Archaeologists working at the El-Araj site on the Sea of Galilee say they have identified the lost biblical city of Bethsaida, home to the apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip and the setting for several miracles attributed to Jesus, including the feeding of the 5,000 and the healing of a blind man. Steven Notley, academic director of the El-Araj Excavation Project, told Fox News Digital he is now "100% certain" of the identification after a decade of excavation led by Mordechai Aviam, with the case built on accumulating evidence rather than a single conclusive find.

Since digging began in 2016, researchers have uncovered evidence of both a Jewish fishing village and its later growth into a small Roman city, including thousands of lead fishing weights, stone vessels, a Roman bathhouse and over 200 coins used to help date the settlement. A wildfire last year unexpectedly cleared underbrush, allowing the team to establish the settlement covers at least 15 acres. Excavators also found a Byzantine basilica containing an inscription referencing the "Chief of the Apostles and Keeper of the Keys of Heaven" — a reference to Peter — built over Roman-era homes traditionally linked to Peter and Andrew, though Notley stopped short of claiming certainty that a specific dwelling was Peter's own house.