Places in the Bible Today:

Bethsaida 2

Data

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

3 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Bethsaida 1 (ancient): 75% confidence. It may be:

    1. ruins at At TellAt Tell

    2. aerial panorama of Al ArajAl Araj

    3. church at TabghaTabgha

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

  2. At Tell (modern): 15% confidence

    1. ruins at At TellAt Tell

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

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

Verses (3)

  1. Mark 6:45, 8:22
  2. Luke 9:10

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
OpenBible.info (2007)Bethsaida
OpenBible.infoa9fc13a (Bethsaida 2)
TIPNRBethsaida@Mat.11.21
UBS Names Databasent ID_222

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992)
  2. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013)
  3. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)
  4. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Beth-saida
  5. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011)
  6. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  7. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979)
  8. Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016)
  9. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Bethsaida
  10. New Bible Dictionary (1996)
  11. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  12. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988)
  13. Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible (1981): Bethsaida
  14. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001)
  15. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975)
  16. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  17. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  18. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Mark 6:45

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 (in this case, another name for Bethsaida 1), 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, Berthold Werner, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019

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.