BETHZAIDA, a city lying beyond the river Jordan, upon the Sea of Tiberias, in the place almost where the Jordan discharges itself into this Sea. Philip the Tetrarch inlarged and adorned the city of Bethzaida, and called it Julias. Josephus takes notice particularly, that Bethzaida was in the Gaulonitis, and on the other side of Jordan1. In our Dissertation on the Geography of the Holy Land, we have examined the arguments which are produced to shew on the contrary, that Bethzaida lies to the west, and not to the east, of the Sea of Tiberias2.
Bethzaida is not known by the name of Julias in the New Testament. The Apostles S. Peter, Andrew, and Philip Mark viii. 22.were of this City. Our Saviour was there frequently: he cured a blind man there, by putting spittle on his eyes, he led him out of the town, and laying his hands up3 on him, asked him if he saw any thing. He said he saw men walking, who appeared to him like trees; and Jesus putting once more his hands upon his eyes, the blind man was so perfectly cured, that he saw all things distinctly. Our Saviour wrought a great many miracles here; but the inhabitants were not benefited by the instructions which he gave them, nor by the miracles which they saw performed by him: the consideration whereof obliged him one day to say, Woe unto thee Chorazin, woe unto Luke x. 13.thee Bethzaida; for if the mighty works which had been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. The Hebrew word Bethzaida, signifies the hunting or the fishing-house.
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