tell (Rami Arav) and el-Araj (Mordechai Aviam) remains one of the most active controversies in biblical archaeology
• Geological evidence suggests the Sea of Galilee shoreline was much closer to et-Tell in the first century than today
• A massive Iron Age gate complex at et-Tell indicates the site's importance long before the Hellenistic period
• Philip the Tetrarch renamed the village Julias (Josephus, Antiquities 18.2.1), matching Luke's description of it as a polis
• Three of Jesus's apostles — Peter, Andrew, and Philip — were from Bethsaida (John 1:44)
• The fishing industry archaeological evidence provides material context for Jesus's call of his first disciples

John 1:44 identifies Bethsaida as the city of Andrew and Peter (and by implication Philip). Matthew 4:18-20 and Mark 1:16-20 describe Jesus calling Peter and Andrew while they were casting a net into the Sea of Galilee, and James and John while they were in a boat mending nets. These passages depict professional fishermen engaged in their daily work, and the archaeological evidence of the fishing industry at Bethsaida provides the material context. Jesus performed miracles at Bethsaida, including the healing of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26) and the feeding of the five thousand nearby (Luke 9:10-17). Despite these miracles, Jesus pronounced woe on Bethsaida for its unbelief: "Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented" (Luke 10:13). The metaphor "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17) draws directly on the vocabulary and experience of the Galilean fishing industry. The various fishing methods mentioned in the Gospels — cast nets, drag nets, hook and line — correspond to specific techniques documented archaeologically and ethnographically around the Sea of Galilee.