Bethsaida

Bethsaida is an archaeological site of an ancient city in Galilee, northeastern Israel. The ruins sit on a hillside near the shore and show stone walls, platforms, and remains of public and private structures spread across several terraces.

A fishing community lived here from the Iron Age and later grew into a larger settlement. In 30 CE the place was transformed into a Roman city and given the name Julias in honor of the daughter of Emperor Augustus.

The name comes from Hebrew and means house of the catch or house of the fishermen, reflecting the ancient ties to fishing. Visitors today can walk among foundations of dwellings and workshops where fishermen and craftsmen worked two thousand years ago.

The site sits on a hillside and requires some walking over uneven ground with stones and dirt paths. Morning or late afternoon visits are more comfortable since there is little shade on hot days.

In 2022 a Byzantine floor mosaic with a Greek inscription mentioning Saint Peter was uncovered. This discovery helps connect the identity of the place with texts from early Christian times.