Bethsaida

Israel tours often stop in locations such as Bethsaida because of its close ties to the Christian faith. It is clear in the scriptures that Jesus knew Bethsaida very well (Matt. 11:21), which is located just north of the Sea of Galilee and home to Peter, Philip and Andrew (John 1:44) as well as Zebedee and his sons. It is the location where the feeding of the 5,000 took place (Luke 9:10-17) and where Jesus healed the blind man (Mark 8:22-26). It may be hard to believe since Bethsaida is such a popular Holy Land tour destination, but it was forgotten at one point. However, after the rediscovery of Korazim and Capernaum, Bethsaida has again opened its gates to visitors and is now considered one of the three towns in the "Evangelical Triangle". Bethsaida is known for its fishermen disciples. Perhaps the highlight for many who visit Bethsaida is the thrill of walking on the cobbled streets where Jesus walked at one time. A great deal of Old Testament history happened here as well as this was one the capital of Geshur and the hometown of the wife of David's youth, Maacah (2 Sam 3:3). Visitors can also witness the giant burned gates that attest to the destruction by the Assyrians back in 732 BCE, which was recorded in 2 Kings 18:10. Bethsaida is a wonderful place to experience a piece of biblical history or to simply sit quietly and enjoy the wonder of your surroundings.