On the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives was a small village called Bethphage, where Jesus sent two disciples to obtain the colt He would ride for His “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; Eusebius, Onomastikon). The name Bethphage is derived from Aramaic beth pagy, meaning “house of unripe figs,” although the translation “house of eating” has also been suggested, and the place is mentioned multiple times in the Talmud (Felsenthal, “Additional Aramaic Words in the New Testament”; Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 175). About a 2 kilometer or less walk from the eastern walls of Jerusalem, Bethphage was on the way to Jerusalem from Bethany. The modern village of Al Tur probably is situated over the ancient site, although the nearby village of Abu Dis, farther to the south and closer to Bethany, has also been suggested. Today, the Church of Bethphage stands within the boundaries of what is thought to be ancient Bethphage. This church was built upon a Crusader period church of the 12th century, and while a Byzantine period mosaic floor was discovered at the proposed site of Bethphage, there is no clear archaeological evidence of a Byzantine church. The 8th century writing of Epiphanius Hagiopolita in Jerusalem seems to place the village of Bethphage at this location, but he did not mention a church there. Discoveries around the area of ancient Bethphage, including pottery, coins, tombs, ossuary pieces, cisterns, a mosaic floor, and a Byzantine winepress, indicate that the village was probably occupied from about the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD (Brisco, “Bethphage”; Sailer, “The Archaeological Setting of the Shrine of Bethphage”; Naveh, “Nameless People”). While no identifiable buildings of the 1st century have yet been excavated in Bethphage, its location just east of Jerusalem and occupation during the time of Jesus is known, providing further insight into the geography and culture of the Gospel narratives.
Dr. Titus Kennedy is a field archaeologist working primarily with sites and materials related to the Bible. He works with ColdWater Media and Drive Thru History® to maintain historical accuracy throughout their scripts and locations. Many of the archaeology blog posts are based on his publications, including Unearthing the Bible, Excavating the Evidence for Jesus, and The Essential Archaeological Guide to Bible Lands.
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