Bethsaida - A Biblical tradition comes alive again By YADIN ROMAN TOURING A small spring emanates from the foot of the hill of Bethsaida. It starts from a little gate in the city wall, where an ancient path once led from the city to the spring. Ancient walls around the spring, remains of water conduits and other installations, attest to its use in earlier times. Today its waters flow freely through a tangle of prickly bushes and willows into a clear pond surrounded by tall, thick-trunked eucalyptus trees. The spring at the foot of the hill of Bethsaida, with the massive trees standing all around, is the perfect spot to remember the miracle of the blind man of Bethsaida, one of the New Testament incidents that took made the town renowned. Jesus leads the blind man out of the city and spits on his eyes. When the blind man sees "trees as men," Jesus again lays His hands on the man, whereupon he sees perfectly. The tranquil atmosphere around the spring and the gigantic trees are an ideal backdrop for Jesus' last injunction to the man as he sent him home: "Do not even enter the village." The archeological ruins of Bethsaida area still being excavated, and until these excavations are completed, it will not be possible to "develop" the site so visitors will be able to easily explore all that it has to offer. However, the rugged atmosphere of the site, as well as its relative isolation from the hustle and bustle of most tourist locales - is one of the most charming attributes of this ancient city today. In addition, Bethsaida is the only site directly connected to the ministry of Jesus that contains substantial archeological remains from the Roman period during which Jesus lived and taught - and even before. In comparison, archeological sites in cities like Nazareth and Capernaum contain artifacts largely from much later eras. To reach Bethsaida, drive into the Jordan River Park (there is an entrance fee) near the northeastern tip of the Sea of Galilee. Once inside, take the unpaved road leading off to the left a few meters past the gate. Drive to the end of the road and park. Leave your car and climb up the path leading to the top of the hill of Bethsaida. As the path winds its way upward, it passes the remains of Syrian bunkers from the time the site was a Syrian military outpost. When the path reaches the top of the hill, another path branches off to the right. Follow this path to the end. On your right are the remains of the massive walls of the city dating from the First Temple period - the period beginning with the Biblical King David and King Solomon and continuing with the Kings of Judea and Israel. At the end of the path, under the trees, you will find a small open space, a few stones to sit on, and a stone altar. One of the trees planted around this space is a fig tree - to commemorate the fig tree of Nathanael. It was under a fig free that the elusive New Testament figure of Nathanael was said to have met Jesus, near Bethsaida, and warily asked him 'can anything good come out of Nazareth.' Later, he proclaimed his faith in the son of the Galilee. The steep slope leading down to the Jordan River Park below probably conceals the remains of the houses of the people of Bethsaida. The Jordan River flows in the valley below, which is irrigated by channels from the river. Retrace your steps to the main path and follow it to the center of the tel of Bethsaida. After walking on the path for a few minutes you will reach the remains of a paved road from the time of Jesus. This was one of the roads of the city or village of Bethsaida. A few meters further on, to your left, are the remains of two large houses from the time of Jesus, dubbed "the house of the fisherman," and the "the house of the vintner." At the time of writing, the path ends at a observation plaza from which the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, Magdala, Tiberias and the mountains surrounding the Land of the Ministry of Jesus can be seen clearly. From here, work is now in progress to construct a path around the tel, reaching a massive city gate. In front of the gate is an ancient pagan temple to the Moon God, and four stele - depicting a figure with the head of a bull -- guarding the gate. Above the gate and a little to its north are the remains of the Palace of the King of Geshur - even though they are difficult for the non-professional eye to discern. A dirt road leads from the gate area back to the parking lot. Along the road are the remains of the impressive fortifications of Bethsaida. The gate and fortifications testify to Bethsaida's past as a royal city-state during the First Temple period. During the time of David, Bethsaida may have been the capital of the kingdom of Geshur - which extended along the slopes of the eastern Golan and the Sea of Galilee. The Geshurites maintained good relations with the Israelites - a friendship that was cemented by King Dvid's marriage to a granddaughter of the King of Geshur - a union that gave rise to the birth of David's third-born son, Absalom. Inside the gate are the massive defense compartments and the remains of a great conflagration that probably destroyed this city around the eighth century BCE, during the period of Assyrian conquest. In the time of Jesus, Bethsaida was a smaller town or village where farmers and fishermen dwelt, and the local culture was undergoing a process of Hellenization. The discovery of the remains of a Roman temple in Bethsaida testifies to the way in which Jesus himself taught and preached in the shadow of pagan influences. Drive back to the main road leading into the park. Follow the road into the park and drive for about 600 meters. Watch out for an old iron gate painted green, among the trees on the left. Park near the gate and walk through it. The path crosses a small wooden bridge over a brook and reaches a pond under the boughs of huge eucalyptus trees. The waters of the brook come from a little spring that emanates at the foot of the tel of Bethsaida. The wall of the town from the later, Roman period can be identified at the bottom of the slope, as well as the remains of what seems to be a entrance or gate into the city opposite the spring. The journey to Caesarea Philippi: "Who Do People Say the Son of Man Is?" 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