A Bit Of History
Capernaum
Capernaum was a small Jewish fishing and agricultural community on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee . It was apparently a principal base of Jesus ’ operations , with Matt 9:1 going so far as to call it Jesus ’ “ own city .” According to Mark 1:29 , it was the hometown of Jesus ’ disciples Simon , Andrew , James , and John . It is the setting for well-known stories such as Jesus ’ call of a tax collector to follow him ( Mark 2:12-17 ), his preaching and exorcism in a synagogue ( Mark 1:21-28 , Luke 4:31-37 ), the healing of Simon ’ s mother-in-law ( Matt 8:14-15 , Mark 1:29- 31 , Luke 4:38-39 ) and the healing of a paralytic man ( Matt 9:1-8 , Mark 2:1-12 ). Perhaps the most famous story associated with Capernaum is that of the Gentile centurion whose faith Jesus praises after healing his servant ( Matt 8:5-13 , Luke 7:1-10 ).
Various scholars explored and excavated portions of the site in the late 1800s and early 1900s . In the late 1960s , archaeologists associated with the Studium Biblical Franciscanum ( Franciscan Biblical School ) in Jerusalem began more extensive work there , followed a decade later by archaeologists associated with the Greek Orthodox Church . The most famous discoveries are a limestone synagogue constructed in the late fourth or early fifth century C . E . that can now be seen in reconstructed form and an octagonal church built in the fifth century . The church sits atop a first-century house that itself underwent extensive renovation in the preceding centuries . Aramaic , Greek , Latin , and Syriac graffiti demonstrate that it was a site of pilgrimage already in the fourth century . Because the fourth-century Christian pilgrim Egeria wrote that she visited the house of Peter , many believe that ancient architectural remains underneath the octagonal church are in fact the disciple ’ s house .
Archaeological finds from the first century are more modest but nonetheless extensive and important , consisting of basalt houses with accompanying courtyards , streets , and various small objects .
The Apostle ’ s Path 12
Fragments from stone vessels attest to the village ’ s predominantly Jewish population , as only Jews in this region used such vessels , believing them to be impervious to ritual impurity . Today , Capernaum ’ s well-preserved finds provide a popular destination for pilgrims and tourists .
Have archaeologists discovered the synagogue where Jesus taught ?
Early twentieth-century excavators were convinced that Capernaum ’ s limestone synagogue was the one built by the centurion mentioned in Matt 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 . Later scholars suggested on architectural grounds that the synagogue actually dated to the second or third century C . E . Today , most scholars date the building ’ s construction to the late fourth or fifth century C . E . on the basis of pottery evidence , coin finds , and stylistic considerations .
Many scholars are intrigued by the possibility that the limestone synagogue was built on top of an earlier synagogue that may go back to the first century , pointing to remains of basalt walls and pavements underneath the fifth-century building . Because thorough excavation of the basalt structures would require dismantling the limestone synagogue , it is likely that this question will never be resolved with certainty .
Were Roman soldiers stationed at Capernaum in the time of Jesus ?
Some interpreters understandably assume that the centurion mentioned in Matt 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 was a Roman army officer . However , while both gospels refer to the centurion as Gentile , neither identifies him as a Roman , and it is unlikely that Capernaum had a Roman garrison in the early first century . Galilee at the time belonged to the territory of Antipas , a Herodian client-king who served at the whim of the Romans but had some degree of autonomy . It would have been unusual for the Romans to station soldiers in the territory of a loyal client-king who faced no serious internal or external threats . Roman troops were apparently not permanently stationed in Galilee until the second century C . E . A famous milestone exhibited at modern Capernaum that documents the construction of a road by Roman soldiers dates not to the time of Jesus but to the reign of Emperor Hadrian ( 117-138 C . E .). Because the armies of the Herodian kings included Gentiles and were sometimes organized along Roman lines , it is likely that the tradition underlying the gospels ’ story originally referred to an officer in the army of Antipas .