Places in the Bible Today:

Bethsaida 1

Data

Translated NameBethsaida
Typesettlement
NotesBethsaida in Galilee
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

4 Possible Identifications

  1. At Tell (modern): 50% confidence

    1. ruins at At TellAt Tell

  2. Al Araj (modern): 20% confidence

    1. aerial panorama of Al ArajAl Araj

  3. El Mess’adiyye (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around El Mess’adiyyeEl Mess’adiyye

  4. Tabgha (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. church at TabghaTabgha

Verses (4)

  1. Matt 11:21
  2. Luke 10:13
  3. John 1:44, 12:21

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Biblemapper.com267
Logos FactbookBeth-Saida
OpenBible.info (2007)Bethsaida
OpenBible.infoa91b732 (Bethsaida 1)
TIPNRBethsaida@Mat.11.21
UBS Names Databasent ID_222
WikidataQ501773

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Beth-saida (place)
  2. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (1990): Bethsaida; Beth-ramtha; Livias-iulias
  3. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Bethsaida
  4. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Bethsaida
  5. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1974): page 197
  6. Carta Bible Atlas, 5th Edition (2011)
  7. ESV Bible Atlas (2010)
  8. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Beth-saida
  9. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011): Bethsaida
  10. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  11. Holman Illustrated Guide to Bible Geography (2020): page 238
  12. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Bethsaida
  13. Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016): Bethsaida
  14. Monson, Regions on the Run (2009): map 5
  15. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Beth-saida
  16. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  17. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988)
  18. Oxford Bible Atlas, Fourth Edition (2007)
  19. Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible (1981): Bethsaida
  20. Rogerson, New Atlas of the Bible (1985): page 129
  21. Schlegel, Satellite Bible Atlas (2016): Bethsaida
  22. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Bethsaida
  23. Tübingen Bible Atlas (2001): Bethsaida, Bethsaida
  24. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Bethsaida
  25. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  26. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  27. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Mark 6:45; Matt 11:21 sidebar

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others, for example, then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Places with Similar Names

Thumbnail Image Credits

Chmee2, AVRAHAM GRAICER, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Berthold Werner

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.