Byzantine Bethsaida and the House of St. Peter

Abstract

The recent discovery of a 6th century basilica at el-A‘raj (Bethsaida) on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee has challenged our understanding of Byzantine traditions about Simon Peter. This study examines the corre-spondence between the archaeological finds and the description of Byzan-tine Bethsaida in the historical sources. Christian tradition consistently voiced that Peter’s home was in Bethsaida and was memorialized with a basilica. The archaeological finds at el-A‘raj accord with this tradition, but they also present a challenge to the innovation of Orfali in 1921 that the octagonal church in Capernaum was built over Peter’s house.