Capernaum

In Scripture, the Messiah is called “Immanuel,” or “God with us” (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Immanuel came to live in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Back in those days when one went to the shuk (open market) to buy grapes, he might just happen to see Jesus also buying grapes. Imagine the King of the Universe buying grapes and living as a man! One might also chance to see him work a mighty miracle of healing for someone in the shuk. Apparently, many of those onlookers saw such miracles, shrugged their shoulders, clutched their own grapes and walked away unchanged.

Because of their attitudes, Jesus cursed the city of Capernaum with these words: “And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” (Matt. 11:23-24).

We learn a very important lesson here. Revelation demands responsibility. As the scripture says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). We will give an account for every ounce of revelation we have ever received. It is probably for this reason that teachers will be judged more severely than others (Jas. 3:1).

Jesus, the Son of God, came to live in Capernaum, and it brought great judgment upon that unresponsive city. Conversely, it brought great salvation for those who heard and heeded his message.

Capernaum illustrates for us that we live on a visited planet. He who is called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6), came to live with us for a short season at Capernaum. He was a bright and shining light in a dark place.

As long as days come and go, breezes will refresh the ancient places along the shores of fertile Galilee and the ruins of old Capernaum, the city Jesus knew so well. Matthew 4:13, “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali.” In the Bible this deep, freshwater, pear shaped lake was known by several other names as well: Lake Kinneret, Lake Gennesaret, and the Sea of Tiberias. A very unusual feature of Galilee is that it is 686 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Though not huge it is of respectable size in that it measures 13 miles from north to south and 7 miles from east to west with a total of 64 square miles of surface area. The Jordan River flows into Galilee from Syria and continues south from Galilee and is the main source of fresh water for the entire region. Bountiful farming and fishing have been the main reward for living in this very uncharacteristic area of the Middle East.

Since Capernaum lay on the political border separating Herod Antipas’ of Galilee from Gaulanitis, ruled by his brother Philip, it was the location of a customs house. There was also a small military garrison, quartered to the east of the Jewish town, under the command of a centurion probably one of Herod Antipas’ mercenaries.

The town proper, whose existence is from the Early Roman Period, lies in a very fertile area and it was a busy place. Located on the highway from the Mediterranean coast to Damascus, the Via Maris, merchants would bring silk and spices from Damascus and take back the dried fish and fruits of the plains of Gennessaret. Despite its relative prosperity (augmented by local fishing in the Sea of Galilee), the town was evidently quite small but large enough for a small synagogue. Its population was likely no more than 1000 to 1500 people. The town, in Jesus’ day a poor fishing village, extended along the actual lake shore only for a distance of about 1600 feet. Apparently the Jewish inhabitants could not afford their own synagogue and they praised the Gentile Centurion, who held the Jewish people in high regard and seemingly sought to maintain good relations with the local townspeople, for building it.

Paul attests to Peter still having a wife who was a follower of Jesus, who accompanied him on his travels. Presumably, Peter’s mother-in-law also resided in the house with Peter and his brother Andrew.
Jesus performed many miracles here ( See chronology). From this town he chose his first four disciples (Peter, Andrew and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John) and later he chose the publican Matthew, also known as Levi, who became the author of the first Gospel, worked at the customs house.

The Centurion, commander of the military garrison in service to Herod Antipas, sought Jesus’ help in the healing of his servant. Jesus commends this Gentile officer for understanding that Jesus could heal from far off and his physical presence in a ceremonially unclean Gentile compound was not necessary. This kept Jesus from becoming ceremonially defiled according to the Mosaic Code.

Egeria, who visited the Holy Land including Capernaum in the latter part of the 4th century, noted in her Journal that while the Christian focus was the traditional “House of St. Peter” (which quite early had been converted into a “house-church” that is, a domus ecclesia), the magnificent White Synagogue served the needs of the town’s traditional Jewish inhabitants.

The Byzantines erected an octagonal memorial church to place their mark on the site.

Simon’s house in Capernaum was Jesus’ home during much of his public ministry. Undoubtedly, Jesus loved it there. One of his first miracles was worked in the little cluster of houses where Peter’s family lived. He cured Simon’s mother-in-law of a high fever simply by his touch.

From then on, Simon’s house became a place where people came whenever Jesus was there. Not only from the town itself but from places all along the lake and from the towns beyond, the blind, the deaf, the lame and paralyzed flocked to that house and they were made well. Soon, Capernaum was known throughout the land for something more important than its climate and the abundance of its crops: Jesus Christ was there.
For many reasons, Simon’s house and the town itself made an almost ideal setting for the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry

PETER’S HOUSE
Not only did Jesus make Capernaum his home, but it appears from scripture that some of the other disciples may have moved there. Located prominently in the ruins of Capernaum today is an excavation known as TheHouse of Peter. Underneath the modern church at this site are fifth and fourth-century churches, all built over the remains of a first-century dwelling/church. Archaeologists did not find in this dwelling the usual domestic utensils, but rather inscriptions and markings from early Christian pilgrims. They assume that it was an early Christian meeting place and place of pilgr from the first century. The remains of the ancient house appear large enough that Jesus and several disciples could have lived there in a sort of communal fashion. Interestingly, it is located just a stone’s throw from the synagogue.

Jesus had denounced Capernaum as unrepentant and condemned it to Hades. Not only did the name Capernaum disappear, but later pilgrims and residents of the area retained no knowledge of the location of the site. Only in recent times, with the advent of archaeological investigations by the Franciscan Order, was the exact location of this important New Testament town and early Christian center recovered.

The most impressive archaeological remains at Capernaum are those of the beautiful White Synagogue, now partially reconstructed, and made of dressed stones. Many decorative fragments once ornamented its facade. Presumably, this was a traditional Jewish synagogue probably dating from the late third century. No uniquely Christian symbols or graffiti appear in its remains and its identity as a traditional Jewish synagogue is free of reasonable doubt.

The magnificence of the structure may, but probably does not, reflect the prosperity of the town’s Jewish inhabitants. Its size and opulence, extensive and elaborate inner and outer ornamentation, presumably was made possible through the financial support from Pharisaic Jewish donors residing outside Capernaum. The synagogue’s splendor, uncharacteristic of and out of place in a minor fishing village and Christian pilgrim site, suggests some intentional vying with the Christian community and its popular, but humble, “House of Peter” shrine. The two facilities are immediately across from each other. Moreover, Jews continued as a significant source of Christian converts until at least as late as the fourth century and that Jewish Christianity was still significant in the fifth century”. The actual date of the White Synagogue is a matter of some controversy. The original idea was that the synagogue dated to the first century CE and was, therefore, the one in which Jesus taught. Archaeologists abandoned this notion but they remain of divided opinion. Some support a second or early third century date and others a date in the 4th or early 5th century.

Visible below certain sections of the walls of the White Synagogue are the remains of an earlier synagogue, built of basalt, dating to Jesus’ day and presumably it is the one in which Jesus taught. The elders of Capernaum in Jesus’ day referred to this earlier structure as having been by built by the Roman centurion garrisoned there, whom they held in high esteem. It is doubtful whether a minor fishing village the size of Capernaum, where the inhabitants looked to a Gentile to build a synagogue for them, could support more than one.

Considering the available evidence, it seems, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the small basalt synagogue is the one in which Jesus spoke. This conclusion does not have a basis in science, however, it is a working hypothesis open to further investigation and scrutiny. The White Synagogue lies above only portions of the earlier basalt synagogue of Jesus day. The Romans destroyed this earlier basalt synagogue in the course of the First Jewish Revolt.

It dates from the fourth century, probably from the time of Emperor Julian, when the imperial goverment gave the Jewish community permission to reconstruct the original synagogue there. The hypothesis of imperial financing seems confirmed by the presence of ornamental motifs such as eagles, lions, griffins, dates, acanthus, shells, etc.

• Capernaum became the headquarters for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matthew 9:1).
• Jesus taught in the synagogue of Capernaum (Mark 1:21; 3:1; Luke 4:33-38).
• Jesus healed the servant, who was about to die, of the centurion of the military garrison stationed at Capernaum (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10).
• Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law and many others (Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:21-34; Luke 4:31-41).
• The man with a palsy was healed when his friends let him down into the house where Jesus lived after removing the roof (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26).
• Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:40-56).
• Jesus healed the woman who had an “issue of blood” (Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48).
• Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day in the synagogue (Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11).
• Capernaum, Korazin, and Bethsaida were the venue for most of Jesus miracles (Matthew 11:20-24).
• Jesus pronounced a curse on the city of Capernaum because of the unbelief of so many of its inhabitants (Matthew 11:23-24; Luke 10:15).
• Jesus revealed Himself to be the “bread of life” in a sermon delivered in the synagogue of Capernaum (John 6:30-59).

ST. PETER’S MEMORIAL
The new memorial upon the traditional House of St. Peter was built by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in order to shelter the archaeological remains of the Insula Sacra, and to make the same ruins more accessible to the visitors. The inside of the edifice is primarily reserved to religious services.
The main bulk of the building, which is hovering over the remains of the House of Simon Peter the fisherman, conveys in some way the of a boat. The same idea is suggested by the wall decorations made up of stylized fish, waves and nets.

The four wooden panels inside the church are the work of the artists Raoul Vistoli (The Blessed Virgin entering the House of Peter, and St. Peter on a boat). And of Giovanni Dragoni (The Crucifixion and Jesus in the House of Peter). More panels are expected to embellish the interior surfaces of the Memorial. The mosaic of the altar (of Enzo Rossi) combines the biblical theme of the manna in the desert and of the multiplication of loaves. Some passages of the fourth Gospel relating the famous speech on the bread of life, mad by Jesus in the synagogue of Capharnaum, are engraved on the walls of the presbytery. The central tabernacle (of Igino Legnaghi) reproduce the biblical law later. The artistic bronze railing (of Tavani) around the central oculus of the Memorial and along the entrance staircase, is a combination of Christian symbols.

The Memorial was dedicated by Cardinal Lourdusami on June 29, 1990. That date was engraved on the plinths of the façade. In that memorial occasion the Holy Father John Paul II sent a special message, part of which has been engraved on both sides of the entrance.

The ancient texts of Egeria and of the Placentinus, together with the new dedicatory inscription, stress the continuity of the Christian tradition on this holy place which was at the same time the house of Peter, the house of Jesus, and the cradle of Christianity.