Willibaldsbrunnen at the Catholic University of Eichstatt-Ingolstadt. © Sebastian Widmann (KNA)
The diocese of Eichstatt sees its patron Willibald confirmed in his historiography. This once quite correctly reported, quoted the diocese on Thursday the Eichstatter church historian Ernst Reiter.
Reiter was referring to a discovery in Israel that became known about three weeks ago. Archaeologists had discovered the remains of at least 1.500-year-old church discovered, which is said to have stood over the birthplace of the apostles Peter and Andrew. "The researchers refer to a witness from the 8. Century – on the holy Willibald, the first bishop of the diocese Eichstatt ", communicated the diocese now.
Pilgrims in the Holy Land
In fact, Willibald (probably 700-787) was traveling as a pilgrim in the Holy Land, as the diocese explained. "In his description of his journey, which he later dictated to the nun Hugeburc, he describes how he comes to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee and moves on to Betsaida – the place where Peter and Andrew come from."There is now a church where her house used to be, Willibald continued at the time.
However, the current church finding is not uncontroversial, the diocese says. According to critics, there is no evidence that Betsaida was actually located at this site. But if the researchers are right and the remains of the 20-by-30-meter church really did belong to the house of worship that stood above the birthplace of the apostles Peter and Andrew, then there must be evidence of the remains of this house under the church. That is why further digging is now being done.