A fierce summer wildfire along the Sea of Galilee stripped away choking brush and revealed what archaeologists say may be the long-sought biblical town of Bethsaida, the birthplace of Peter, Andrew, and Philip. What could have been pure destruction instead turned into a providential clearing that exposed Roman-era architecture and renewed claims about one of Christianity’s most storied locations.
Firefighters battled the blaze for more than 17 hours, and the flames destroyed the team’s equipment, but the inferno also burned away dense reeds and eucalyptus that had hidden the site for years. When the excavation team returned they found pillar fragments, charred blocks, and clear traces of buildings that had been invisible beneath the vegetation, giving them a rare, unobstructed view of the ground.
Seasoned directors of the dig reported the discovery of architectural elements — pillar drums, Corinthian and Doric capitals, and the remains of a substantial settlement beneath a fifth-century church bearing colorful mosaics. Most striking to Christian visitors and scholars was a Greek inscription in the church dedicating it to titles long associated with Peter, language that Byzantine Christians likely used because they believed the spot marked Peter’s house.
Those finds make el-Araj a much stronger candidate for Bethsaida — not a tiny fishing hamlet but a sizeable settlement that matches Flavius Josephus’s description of the city renamed Julias under Herod Philip. Archaeology is never absolute proof on its own, but when ruins, inscriptions, and historical descriptions line up like this, it deserves respect rather than reflexive skepticism.
This is exactly the kind of story that should unite Americans of faith and common sense: our history and heritage are not abstract notions to be tossed aside by trendy academics who treat Scripture as mere folklore. Conservatives should celebrate the discovery and insist that Western civilization’s Christian roots are recognized, preserved, and defended against indifference and ideology.
The team led by Prof. Mordechai Aviam and Prof. Steven Notley has shown courage and perseverance in the face of loss, and they deserve support as they continue careful, respectful excavation rather than headline-chasing demolition. If we value truth and the continuity of our civilization, we will back serious scholarship, protect these fragile sites, and honor the memory of the men who helped lay the foundations of the faith that shaped the West.
