“Hidden Treasures Unearthed: Is This the Long-Lost ‘Church of the Apostles’ That Could Rewrite Early Christianity?”
The researchers have likewise found evidence of the subsequent Roman takeover of the area as well. In 2017, for example, Kinneret’s Motti Aviram and his peers discovered a Roman bathhouse in el-Araj.
Otherwise, the researchers have found Roman houses, coins, and pottery as well as Jewish relics like stone vessels and oil lamps — all remnants of a historic settlement long gone by.
Future Excavations Around The Church Of The Apostles
Zachary WongProfessor Notley remarked how cathartic it is to let the light shine on these mosaic floors after they’ve been buried for nearly 1,500 years.
Following the discovery of what they believe to be the Church of the Apostles, the researchers are highly confident that next year’s excavations at el-Araj will produce even more fruitful discoveries as they continue to excavate the Byzantine church in its entirety.
“Thus far, we have only uncovered some of the southern rooms of the church, likely the southern aisle,” said Notley. “At the end of this season, we were just beginning to uncover the mosaics of what is likely the nave, the center section of the church.”
Fortunately for Notley, this ancient dig has been made easier by modern-day technology like electromagnetic imaging. The data currently suggests that there are far more buildings and structures to be uncovered. The team will simply have to wait until next season to get their hands on them.
“At the end of next season we expect to be able to publish a preliminary report on our first five seasons and definitely answer the question of the location of New Testament Bethsaida-Julias.”
