The home-town of the apostles Andrew, Peter & Philip (Jn 1:44), Bethsaida was located east of the Jordan River on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee but whose exact location has yet to be identified with certainty.
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Jesus seemed to have frequented the town during the time of his Galilean ministry (Mk 6:45; Lk 9:10) and was the site of at least one recorded miracles, the restoration of sight to a blind man (Mk 8:22-26). In the end, the town earned the wrath of Jesus for their unbelief; "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" (Matt 11:21//Lk 10:13).
Though Peter and Andrew were from Bethsaida, they moved to Capernaum. A number of reasons may account for this. First, Capernaum was by the sea, saving them a great deal of time getting to their boats and back. Besides Capernaum was on this side of the border; working there meant that they did not have to cross the border, and pay the taxes on their fish, everytime they sent their goods to the market.
Online Resources:
☰ Biblical Archaeology Society Where is Biblical Bethsaida?
☰ Sergio & Rhonda in Israel, The True Location of Bethsaida Youtube
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