Capernaum – The Town of Jesus

View of Sea of Galilee from Capernaum

On the north shore of the Sea of Galilee lie the ruins of the town of Capernaum. This town has in modern times become known as the Town of Jesus, because this is where he spent the greater part of the three years of his ministry.

Capernaum has been in ruins and forgotten since the 7th century. It was rediscovered in the middle of the 19th century by the American explorer Edward Robinson, mainly the synagogue. His findings were confirmed by later explorers as well as archaeological excavations.

Almost nothing about Capernaum is known from written sources outside the New Testament, which means we can’t say much about the origin of its name. Capernaum is a contraction of two Hebrew words: Kfar = village and Nahum, an ordinary Jewish name then and now. There is most likely no connection to the prophet Nahum.

Excavations show that the town, or maybe rather village, was founded in the early Hashmonean period, around 150 BCE, and that it was and stayed primarily a Jewish village, even through the Roman period. But already in the later parts of the first century CE there seems to be the beginnings of a group of followers of Jesus, an early Christian community in the Holy Land.

Who Lived in Capernaum?
We can’t say how large Capernaum was at the time of Jesus. It would not have been a significant place, as no defensive walls have been discovered. With ample supply of fresh water, either from the springs nearby or from the Sea of Galilee, the town could have been large, but it is estimated that no more than 5000 people lived there at the time.

The main occupations of the people would have been as fishermen, as farmers, or involved in the further production of the agricultural products. This can be seen from the olive press and large industrial wheat grinders that have been found.

But Capernaum would also have generated income from the route that passed through it, an ancient route connecting the Galilee with Damascus, and part of a large road system.

Although a small place and quite poor, it was built along the traditional lines of towns at the time. This consisted of a main street running north-south, and smaller side streets coming off, creating a grid-like system and different neighborhoods. Each square within this system was known as an insula (Latin) or agora (Greek).

All of the houses were built of rough basalt stones – the most common stone in the area. They were built along the typical lines of houses in the first century, two or three small rooms around a larger central courtyard. In this courtyard was the oven for the preparation of food. Staircases were found, showing that the roofs were used. The roofs were constructed of wooden beams with thatch and mud in between.

Being a small village none of the houses were more than the ground floor. But the roofs were in important part of the house, where the people might have preferred to sleep, especially in the hot summer months.

As was common in those days families lived together, meaning that an insula would house several generations of the same family, each within its own small house, but in close proximity to be of help to each other.

Further history of Capernaum
It seems that Capernaum did not take part in any of the Jewish Rebellions against the Romans, not The First Rebellion (66-70) that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, nor in the second, the Bar Kochba Rebellion (132-135).

Capernaum continued to thrive in the following centuries. This can be seen from the construction that took place there in late fourth or early fifth century. The central part of the town was torn down to make a town square. On the north side was built a large synagogue, today known as the White Synagogue, on the south side a church, to become known as the House of St. Peter.

Capernaum was partly destroyed during the 7th century with the Persian invasion (614) and the Arab Conquest (636). Remains of an Arab village have been found nearby. It was finally abandoned in the 11the century, probably due to the Crusader conquest (1099) and left forgotten till modern times.

In the late 19th century the Franciscans took over the site, built a protective wall around the remains of the town. They also undertook complete investigation of the site as well as archaeological excavations that have revealed the White Synagogue, the remains of the early churches of the House of St. Peter, the oil press and other agricultural implements, the agora, and more.

This is a definite must for any visitor to Israel traveling in the footsteps of Jesus.

Things of special importance in Capernaum:
The Oil Press
The Synagogue
The Insula
St. Peter’s House
The remains of the panels, with rolling ark and star

® Copyright to Birte Edwards, Your Tour Guide to Israel