Galilee Part III -- Bethsaida and Kursi

On our second day we went to the place where the Jordan River enters the Sea of Galilee and turned north towards the village of Bethsaida.  Here is a site of quite extensive excavations being conducted by the University of Nebraska and a number of participating partners.  

 

The excavations reveal quite an elaborate town with narrow streets, houses, and city gate.  Bethsaida is mentioned several times in scripture and is said to be the birthplace of Phillip, Andrew, and Peter as well as a place that Jesus visited frequently.  Bethsaida is mentioned in the New Testament more than any other city besides Jerusalem and Capernaum.  The lively fishing village was the place where Jesus performed some of his most well-known miracles, including the two-stage healing of the blind man (Mark 8:22-26):

“They came to Bethsaida.  Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.  Ht took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes an laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’ And the man looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’  Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”

This always reminds me of a friend who used to say, “Be patient with me; God’s not finished with me yet!”

 

After we left Bethsaida we once again followed the shoreline all the way around until we were on the east side of the lake.  There is a national park here at a place called Kursi.  With the Sea of Galilee in front and the Golan Heights rising behind it, Kursi is known by Christian tradition as the place where Jesus cast demons out of two Gadarene, or Gerasene, men and commanded them to enter a nearby herd of swine which promptly stampeded into the sea.  There was once a Byzantine monastery there, the remains of which can still be seen.  There are some intriguing paths and resting places within the park.