City
Bethphage
BETH-fuh-jee · Modern At-Tur, East Jerusalem
Bethphage is a city of the biblical world, known today as At-Tur, East Jerusalem.
What is known
- Where Jesus sent two disciples to fetch the donkey for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-3; Mark 11:1-3; Luke 19:29-30)
- Marks the traditional starting point of the Palm Sunday procession into Jerusalem
History
- Founded
- A small village on the Mount of Olives near Bethany, existing by the 1st century AD
- Population
- Estimated 50–150 residents in the 1st century AD — a tiny hamlet on the Mount of Olives road
- Coordinates
- 31.7772° N, 35.2508° E
Archaeology
Excavations in the At-Tur neighborhood, believed to be the site of biblical Bethphage, uncovered rock-cut installations, a quarry, Second Temple-period burial caves, cisterns, and a Byzantine winepress, suggesting occupation from roughly the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. The precise location remains a matter of scholarly tradition; today's Franciscan and Greek Orthodox churches (built on 12th-century Crusader foundations) mark the traditionally venerated spot.
Scripture references
- Matthew 21:1-3
- Mark 11:1
- Luke 19:29
On a modern map
Further reading
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