Archaeologists are ‘absolutely’ convinced they’ve found lost city where Jesus performed miracles

After a decade of investigating, a team of archaeologists are convinced they have discovered the lost Biblical city of Bethsaida.

Dr. Steven Notley and his team, the Bethsaida-Julias excavation team, have spent the last 10 years digging through the ruins of the historical site now known as el-Araj.

The team - now in its 10th season of digging - have spent the summer unearthing a trove of artefacts from northern Israel, including lamps, make-up tools and coins.

Other artefacts, recovered from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, proved the group's theory that it was once the ancient city where Jesus is said to have performed a series of miracles.

Notley, the academic director of the excavation team, shared the news in a blog post, published in early August.

“What we try to take into account is the accumulation of collected evidence from all the squares that paints a portrait of the historical profile of the ancient site. That picture is becoming clearer with each season,” he penned.

The team have spent a decade looking into the ruins (Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism & Christian Origins)

During their 10th season of digging, the team enhanced their understanding of Bethsaida-Julia in the Roman period. Artefacts from other eras were also uncovered in the area.

Sharing a further insight into their findings, Notley said the team also found “Roman-period walls, a basalt mortar (grinding stone), coins, and a fascinating half Doric capital that likely decorated a public building."

There were also suggestions that a Hellenistic settlement - from between 323 BC and 31 BC - was hiding in amongst the ruins, Notley added.

Chalk stoneware and Herodian lamps, only made in Jerusalem prior to 70 CE, were found, indicating that Jewish people lived in the city during the first century, which was when it switched from Bethsaida to Julias.

These findings contrast the beliefs that the people living in Galilee were underprivileged and instead suggests that the places Jesus visited were doing well under Roman ruling.

A series of artefacts were unearthed which support their theory (Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism & Christian Origins)

Ultimately, the Bethsaida-Julias excavation team's findings confirms claims that Notley had made years ago, stating that the ruins site is the city of Bethsaida.

“Everything we bring out of the ground affirms and strengthens that identification. Nothing that we have found would challenge it at all,” Notley told the Daily Mail.

He went on say that he calls it the 'last lost city of the Gospels', adding that he sees 'no difficulty' in believing that Jesus would spend 'considerable time' there.

The Bible claims that while in the city, Jesus fed thousands with just two fish and five loaves of bread, and also restored a blind gentleman's sight.