“Une nhamo iwe, Bhetisaidha!” Jesu akazvidza muchikamu cheTestamende Itsva, achinyunyuta kuti vagari vomuguta iri reBhaibheri havana kugamuchira shoko rake pashure pezvishamiso zvavakanga vaona. Muguta iri reGarireya rinodudzwa kakawanda muEvhangeri, kunodavirwa kuti muapostora Simoni Petro nomunun’una wake Andireya vakaberekwa uye kuti zvingwa nehove kuwanda kwakaitika pedyo. Flavius Josephus anoudza mu 'Jewish Antiquities' (18:28) kuti musha wekubata hove wakazvininipisa wakava guta diki reRoma rainzi Julias, raivepo kusvika muzana ramakore rechitatu AD Mushure mekutsakatika kwayo kwakarasika nekufamba kwenguva, pamwe nekuda kwekuwedzera pamusoro pemvura yeGungwa reGarireya. Nhasi nzvimbo dzinoverengeka dziri kushanda sevagari venhaka yake. Imwe yacho inogara El Araj, pakati peKapenaume neKursi, muGolan Heights. Zvisaririra zvedzimba dzeRoma nedzechiJuda zvakawanikwa ipapo, pamwe chete nezvisaririra zveBasilica yeByzantine, inofungidzirwa kuti ndiyo Chechi yeVaapostora, yakavakwa maererano netsika dzechiKristu paimba yaSan Pedro neSan Andrés. Runyoro rwechiGiriki rwakawanikwa mukuchera rutsva rwauya kuzosimbisa pfungwa iyi.
Vanochera matongo kubva kuKinneret College muIsrael uye Nyack College muNew York, vachitungamirwa nemapurofesa Mordechai Aviam naSteven Notley, vaive nemosaic mudiaconicon (sacristy) yetemberi, ine maruva motifs uye kunyora kwakarongedzwa medallion yakatenderera yakagadzirwa nereverse black tesserae. Zvinoenderana neshanduro yakaitwa nemapurofesa Leah Di Segni (Hebrew University) naJacob Ashkenazi (Kinneret College), inoreva mupi, "Constantine, muranda waKristu", uye ine chikumbiro chekureverera kubva kuna Saint Peter, "mukuru nemukuru. yavaapostora vokudenga.
Vanyori vechiKristu cheByzantine vaishandisa zita iri rekuti “mukuru nemutungamiriri wevaapositori” kureva Mutsvene Peter, El Araj Excavation Project, inotsigirwa neCentre for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Origins, vakadaro mukutaura. (CSAJCO), Museum of the Bible, Lanier Theological Library Foundation uye HaDavar Yeshiva (HK).
Pamwe yakatsaurirwa kuna Mutsvene Petro
"Kuwanikwa uku chiratidzo chitsva asi kuti Pedro aive nemubatanidzwa wakasarudzika nechechi, uye pamwe yaive yakatsaurirwa kwaari. Sezvo tsika dzechiKristu dzeByzantine dzaigara dzichiratidza imba yaPetro seBhetsaida, uye kwete Kapernaume, sezvinofungwawo mazuvano, temberi yacho ingangove yairangarira imba yake,” akadaro Steven Notley, mutungamiriri wezvidzidzo zvekuchera.
Kuwanikwa uku kunotsigirawo kuzivikanwa kwebasilica neChechi yeVaapostora yakatsanangurwa naBhishopi Willibald weEichstätt muzana ramakore rechisere, panguva yerwendo rwake kuenda kuNyika Tsvene. Parwendo rwake kubva kuKapenaume kuenda kuKurasi, akarara munzvimbo iyo, maererano nezvaakaudzwa, “iri Bhetsaidha pakabva Pedro naAndrés. Iye zvino kune chechi kwaimbova imba yake.
Mordechai Aviam, mutungamiriri wezvokuchera matongo wemabasa, akashuma kuti "chimwe chezvinangwa zvekuchera uku kwaiva kuona kana tine chikamu chezana remakore rokutanga panzvimbo iyi" uye vakazviwana. "Hatisi chete tinowana zvakasara zvakasara kubva panguva ino, asiwo iyi kereke yakakosha uye monastery yakaipoteredza."
Pamwe chete, izvi zvichasimbisa kuzivikanwa kweEl Araj/Beit haBek nemusha wekare wechiJudha weBethsaida.
